Legislative Advocate

Omlohio; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation time

Sick leave

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Group life insurance

Individual insurance

401(k) plan

Paid parking

Job summary

The Ohio Municipal League (OML) is seeking a Legislative Advocate based in downtown Columbus to advance municipal interests before the Ohio General Assembly, Governor’s Office, and state agencies. The role blends legislative advocacy, policy analysis, member services, and relationship-building, with regular travel within Ohio and occasional evenings or extended hours for hearings and events.

The position requires collaboration across associations and the ability to translate complex policy into

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration, or related field.
• At least five years of related government or policy experience.
• Strong writing, speaking, research, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Advance municipal interests before the General Assembly and Governor’s Office.
• Analyze policy developments and communicate impacts to members.
• Plan, organize, and coordinate association meetings and conferences.
• Collaborate with association leadership and staff on initiatives.
• Travel within Ohio and attend hearings and events as needed.

Skills

Excellent writing

Excellent speaking

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Policy analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in political science, public administration, public policy, communications, or related field

Job description

Classifieds

Classified ad postings from OML member municipalities are free of charge. Member municipalities are asked to limit submissions to no more than two active classified ads at a time. A $75 fee applies to classified ads submitted by non-member Ohio municipalities, consulting agencies, recruitment platforms, and out-of-state organizations. Each ad runs for a maximum of 30 days or until the stated apply-by date, whichever comes first. Please email 1–2-page ads in Word format to: [e-mail]

Columbus, OH | Full-time | Salary: To be determined

Legislative Advocate

ABOUT THE OHIO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

The Ohio Municipal League (OML) serves as the primary connection point between municipal and state government in Ohio, representing the interests of cities and villages to state lawmakers and the governor’s administration.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Working as part of OML’s legislative advocacy team, the Legislative Advocate advances municipal interests before the Ohio General Assembly, Governor’s Office, state agencies, and other governmental entities. The role combines legislative advocacy, policy analysis, member services, and relationship-building. The position is based in downtown Columbus and requires regular interaction with the Ohio General Assembly and other state government offices. Some travel within Ohio and occasional evening or extended hours may be required to attend legislative hearings, association meetings, conferences, and other organizational events.

ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS & CONFERENCES

• Serve as the primary staff liaison for the Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors and the Municipal Engineers Association of Ohio (associated organizations of OML).
• Plan, organize, and coordinate association meetings, conferences, educational programming, and member engagement activities, working closely with association leadership.
• Monitor and communicate policy developments affecting municipal public safety, engineering, infrastructure, and related operations; help advance each association’s priorities.
• Assist with OML conferences, seminars, and webinars relevant to the position, including session development, speaker coordination, presentations, and materials.
• Collaborate with OML leadership and staff on organizational initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration, public policy, communications, or a related field.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience working in or with the Ohio General Assembly, state or local government, government relations, or a closely related field.
• Strong knowledge of Ohio state and local government, the legislative process, municipal operations, and how local governments are funded.
• Excellent writing, speaking, research, analytical, and organizational skills; ability to explain complex policy issues clearly.
• Ability to build constructive relationships with people holding varied political positions, represent OML’s adopted positions professionally, and work effectively within a collaborative team.

BENEFITS

OML offers a competitive benefits package including

• vacation time
• sick leave
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• group life insurance
• individual insurance
• 401(k) plan
• paid parking

Submissions should be received by November 30.

The Ohio Municipal League is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate because of age, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, disability, military status, Vietnam era or other protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. OML prides itself in the contribution it makes to the community, and it is committed to compliance with all federal, state and local laws relating to equal employment opportunity