Now Hiring – Legislative Director
Archived Listing – This position has been filled.
| Title: | Legislative Director |
| Status: | Regular |
| FLSA Classification: | Exempt |
| Hours: | 1.0 full-time equivalent |
| Reports to: | Deputy Director for Programs |
| Location: | Portland, OR |
| Supervisory Responsibilities: | No supervisory responsibilities |
| Closing Date: | Open until filled |
| Salary: | Full range for position is currently $6,337 to $8,237 per month. Starting salaries are almost always in the first half of the full range. Offers are made based on an assessment of the candidate’s skills, experience, and abilities in relation to the job description, and also in relation to peer roles in the organization. |
About Oregon Environmental Council: Founded in 1968, Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization. Our mission is to advance innovative, collaborative, and equitable solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges for today and future generations. These challenges include toxic chemicals in our environment, water pollution and scarcity, and climate change. We find common ground with diverse stakeholders to create collaborative and lasting solutions that address the source of the problems, support social equity, have real benefits for people’s health and quality of life, and promote a sustainable economy. To learn more about OEC’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, see A vision for justice on our website.
Position Summary: Oregon Environmental Council’s Legislative Director leads our work to secure and defend public policies that align with our mission. The Legislative Director works with the Oregon Legislature and Oregon’s executive branch, as well as occasional work with Oregon’s congressional delegation and local elected officials. Specifically, the Legislative Director works full-time in Salem during legislative sessions and interim committee days, coordinating and providing strategic guidance on the work of our program directors on specific legislation. Between sessions, the Legislative Director cultivates relationships with bipartisan legislators and candidates; designs and delivers legislative briefings around Oregon; and works with our staff to promote OEC’s policy agenda through other venues. This position requires travel throughout Oregon. This role works under the supervision of the Deputy Director for Programs but with a high level of autonomy.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
We don’t expect every candidate to have experience in every one of these job duties.
Ideal candidates will have experience in many of the duties, and will be able to demonstrate an understanding and readiness for the ones in which they may not have had direct experience. We’d like to work with you and encourage you to apply even if you don’t see yourself in every component listed below.
Legislative Advocacy (~35%)
- Serves as OEC’s primary voice in the Oregon Legislature. This includes, tracking relevant legislation, coordinating testimony and other advocacy work, negotiating, providing rapid response information to decision-makers, and presenting testimony
- On an as needed basis, supports other major policy campaigns which may involve advocating before regulatory and administrative agencies or before local or federal decision-makers
- Keeps OEC program staff, deputy director for programs, executive director and communications director regularly informed of legislative issues and engages them at useful and necessary points
- Serves on statewide task forces
Relationship Building (~35%)
- Builds strong relationships with legislators and candidates of all parties from across Oregon and, to a lesser extent, with local and federal politicians
- Builds strong professional relationships with key individuals in Oregon’s executive branch to move OEC’s agenda forward
- Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with key interest groups and individuals, building broad support for OEC program goals and objectives and leveraging our strengths to support partner organizations’ work
Policy Analysis and Campaign Planning and Execution (~20%)
- Coordinates board and staff work to develop and finalize our legislative agenda
- Develops and leads legislative strategic approach for securing OEC’s priorities
- Assists in analyzing, investigating, and refining potential legislative proposals, with an equity and inclusion lens
- Reviews proposed ballot measure endorsements for relevancy to OEC’s mission and makes recommendations; supports ballot measure campaigns, as needed
Other Responsibilities (~10%)
- Works with OEC staff to produce testimony, fact sheets, press releases, opinion pieces, and other documents as necessary
- Leads and develops trainings and shares tips on effective advocacy for OEC staff
- Supports OEC fundraising activities as requested, e.g., by presenting progress reports and meeting with potential donors
- Actively works to strengthen OEC’s public presence and visibility, both independently and in coordination with other staff members
- Other responsibilities as needed
Required Experience, Education and/or Certification:
Required Experience and Education
- Minimum four years of professional experience in lobbying, advocacy, and/or legislative work
- Demonstrated experience incorporating the perspectives of communities of color in the consideration of impacts and outcomes of a decision-making process
- Bachelor’s degree or 6 years relevant experience
Required Skills, Abilities and Qualities
- Proven ability to build broad-based support among elected officials and key stakeholders for proactive policy changes
- Excellent interpersonal skills; an eagerness to work collaboratively in a dynamic team environment; positive, flexible attitude
- Excellent communications (verbal and written)
- Proven ability to work cooperatively with diverse organizations and constituents
- Able to maintain a general level of knowledge and understanding of a wide range of issues
- Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to work under pressure; ability to manage multiple projects while keeping a “big picture” strategic view
- Ability to self-motivate, take the initiative and problem solve; ability to work independently
- Detail-oriented with high standards for accuracy
- An understanding of the impacts of institutional and structural racism and bias
- A commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion within the organization and as part of the position
- Valid driver’s license
- A passion for OEC’s mission
- Energized to support Oregon Environmental Council’s Values and Beliefs and workplace culture as described in our Team Charter
- Willingness and ability to work long hours during legislative sessions
Desirable
- Experience working in a non-profit setting with a mission-driven staff and board
- Existing relationships with Oregon legislators and policy stakeholders
- Prior experience with environmental and/or environmental justice policy issues
- Experience working with the media
- Experience with advocacy campaign strategy
- Relevant advanced degree
Other Requirements
Travel: This position requires a daily presence in Salem during the legislative session, and requires occasional statewide travel including overnight or multiple days. An OEC vehicle is available for Legislative Director travel during session. OEC encourages travel by sustainable modes, e.g., walking, bicycling, taking transit, carpooling, but some trips may require driving. This position therefore requires a valid driver’s license.
Work Schedule: This role requires the ability to be flexible about one’s schedule and work hours, including frequent evening and weekend hours and daily travel during legislative sessions. This role may require excess hours in order to achieve deliverables, especially during legislative session.
Physical: This job operates in a professional open-floor office environment with a moderate level of noise associated with personal conversations and office machinery. The employee must be able to see, hear and talk and have the physical ability to move around, lift light objects, and use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets.
Benefits and Amenities: OEC offers a collaborative, team-oriented, flexible, family-friendly workplace. Excellent benefits include four weeks of paid vacation annually (three the first year) and generous health insurance for employee and family. You will learn a lot, laugh a lot, and feel great about helping Oregon communities become better, healthier places to live.
OEC endeavors to increase all staff wages annually to account for cost of living as well as to recognize and honor experience gained over time. OEC also endeavors to review and adjust the organizational pay scale every 2-3 years. Employees should expect to move up in the range for their position’s pay grade as they gain more experience in their roles.
ADA Accommodations: If you identify as a person with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation when applying for this job, please email info@oeconline.org or call 503-222-1963 x100 for assistance.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Oregon Environmental Council provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender assignment, gender identity or expression, national origin, (dis)ability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
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