Legislative Assistant

Jobtailor; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks a seasoned legislative office manager to oversee daily operations of Senator Christian’s office in Olympia, WA, and to attend district meetings on the Senator’s behalf.

You will coordinate with legislators, staff, lobbyists, and constituents; draft talking points and correspondence; organize events; and ensure records, budgeting, and compliance with Senate rules.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and one year of related work experience or an equivalent combination.
• Ability to work in-district and relocate to Olympia for the session.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of the legislative office and oversee budget activities.
• Attend in-district meetings with the Senator or on the Senator’s behalf.
• Draft talking points, press releases, and district-specific media strategies.
• Coordinate communications with stakeholders, staff, lobbyists, agencies, and constituents.
• Organize legislative events and maintain the calendar with briefing materials.

Skills

Legislative operations management

Project management

Strong communication skills

Constituent relations

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree + 1 year experience or equivalent

Tools

Video conferencing software

Legislative computer systems

Public records retention knowledge

Job description

• Manage the daily operations of Senator Christian’s office
• Attend in-district meetings with the Senator and on the Senator’s behalf
• Serve as liaison between the Senator and legislators, staff, lobbyists, agencies, governments, tribal nations, and constituents
• Field public questions about legislation and the Senator’s positions
• Draft talking points, press releases, mailings, and district-specific media strategies with caucus communications staff
• Draft and review legislative correspondence and determine appropriate actions
• Assist constituents with state agency interactions
• Meet with constituents, lobbyists, and other parties on behalf of the Senator
• Organize in-person and virtual legislative events
• Monitor district-specific issues and concerns
• Maintain the legislative calendar, prioritize meetings, prepare briefing materials, and arrange travel
• Oversee the legislative office budget, equipment purchases, travel, and reimbursement requests
• Manage, submit, and track budget requests
• Recruit candidates for session staff positions
• Train session staff on office procedures and Senate rules
• Supervise and coordinate temporary office staff and interns during session
• Oversee bills and amendments through the legislative process
• Coordinate communications with stakeholders on legislation
• Organize committee testimony for prime sponsor bills
• Collaborate with partisan policy staff and non-partisan committee services staff to implement policy goals
• Maintain legislative office records
• Conduct responsive public records searches

Requirements

• Familiarity with the 4th Legislative District
• Highly motivated self-starter able to be self-directed and independent
• Strong organizational, time management, prioritization, and customer service skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to exercise professional judgment and discretion
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to communicate with varied personalities tactfully and professionally
• Ability to maintain productive working relationships with Senators, staff, lobbyists/advocates, and constituents
• Well-developed project management skills and attention to detail
• Ability to operate legislative computer systems and video conferencing software
• Understanding of, or willingness to learn, the committee and leadership structure of the Washington State Legislature
• Understanding of, or willingness to learn, public records law and the legislative records retention schedule
• Bachelor’s degree AND one year of related work experience OR an equivalent combination of experience and education
• Must reside in-district
• Must be willing and able to temporarily relocate to Olympia for the legislative session
• Must work in-person in Olympia during the legislative session
• Must be available for in-person meetings and Capitol Campus training and legislative meetings during interim
• Long and irregular hours, including evening and weekend work, are required during the legislative session

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills while effectively managing legislative operations and communications. Capable of maintaining confidentiality and exercising professional judgment in a fast-paced political environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Legislative Operations Management
• Project Management
• Strong Communication Skills
• Constituent Relations
• Budget Management

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Legislative Computer Systems
• Public Records Law
• Legislative Correspondence
• Event Organization
• Budget Tracking

Soft Skills

• Strong Organizational Skills
• Time Management
• Customer Service
• Professional Judgment
• Interpersonal Skills

Industry Keywords

• 4th Legislative District
• Washington State Legislature
• Legislative Process
• Committee Structure
• Legislative Records Retention

Tools & Technologies

• Video Conferencing Software