Senior Director, Policy

Campaign Legal Center; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 172,157 - 286,929; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan with matching

20 vacation days and comprehensive parental leave

Job summary

A nonprofit organization focused on democracy is seeking a Senior Director, Policy to guide policy advocacy and engage with federal officials. The role involves managing the policy team, developing legislative strategies, and fostering relationships with lawmakers. The ideal candidate will have significant federal legislative experience and a commitment to advancing the organization's mission. This position offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of federal legislative experience as a lobbyist or advocate.
• Experience managing a high-functioning team of five or more individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement legislative strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop ambitious federal and state policy goals and advocacy strategies.
• Manage CLC's policy team to advance organizational priorities.
• Cultivate relationships with federal Legislative and Executive branches.

Skills

Federal legislative experience

Policy advocacy

Team management

Interpersonal communication

Project management

Facilitation skills

Education

Law degree

Job description

Join to apply for the Senior Director, Policy role at Campaign Legal Center

Campaign Legal Center provided pay range

This range is provided by Campaign Legal Center. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$172,157.00/yr - $286,929.00/yr

Position Summary:

Amid escalating threats to our democratic institutions and laws, Campaign Legal Center is seeking a strategic leader to guide its policy advocacy and lead CLC’s engagement with House, Senate, and Executive branch officials. The Senior Director oversees CLC’s policy team (currently six people) and its policy work at the federal level and coordinates the policy work of CLC’s program teams at the state and local levels. The Senior Director works across CLC’s program areas and teams to shape CLC’s federal advocacy agenda and develop strategies for achieving it. The Senior Director also oversees efforts to build and maintain CLC’s reputation as a nationwide resource for state-level democracy policy.

The Senior Director is a key external representative for CLC, engaging with policy makers, coalition partners, media, donors and other stakeholders to advance CLC’s work and mission. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with other CLC leaders, develop ambitious federal and state policy goals and advocacy strategies to advance CLC’s priorities
• Manage CLC’s policy team (federal and state) to affirmatively advance organizational priorities and develop legislative strategies to capitalize on CLC’s extensive subject‑matter expertise
• Lead policy development to address federal executive overreach and authoritarianism, and develop opportunities for CLC to engage with federal policy makers on the most pressing issues facing our democracy
• Proactively cultivate relationships across the federal Legislative and Executive branches and engage in direct lobbying. This will require registration as a federal lobbyist and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Identify and manage opportunities to engage and convene coalition partners around advocacy strategy and collaborate on policy analysis and development
• Develop and maintain relationships with key external partners to advance CLC’s work and mission. Collaborate with others at CLC on developing productive partner and coalition relationships.
• Foster internal collaboration on policy work to refine strategy, promote shared organizational learning, and ensure effective communication with partners
• Collaborate with Communications to advance CLC’s federal and state policy priorities and build CLC’s reputation for developing meaningful policy solutions
• Develop opportunities for CLC’s federal and state policy teams to strengthen and inform each other’s work
• Oversee research and development of reports, testimony, comments and other public‑facing written materials to enhance the organization’s reputation and advance its policy agenda
• Oversee CLC’s ongoing effort to build and maintain its reputation as a key nationwide resource for state‑level democracy policy
• Represent CLC at meetings, events, and media appearances.
• Participate in funder meetings and provide updates to Development on programmatic work
• Coordinate with General Counsel to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local lobbying laws
• Develop and manage policy team budget

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 10 years of federal legislative experience as a lobbyist/advocate, Member of Congress, or congressional staff
• Experience in state level advocacy including legislative advocacy, initiative campaigns and/or political campaigns preferred but not required
• Demonstrated ability to develop legislative strategies and implement them to achieve concrete and meaningful results
• Experience building strong relationships with organizations and individuals to advance legislative work; ability to build relationships with groups and individuals across the political spectrum.
• Substantial experience managing a high‑functioning team of five or more people at varying levels of seniority
• Commitment to CLC’s mission, nonpartisan approach, and the organization’s Culture Principles
• Experience managing complicated projects and coaching others to develop and manage projects
• Excellent team building skills and the ability to bring organizations and individuals together around shared goals
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Law degree preferred but not required
• Strong meeting facilitation skills
• Ability to manage up and provide strategic direction to Executive Team
• CLC will begin reviewing submitted applications in mid‑January 2026. If we think you are a good fit for the role, a member of the hiring team will reach out to talk about next steps soon after.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is an equal opportunity employer committed to maintaining a nondiscriminatory work environment. CLC is proud to be an inclusive organization. It does not make hiring or advancement, or other employment decisions, based on race, national origin, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, familial status or responsibilities, personal appearance, pregnancy, political affiliation, ancestry, military or veteran status, genetic information, disability, record of arrest or conviction, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, District of Columbia, or local law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, job assignment, compensation, promotion, termination, benefits, and training.

Compensation and Benefits

Campaign Legal Center is committed to fostering a workplace that supports every team member's personal and professional well‑being. Our compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive and inclusive benefits package tailored to meet the diverse needs of our staff.

Our benefits include:

• Generous health, dental, and vision insurance with low employee premiums
• A 401(k) retirement plan with a dollar‑for‑dollar match up to 6%, with immediate vesting
• 20 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 3 floating holidays annually
• 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, 10 days of bereavement leave, and 8 weeks of sabbatical leave for those who qualify
• Office closures for all federal holidays, plus typically a week in late summer, and a week in the winter.
• Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts
• A $1,000 annual professional development stipend and bar membership reimbursement
• A $300 annual technology allowance
• New family and family planning support, including reimbursement for travel to access legal reproductive healthcare
• An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free, confidential support for personal, financial, and family matters.

At CLC, we believe that caring for our team is essential to sustaining our mission. We strive to create a culture where everyone can thrive inside and outside work.

Disclaimer: This description of the position summary, key responsibilities, benefits, and compensation is intended to provide an overview of this position and is not all inclusive. The incumbent in this position will be expected to perform other duties as required. Responsibilities may change over time. This description of the position summary, key responsibilities, benefits, and compensation is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.