NC Director of Legislative Affairs

Carrick Professionals; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Carolinas Credit Union League seeks a senior state legislative advocate to lead North Carolina credit union policy efforts. The role demands deep understanding of the NC legislature, established relationships, and the ability to independently manage a comprehensive advocacy program.

The Director monitors legislation, develops strategies, and engages lawmakers, regulators, and coalition partners. The position includes a hybrid schedule with in-office days in Raleigh, NC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in lobbying, legislative affairs, government relations, or related field.
• Substantial professional experience with North Carolina state government and knowledge of the NC General Assembly.
• Established network of productive relationships with NC legislators, staff, and government affairs professionals.
• Experience independently tracking legislation, analyzing bills, and maintaining issue-management systems.
• Experience planning and executing advocacy events and legislative days.
• Strong writing, public speaking, interpersonal, organizational, and management skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently throughout North Carolina.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the League’s principal state legislative advocate and contact for leaders, credit unions, officials, and regulators on state matters.
• Design, implement, and maintain a bill monitoring and issue-management system; provide timely updates to leadership.
• Monitor NC General Assembly activity, analyze policy impacts, and develop concise summaries and recommendations.
• Build and maintain relationships with legislators, staff, agencies, lobbyists, associations, and partners to advance the agenda.
• Develop and execute legislative strategy including drafting, coalition development, testimonies, and grassroots activities.
• Plan and execute North Carolina State House Day and other advocacy events from concept to post-event follow-up.

Skills

Legislative expertise

Independent ownership

Relationship development

Strategic judgment

Execution and project management

Policy analysis

Coalition and member engagement

Professional presence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, government, or related field

Job description

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Legislative advocacy is a core function of the Carolinas Credit Union League and central to its value proposition. The NC Director of Legislative Affairs serves as the League’s lead state legislative advocate for North Carolina credit unions. This is a senior, externally facing position for an experienced government affairs professional who can enter the role with a working knowledge of the North Carolina legislative process, established relationships, and the ability to independently manage a comprehensive state advocacy program.

The Director is responsible for monitoring and analyzing legislation; building and maintaining relationships with lawmakers, legislative staff, candidates, regulators, coalition partners, and credit union leaders; developing and executing legislative and political strategies; and creating opportunities that connect policymakers directly with credit unions. The position is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, sound judgment, urgency, and accountability.

This position follows a hybrid work schedule of at least two in-office days at our Raleigh, NC office.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the League’s principal state legislative advocate and primary point of contact for League leadership, North Carolina credit unions, elected officials, legislative staff, candidates, regulators, and allied organizations on state legislative and political matters.
• Independently design, implement, and maintain a reliable bill monitoring and issue-management system that captures newly introduced legislation, amendments, committee activity, votes, deadlines, stakeholder positions, and required follow-up. Ensure senior leadership and relevant staff receive timely, accurate information.
• Monitor daily activity of the North Carolina General Assembly; identify legislation affecting credit unions; analyze policy and operational impacts; prepare concise summaries and recommendations; and develop response strategies before issues become urgent.
• Use established relationships—and continually build new ones—with legislators, legislative staff, candidates, state agencies, retained lobbyists, associations, and coalition partners to advance the League’s legislative agenda and protect credit union interests.
• Develop and execute legislative strategy for League priorities, including bill drafting and analysis, sponsor recruitment, coalition development, testimony, amendments, grassroots activation, vote strategy, and direct lobbying.
• Plan and execute North Carolina State House Day and other major advocacy events from concept through follow-up, including goals, schedule, lawmaker participation, credit union recruitment, issue materials, participant preparation, logistics, day-of execution, and post‑event evaluation.
• Create and lead a proactive program of credit union visits, lawmaker visits, district events, roundtables, facility tours, and other original engagements that strengthen relationships between policymakers and credit union leaders, employees, and members.
• Build and maintain a statewide network of credit union subject‑matter experts who can provide timely operational insight on issues such as lending, payments, fraud, compliance, digital assets, mortgage services, vehicle titling, and other emerging policy matters. Translate that expertise into credible advocacy resources and legislative input.
• Work with the North Carolina Governmental Affairs Committee, member credit unions, League staff, and external partners to identify issues and develop the state legislative agenda.
• Manage the work of retained lobbyists, establish clear assignments and expectations, coordinate strategy, and ensure accountability for follow‑up and results.
• Represent the League and credit union interests at political fundraisers, legislative meetings, hearings, conferences, chapter meetings, and other events throughout North Carolina.
• Identify and execute opportunities for appropriate League participation in the election process to build relationships with legislators and candidates and strengthen the League’s political effectiveness.
• Work collaboratively with the League’s advocacy team to establish and achieve North Carolina PAC fundraising goals, develop and implement fundraising strategies, engage member credit unions, and support related grassroots initiatives.
• Maintain accurate advocacy materials, issue briefs, legislative records, publications, and other documents. Produce timely written updates for credit union leaders, League management, boards, committees, and other audiences, including weekly updates during legislative sessions and periodic updates throughout the year.
• Assess policy threats, opportunities, and trends at the state and local levels; recommend priorities; and develop practical plans to address them.
• Work with the League’s communications team to develop advocacy communications, explain complex issues clearly, and highlight credit union programs and community impact in support of legislative priorities.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable North Carolina lobbying, ethics, campaign finance, disclosure, and reporting requirements related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the League’s advocacy mission.

