We are seeking a proactive and collaborative Manager, Legislative Affairs to support our federal legislative advocacy work in protecting our four policy pillars: Voting & Fair Representation, Anti-Corruption & Accountability, Media & Technology, and Civil Rights & Civil Liberties.
You will play a key role in supporting the organization’s legislative goals, including coordinating and supporting day-to-day lobbying activities, working with coalition partners and key stakeholders, assisting in building relationships with lawmakers, and maintaining strategic alignment across Common Cause’s policy pillars and state teams.
This is a full-time role reporting to the Senior Director, Legislative Affairs; This role is based in Washington, DC, with an expectation to come into our office two days a week and up to five days during peak legislative session. We hope our new Manager, Legislative Affairs will start in October.
Responsibilities
Maintain a comprehensive tracker of federal legislation, hearings, oversight actions, and committee activity across the four policy pillars
Research and analyze bills, including legislative history, sponsor positions, partner alignment, and procedural pathways
Prepare regular legislative updates for the Senior Director, Policy & Litigation leadership, and state teams
Coordinate scheduling, prep, and follow-up for Hill meetings led by the Senior Director and other senior staff.
Attend Hill meetings as appropriate, take notes, and manage follow-through on commitments.
Maintain relationship records on member offices, staff contacts, and prior engagements.
Support implementation of the three-phase plan (Foundation & Insertion, Pre-Midterm Narrative & Positioning, Post-Election Readiness).
Serve as the federal legislative point of contact for all 23 state teams.
Coordinate timely federal updates to state teams on legislation affecting their jurisdictions.
Synthesize state-level political intelligence into federal strategy inputs for the Senior Director.
Coordinate with Campaigns & Organizing, External Affairs, and state teams on federal legislative campaigns.
Support development of federal advocacy materials for funders and external partners.
Manage Common Cause’s working-level coalition participation, including sign-on processes, coalition letter drafting, and partner position tracking.
Coordinate internal review and approval of coalition sign-on requests.
Maintain working-level relationships with coalition partner staff.
Under the Senior Director’s direction, draft policy memos, talking points, member-specific briefings, hearing prep, questions for the record, oversight letters, and comment submissions
Prepare bill summaries and strategic alignment analyses against the endorsement evaluation checklist
Develop briefing materials for kitchen cabinet meetings and other Hill engagements
Administer the bill endorsement evaluation process, including initial bill review, routing to decision-makers, and tracking decisions
Maintain documentation of endorsement decisions and rationales
Legislative tracking, analysis, and engagement support
State team, coalition, and external partnerships
Materials preparation, drafting, and process administration
Qualifications
A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda
A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others
Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth
Demonstrated knowledge of the unique aspects of the national political dynamic
Experience working on public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights and civil rights
Demonstrated knowledge of and strong interest in current statewide/national democracy issues, including voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance reform, disinformation, ethics, etc.
Ability to work collaboratively with others, and to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests
Ability to navigate organizational and power dynamics, respectfully navigate conflict while maintaining your values, and influence others to adopt changes to meet common goals
Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail, strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently
Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences, and ideally you have served as an external spokesperson for an organization previously or have experience speaking to the media
Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Zoom
Ability to travel and work in-person up to four times per year to support state-based events, engagements with Members of Congress, and all-staff retreats
Ability to work in-person in the DC at least 2 days per week, and up to five days during peak legislative session
Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization (as needed, Common Cause will provide accounts for staff members to use)
Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party
This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations
Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US
You will thrive in this role if you have:
The following is required:
Additional information about this role:
Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.
Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.
Skills Required
- Ability to travel and work in-person up to four times per year to support state-based events and congressional engagements
- Ability to work in-person in Washington, DC at least 2 days per week and up to 5 days during peak legislative session
- Authorization to work in the US without employer visa sponsorship
- Willingness to maintain a social media presence on behalf of the organization and create/tagged content as needed
- Experience working on public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights, or civil rights
- Demonstrated knowledge of state and national political dynamics and current democracy issues (voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance, disinformation, ethics)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including drafting memos, talking points, and briefings
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain high attention to detail
- Ability to build rapport and maintain relationships with lawmakers, coalition partners, and internal stakeholders
- Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office and Zoom
- Adherence to the organization's nonpartisan policy (not currently in elected office, running for office, or holding certain political committee roles)
What We Do
Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. Founded in 1970, it works at the national, state, and local levels to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest. The organization focuses on issues such as voting rights, campaign finance reform, ethics, and media accountability, empowering citizens to make their voices heard in the political process.
