Public Policy and Advocacy Organizer

ACLU; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 67,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks paid vacation

Premium medical, dental, vision

401(k) with employer contribution

Wellness benefit

13 paid holidays

Job summary

ACLU of Connecticut is seeking a Public Policy and Advocacy Organizer to join PPAD and CEED, strengthening community-led organizing tied to policy and legislative advocacy. The role focuses on building leadership, expanding participation, and sustaining relationships across directly impacted people, volunteers, and partners.

In coordination with CEED, you will translate priorities into actionable organizing plans, conduct district research, recruit leaders, and support trainings that empower

Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of community organizing and policy advocacy.
• Ability to translate policy priorities into organizing plans.
• Experience building leadership and participation across diverse communities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and evaluate organizing plans in coordination with PPAD and CEED staff.
• Conduct organizing research and stakeholder mapping to inform strategy.
• Build and sustain relationships with community members, volunteers, advocates, and partners.
• Recruit and develop leaders and deepen their participation in ACLU-CT’s work.
• Facilitate educational trainings and workshops to strengthen leadership and advocacy skills.
• Mobilize people for policy and legislative advocacy, including public testimony and lobby days.
• Collaborate across ACLU-CT and maintain accurate organizing data in systems.

Skills

Relational organizing

Policy advocacy

Leadership development

Training & facilitation

Public speaking

Community engagement

Racial justice

Job description

The Public Policy and Advocacy Organizer is an existing position we are updating to reflect the needs of the Public Policy and Advocacy Department (PPAD), the Community Engagement and Education Department (CEED), and ACLU-CT’s overall approach to building people power. Both PPAD and CEED engage in organizing through building relationships, recruiting people, developing leaders, providing education, and creating meaningful opportunities for action. The PPAD Organizer, in coordination with CEED, increases our organizing capacity, bringing a particular grounding in policy and legislative advocacy. The organizer translates ACLU-CT’s policy and advocacy priorities into organizing plans that build leadership; deepen community participation; sustain relationships; and develop community members, directly impacted people, volunteers, and advocates. This work is ongoing and not limited to individual campaigns or legislative sessions.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate organizing plans in coordination with the relevant PPAD and CEED staff that translate ACLU-CT’s policy and advocacy priorities into clear organizing plans and strategy
• Conduct organizing research and analysis, including district research and power and stakeholder mapping, to identify key decision-makers, constituencies, relationships, and opportunities that will inform organizing strategy and plans.
• Build and sustain relationships with community members, directly impacted people, volunteers, advocates, organizational partners, and other stakeholders through relational organizing, including regular 1:1 conversations and consistent presence in community spaces.
• Identify, recruit, and develop leaders and deepen their participation and leadership in ACLU-CT’s work, in close collaboration with CEED.
• Work with CEED and the Communications Department to develop and facilitate educational trainings, workshops, and other opportunities that strengthen people’s knowledge, leadership capacity, organizing and advocacy skills.
• Mobilize people for policy and legislative advocacy, including public testimony, advocacy and lobby days, meetings with elected officials, and other collective actions and campaign tactics.
• Collaborate across ACLU-CT in support of the affiliate’s integrated advocacy model, including coordinating closely with CEED to maintain accurate organizing and relationship data in VMS/VAN or other organizing systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies:

• Strong relational organizing skills, including conducting 1:1 conversations, identifying people’s interests and motivations, building trust, identifying leadership potential, and moving people toward deeper participation and action across identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Ability to develop organizing strategy and translate broader policy and advocacy goals into actionable organizing plans, tactics, and leadership-development opportunities.
• Strong facilitation, training, communication, and public speaking skills, including the ability to translate complex policy and legislative processes for wide audiences.
• Strong judgment and adaptability, including the ability to manage multiple relationships and priorities, follow through on commitments, respond to fast changing conditions, and recognize when decisions or strategic questions should involve others.
• Demonstrated ability to work alongside directly impacted people and center their voices, knowledge, leadership, and agency.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, self-awareness, and cultural humility, with the ability to work effectively across departments, organizations, communities, identities, and differences with a demonstrated commitment to racial justice.

Qualifications:

• Approximately 3–5 years of relevant organizing experience, including community, grassroots, issue-based, labor, electoral, or comparable organizing work. Equivalent skills developed through professional, volunteer, movement, or lived experience will also be considered.
• Experience developing and carrying out organizing strategies or plans, including using information from relationships and the ground to adapt strategy and tactics.
• Experience building relationships; recruiting and developing volunteers, advocates, and directly impacted people; and moving people to participate in collective action.
• Interest in and comfort with policy and legislative advocacy, including engaging elected officials, policymakers, and other decision-makers.
• Demonstrated understanding of racial justice, institutional racism, inequity; and a commitment to ACLU of CT values.
• Access to reliable transportation for regular travel across Connecticut.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and some irregular hours.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity or existing relationships with Connecticut communities, advocacy organizations, governmental institutions, and the state’s organizing landscape.
• Experience organizing within a legislative environment
• Experience with voter engagement or electoral organizing.
• Experience using VAN, VMS, EveryAction, or similar organizing/CRM systems.
• Experience with event safety, de-escalation, supporting public actions, community events.

Compensation and Benefits:

The Public Policy and Advocacy Organizer will receive a salary of between $67,000 – $73,000 annually. The ACLU of Connecticut also offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package starting with four weeks paid vacation, plus paid sick and personal time; 100%-employer premium paid medical, dental, and vision insurance; a supplemental wellness benefit; 401(k) Plan including employer contribution; a robust employee assistance program, and 13 paid holidays. (The ACLU of CT reserves the right to alter or eliminate its current employee benefit plans and programs). This position is full-time, hourly, and non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and applicable Connecticut law.

Application Procedure:

The ACLU of CT does not use any form of algorithmic or generative artificial intelligence at any stage of our hiring processes. We appreciate applicants refraining from using the technology in their materials or interviews.

The ACLU of Connecticut is proud to be an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages immigrants, people of color, indigenous people, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, women, and formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted people to apply. We accept all applicants regardless of race, sex, gender identity, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction.

We also undertake affirmative action strategies in our recruitment and employment efforts to assure that all persons – including but not limited to persons with disabilities – have full opportunities for employment in all positions. We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to include this information in your cover letter, or to call 860-471-8465 to discuss your needs.

Hiring Process:

• Phone Screen
• Second Interview
• Final Interview
• Reference Checks

About the ACLU of Connecticut:

The ACLU of Connecticut defends, promotes, and expands the civil rights and civil liberties of all people in Connecticut through litigation, community organizing and legislative advocacy, and civic education and engagement. We are an inclusive, non-partisan, and statewide organization within the nationwide American Civil Liberties Union network, powered by our supporters, partners, staff, interns, cooperating attorneys, and our board of directors.

We comprise three nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations: the ACLU of Connecticut, a 501(c)(4) organization which does legislative and organizing advocacy work; the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut, a 501(c)(3) which does litigation and public education work; and the ACLU of Connecticut Rise PAC, a non-partisan 527 organization which builds the necessary relationships, public awareness, public narratives, and pressure felt by politicians in order to build the political power of people directly impacted by civil rights and liberties issues.