Legislative Coordinator

National Conference of State Legislatures; Springfield (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Prescription coverage

Behavioral health coverage

Life insurance

State Employees' Retirement System

Health savings account (HSAs)

Deferred compensation

Job summary

Office of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield seeks a Legislative Coordinator to provide direct, one-on-one support to Democratic members. The role emphasizes managing a heavy workload in a fast-paced environment with responsibilities across agenda development, bill tracking, and committee staffing.

The position is based in the Illinois Capitol Complex, not remote, with long hours possible and occasional weekends.

Qualifications

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in an unpredictable work environment and long hours when needed.
• Professional demeanor and ability to adapt to different or difficult personalities.
• Demonstrated interest in state government, politics, policy, current affairs, public service, or nonprofit work, especially in Democratic politics.

Responsibilities

• Develop members’ legislative agendas and work through the bill drafting process in coordination with Policy & Budget and Legal Units, and Senior Legislative Coordinators.
• Maintain files on members’ legislation, track bill status, and provide bill preparation (talking points).
• Staff legislative committees and ensure attendance for meetings to secure passage of legislation.
• Support district outreach by developing district plans and sharing caucus-wide opportunities.
• Maintain Springfield office and serve as first contact for visitors, scheduling meetings and arranging travel accommodations as needed.
• Coordinate local visits to Springfield and attend/record meetings for members as needed.
• Provide general administrative support, including screening and routing correspondence and calls.

Job description

Office of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives

Compensation will be determined based on applicable qualifications and experience.

The Legislative Unit of the Office of the Speaker provides direct, one-on-one legislative support to Democratic members of the Illinois House of Representatives. Successful candidates show a willingness to handle both large and small tasks, demonstrate an ability to thrive in a professional, fast-paced work environment, and can manage a heavy and diverse workload. Each Legislative Coordinator is generally assigned to staff several members of the House of Representatives. The Legislative Coordinator reports directly to a Senior Legislative Coordinator. The position is based in Springfield, Illinois. This is not a remote or hybrid position.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Develop members’ legislative agendas and work through the bill drafting process in coordination with, Policy & Budget and Legal Units, and Senior Legislative Coordinators.
• Maintain files on members’ legislation, track bill status, and provide bill preparation (such as talking points).
• Staff legislative committees and ensure members’ attendance for committee meetings to secure the passage of legislatio.
• Work within an assigned team to develop district outreach plans, share caucus-wide outreach opportunities, and support the district office in their constituent outreach.
• Maintain members’ Springfield office. Serve as the first point of contact for visitors to the office, schedule and arrange meetings as requested by members, and identify local travel accommodations as needed.
• Coordinate local organization and group visits to Springfield.
• Attend and memorialize meetings for members as needed.
• Provide general administrative support as needed, including receiving, screening, and routing correspondence and telephone calls.

Qualifications

Required

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in an unpredictable work environment and the willingness to work long hours, when needed.
• Professional demeanor and the ability to adapt and work with different or difficult personalities.
• A demonstrated interest in state government, politics, and policy, current affairs, public service, or non-profit work, particularly in Democratic politics.
• Computer proficiency.
• Candidates with Spanish language skills (both written and oral), especially those who are certified in translation, are preferred.
• Work is largely performed in the Illinois Capitol Complex in Springfield, Illinois which is open to the public. Security for the Capitol Complex is provided by the Illinois Secretary of State Police.
• The working environment can be noisy, and the building can be congested with constituents, lobbyists, tour groups, and demonstrators.
• The person in this position needs to be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, as well as to move about the Capitol complex as necessary.
• The person in this position constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• The person in this position frequently communicates with staff, legislators, lobbyists, and members of the public, and must be able to professionally exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Typical work hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on non-session days. Session day hours are subject to change based on the legislative schedule.
• Occasional weekends may be required.
• Health, dental, vision, prescription, behavioral health, and life insurance, for details visit the benefits webpage .
• Participation in State Employees' Retirement System.
• Optional participation in a health savings account and deferred compensation program.
• Competitive vacation, sick, and personal time.