NOTE

The list of essential functions is not exhaustive. It may be supplemented as necessary from time to time.

SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Legislative expertise: Demonstrated command of the North Carolina legislative process, including bill tracking, committee procedures, amendments, calendars, conference activity, and legislative deadlines.
• Independent ownership: Ability to create systems, establish priorities, anticipate needs, and move work forward with limited day‑to‑day direction.
• Relationship development: Proven ability to establish trust and maintain productive, bipartisan relationships with policymakers, staff, members, and external partners.
• Strategic judgment: Ability to assess political and policy dynamics, identify practical paths forward, and adjust strategy as conditions change.
• Execution and project management: Ability to manage multiple legislative priorities, events, visits, communications, and deadlines without losing accuracy or follow‑through.
• Policy analysis and communication: Ability to translate legislation and complex policy issues into clear recommendations, talking points, written updates, and advocacy materials.
• Coalition and member engagement: Ability to organize diverse stakeholders, develop subject‑matter resources, and turn member expertise into effective advocacy.
• Professional presence: Credibility, discretion, sound judgment, and confidence representing the League in high‑level public and political settings.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, government, communications, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in lobbying, legislative affairs, government relations, legislative staff work, association advocacy, or a closely related field.
• Substantial professional experience with North Carolina state government and a demonstrated working knowledge of the North Carolina General Assembly and its legislative process.
• An established network of productive relationships with North Carolina legislators, legislative staff, political stakeholders, and government affairs professionals, with the ability to expand that network quickly.
• Demonstrated experience independently tracking legislation, analyzing bills and amendments, maintaining issue‑management systems, and communicating developments accurately and promptly.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing advocacy events, legislative days, facility tours, policymaker visits, or comparable stakeholder engagements.
• Strong writing, public speaking, interpersonal, organizational, and project‑management skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently throughout North Carolina and work outside standard business hours when legislative or political activity requires it.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience representing a trade association, financial institution, credit union, or other highly regulated industry.
• Familiarity with financial services, credit union operations, and issues affecting cooperative financial institutions.
• Experience managing outside lobbyists, consultants, coalitions, grassroots programs, or political action committee activities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to:

• Use fingers to type or use computer, phone, tablet, adding machine, etc.
• Talk to express or exchange ideas
• Hear at normal speaking levels
• Stand, walk, and sit
• Repetitively move wrists, hands, and/or fingers
• Have visual acuity to read, determine accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of work assigned
• Occasionally required to lift up to 50 pounds and to stoop, kneel, reach, or crouch.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment is generally an office, legislative, meeting, or event setting with a low to moderate noise level and limited exposure to adverse environmental conditions. This position requires frequent travel throughout North Carolina and periodic overnight travel. Evening and early‑morning work may be required during legislative sessions, political events, and major advocacy activities. The employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. Noise level is low to moderate.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. This job description is not a contract.