ROLE OVERVIEW

The L3 Strategist plays a leadership role within the Policy & Advocacy Department focused on a wide array of challenges to civil liberties in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and in Texas. The strategist develops and coordinates local advocacy campaigns, creates opportunities for supporters to join those campaigns, and builds support for Border and Immigrant Rights, Voting Rights, and all our priority issues through local and state-level advocacy. The L3 Strategist should be able to work with a high degree autonomy while maintaining a high degree of communication with their supervisor and other key stakeholders.

The position reports to the Policy & Advocacy Co-Director and relies on close and frequent communication. The team works at the local, state, and federal levels, in close collaboration with other departments within the ACLU of Texas and ACLU National.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Participates as a leader in strategy development, budgeting, and overall team development for the Policy & Advocacy Department. Responsibilities may include helping lead department wide projects outside of their specific issue area focus.
• Works closely with cross-departmental colleagues to develop campaign goals, strategies, and plans across an array of civil liberties and civil rights issues in Texas, through a racial justice lens.
• Plays a lead role in executing plans to achieve campaign objectives, including by coordinating across multiple departments and managing a dynamic team. Brings an organizing mindset to policy change.
• Maintains policy knowledge of Border and Immigrant Rights issues, and the key influencers and organizations that shape the issue in Texas. Works closely with BIPOC and immigrant communities to achieve goals for policy change.
• Builds and maintains relationships with counterparts in other organizations and coalitions across; travels to participate maintain relationships and support coalition work
• Exerts influence at the state and local and levels through relationships with like-minded organizations, the media, grassroots groups, offices of elected officials, and elected officials themselves. Able to exert influence in adversarial contexts. This includes travel statewide and travel to Austin for legislative advocacy.
• Produces high-standard written products for internal and external audiences, based on original research and analysis.
• Represents the organization in coalitions, groups of parents and students, the media, the Texas state legislature, and with other officials and forums.

COMPETENCIES

• Written and verbal communication. Quickly produces written products, including emails and memos, that summarize information and present options for action. Can communicate with internal and external stakeholders clearly and with empathy.
• Organizational relations: Represents departmental and organizational positions in internal and external negotiations to achieve objectives. Responsive to requests for action, internally and externally.
• Teamwork: Brings a positive, problem-solving attitude to relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Project Management: Able to develop project concepts, break down activities into manageable pieces that can be appropriately delegated to internal collaborators and external vendors, manage vendors for medium-sized contracts, track progress using project management tools, and manage accountability processes for deliverables
• Decision making: Makes prudent decisions that are timely, well researched, and reflect awareness of impact
• Leadership: Effectively leads others in achieving stated duties and assignments. Demonstrates a positive example in leading staff toward achievement of team goals and mission. Able to operate with significant autonomy, with support and collaboration from the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least five years of experience working in community organizing, political campaigns, and/or public policy research and advocacy; at least two years of experience building relationships with BIPOC and/or immigrant communities and identifying and addressing barriers to access to social systems or other opportunities for these communities; track record of achieving policy change through organizing and/or advocacy with public officials.
• Familiarity with the environment for civil liberties in Texas, especially as related to voting rights and censorship in schools.
• Strong project management skills; ability to complete policy-related projects in complex or adversarial environments.
• Demonstrated ability to produce sophisticated policy-related written work products.
• Solid computer skills, including intermediate proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet, and communications tools.
• Flexible schedule and ability to work non-traditional hours as needed. Some travel required.
• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties.
• Preferences:
  • Graduate-level education in public policy
  • Prior project management experience
  • Experience interacting with the media and representing mission-driven organizations to the media

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Policy & Advocacy Department works for practical, strategic change in the areas of Smart Justice, Free Speech and Pluralism, Voting Rights, Border and Immigrant Rights, LGBTQIA+ equality, and Reproductive Freedom across Texas.

Salary is commensurate with experience and within the parameters of ACLU of Texas’ salary
scale $84K - $90K.

The ACLU of Texas is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Texas encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction.