Project Manager, Elections Administration Policy

The Council of State Governments; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision coverage

Retirement plan

Paid time off

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

The Council of State Governments (CSG) in Lexington, KY is seeking a Project Manager to oversee programs and services supporting interstate collaboration and policy development, with a focus on elections administration. The role includes project management, budget oversight, staff supervision, and coordinating policy research and communications.

The position requires experience in public policy and project management, strong writing and communication skills, and a commitment to nonpartisan,

Qualifications

• Six years of technical assistance, project management, policy analysis, or operational experience in public policy or a related field.
• Experience in elections administration policy strongly preferred.
• Experience supervising staff and managing projects.
• Ability to communicate complex policy issues clearly to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee portfolio of projects including budget, workplans, and deliverables.
• Lead projects and develop new programs, partnerships and relationships.
• Conduct policy research, analysis and reporting.
• Coach and evaluate staff; ensure timely deliverables and compliance with laws and contracts.
• Collaborate with communications to disseminate project updates and policy content.
• Engage with state and federal officials to advance policy priorities.

Skills

Election administration

Policy analysis

Project management

Communication skills

Staff mentorship

Nonpartisan work

Public policy experience

Job description

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is the nation's only organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional, national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders, collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships. To learn more about CSG please visit our website at www.csg.org. To learn more about careers at CSG, and about our comprehensive benefit offerings, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, PSLF eligibility and more, please visit our website here.

Job Summary

The Project Manager provides oversight of programs and services to engage and support CSG members with resources for interstate collaboration and effective public policy and programming. This includes project development, project management, member outreach and coordination, staff supervision (when applicable), and supporting the fulfillment of CSG National Policy goals and objectives. The Project Manager works within the CSG National Policy team to support, monitor, promote, and improve state utilization and understanding of the CSG policy and technical assistance resources and will specifically focus on elections administration policy among other projects as assigned. While we are currently seeking applicants, we are prepared to accommodate start dates through December 1, 2026 to allow qualified candidates to fulfill any 2026 election-related responsibilities.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Work with states and national policy experts to assess the policy and technical assistance needs for needs of assigned policy portfolio within the states.
• Manage the portfolio of assigned projects; budget and workplan development, financial management, coordination of all activities, committee deliverables, subcontractors and working groups.
• Lead assigned projects and seek, with member and management guidance, to create new programs, partnerships and relationships.
• Manage and conduct research and policy analysis.
• Provide excellent coaching and mentoring to staff.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide timely feedback to employees.
• Manage projects to achieve promised outcomes in a timely manner with a strong and unwavering commitment to integrity and excellence in every aspect of the work.
• Ensure all project deliverables reflect quality and are delivered on-time according to project timelines.
• Develop and disseminate other policy research deliverables, programming, initiatives and meetings in support of the mission of CSG.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, funders, board members, consultants, and partner organizations and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the CSG communications team to expand knowledge about assigned policy portfolio and, when appropriate, serve as resource for policy content.
• Adhere to all requirements imposed by law and funders to assure full compliance with all laws, regulations, contractual terms and CSG policies and procedures.
• Forge effective partnerships with state and federal officials to enhance the impact and success of the policy priorities of CSG members
• Manage and perform project proposal research, writing, grants management, budget oversight and financial reporting.
• In collaboration with the communications team, manage the active content of relevant project webpages, including news updates on events, legislative tracking of related bills at the state and federal levels, management of an online resource library, project information and project databases.
• Develop and coordinate programming to be held in conjunction with CSG meetings; national, regional and affiliated organization meetings, where appropriate.
• Interact with national organizations, researchers and policy experts in carrying out work on collaborative projects.
• Collaborate with regional staff as appropriate to provide CSG members with meaningful insights and information about pertinent policy issues.
• Prepare concise and accurate written responses to requests for information.
• Prepare and make presentations to policymakers, other national organizations or other forums.
• Plan, organize, and conduct relevant meetings by arranging for speakers, identifying topics, supporting logistical planning, and preparing information.

Skills And Abilities

• Knowledge of general state and federal government policy, with specific emphasis on election administration preferred.
• Demonstrated success working in the policy arena in policy formulation, analysis, advocacy, and/or research.
• Communication, interpersonal, and critical-thinking skill and competence to work effectively with a myriad of state officials, including high level executive, legislative and judicial officials.
• Ability to work with leading experts in the field of state policy, including researchers, policy experts, program providers and professional associations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, preferably demonstrated through policy topics, qualitative and quantitative analysis as well as more general writing such as correspondence, memos and articles.
• Knowledge and experience of project financial management
• Knowledge and experience managing and complying with regulations for federal grants and terms for contractual work.
• Ability to effectively manage, coach, and empower project staff and external partnerships.
• Ability to address issues in nonpartisan and non-polarizing ways.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and handle politically sensitive work.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively present complex information in a concise way.
• Strong interpersonal skills including self-awareness, sensitivity and valuing others.
• Dedication to public service with an unfailing commitment to act with civility, be nonpartisan in performing CSG duties, and be a responsible steward of member and donor funds.
• Well-organized, clear-thinking, energetic, and decisive; able to take initiative, work independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to prioritize multiple complex activities and responsibilities concurrently; and see through to completion.
• Demonstrated research, writing and editing skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently.

Education And Experience Requirements

• Six years of technical assistance, project management, policy analysis, or operational experience in public policy or a related field.
• Experience working in elections administration policy strongly preferred.
• Experience directly supervising and managing staff.
• Proven project management experience.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of state and federal policy issues.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing and managing policy projects and programming.
• Demonstrated financial management experience.
• Relevant and progressive work experience in state or federal government or with a public policy organization and/or membership association.
• Experience delivering technical assistance preferred.

Compensation

The salary range for this position, based in Lexington, KY, is $75,000 to $85,000. This salary range is subject to change based on work location and market conditions.

Equal Employment Opportunity employer (veterans/individuals with disabilities).