State Legislative Manager
Title: State Legislative Manager
Reports to: State Legislative Affairs and Law Enforcement Director
Direct reports: none
Hours: full-time, non-exempt
Location: Washington, DC (candidates working from CA, AZ, TX, IL, and WI will be considered)
For more than three decades, we've been on the front lines of the movement to create a safer America. Our organization was forged in the aftermath of two horrific tragedies that redefined the fight for gun safety. In 1993, a mass shooting at a San Francisco law firm led to the creation of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation's early, preeminent force for researching and defending gun safety laws. In 2016, the Law Center joined forces with Americans for Responsible Solutions, the political organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, to form a legal, federal, political, and state-based powerhouse. Our work depends on building wide, sometimes unlikely coalitions – working with everyone from frontline violence interrupters to moderate Republicans and gun owners.
Today, GIFFORDS addresses a crisis of epidemic proportions. With nearly 47,000 Americans dying from gun violence every year, this is a uniquely American problem that costs our economy an estimated $557 billion annually. But we know this cycle of violence is preventable. We fight for evidence-based solutions, including universal background checks, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and community violence intervention programs. We implement solutions that save lives – and it's working.
Built on a foundation of legal expertise and bold leadership, GIFFORDS stands as a courageous force for change. For more information, visit www.GIFFORDS.org.
GIFFORDS is seeking a State Legislative Manager to join our team. The State Legislative Manager will manage efforts achieving progress toward GIFFORDS’ legislative priorities in target states and serves as a liaison to elected officials, key stakeholders, and staff at the state level. The successful candidate will collaborate with their GIFFORDS colleagues and state partners to enact life-saving legislation in their target states.
This is a full-time position based in our Washington DC office. This position requires the ability and willingness to travel up to 20-40% of the time, as well as interest and ability in staffing occasional evening and weekend events.This position will be expected to work in a hybrid model, with some days a week in the office and the rest of the time working remotely.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Due to the high volume of applicants, no phone calls or emails, please.
Duties + Responsibilities:
- Work with the State Legislative Director to design and execute strategic offensive and defense legislative plans for target states in alignment with our organizational strategic imperatives.
- Develop and maintain relationships with state legislators and their staff, stakeholders, and state advocates through frequent communication and by providing guidance and resources on the issue of gun safety.
- Represent GIFFORDS to state allies and partners to strengthen relationships, communicate GIFFORDS’ goals, and provide education regarding gun safety issues.
- Manage work plans for advancing GIFFORDS’ gun violence prevention priorities in multiple state legislatures.
- Manage in-state contract lobbyists where applicable.
- Collaborate with colleagues to develop clear, consistent messaging and increase public awareness of the state legislative work.
- Coordinate with GIFFORDS State Initiatives and Coalitions teams to ensure strong GIFFORDS participation in certain state Lobby Days and engage key stakeholder voices in our legislative work.
- Develop a strong understanding and knowledge of the political dynamics in target states.
- Coordinate with the GIFFORDS policy, research, and litigation teams to maintain a strong, integrated state legislative program in advancement of gun safety policies.
- Collaborate with the GIFFORDS Center for Violence Intervention to advance community violence policies in target states and oversee the execution of legislative strategies in support of those policies.
- Monitor and report on legislative developments on an ongoing basis.
- Other duties as assigned
- Three to five years of full-time experience working with legislation or lobbying and advocacy at local, state, or federal levels
- Commitment to GIFFORDS’ mission to combat the gun violence epidemic in America
- Ability to manage and assess multiple programs and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to coordinate effectively with allied organizations, build new relationships, and create partnerships
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to be flexible
- Ability to travel up to 20-40% of the time
- Strong interpersonal skills, sense of humor and ability to work well on a team
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- A commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism.
- Comfort working in a moderate political environment with bi-partisan and centrist constituencies
Valued non-essential knowledge, skills, + experience
- Love of state legislative politics and policy
- Experience working specifically on gun violence prevention policy
- Bilingual in Spanish and English.
Salary + benefits
The salary range for this position is $71,000 - $77,000 annually, with the exact salary depending on experience. Competitive benefits include employer-funded health, dental, and vision insurance; health, transit, and parking flexible spending accounts; 401k plan with 4% employer match; 25 days of PTO annually plus paid week closure between Christmas and New Year’s; and ten paid federal holidays.
Applying + the interview process
Submit your resume and a brief cover letter (400 words maximum) that outlines three specific ways that you would be a good fit for this position. Our interview process for this position consists of a phone interview, a panel interview, a meet and greet with the team, a final interview, reference checks, and a background check.
GIFFORDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. People of color, trans individuals, gender non-conforming individuals, women, people with differing abilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.