Temporary Legislative Associate

Mothers Outreach Network Incorporated; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off including vacation and sick leave

100% health insurance coverage for employees

Job summary

A nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, is seeking a Temporary Legislative Associate for a full-time position. This role involves tracking Council activity, legislative drafting, and supporting advocacy efforts for marginalized communities. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong research and writing skills, as well as cultural competency. Compensation is $85,000 annually, prorated based on the contract term of four to five months. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to the provided email.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in legislative, policy, advocacy, or government relations work.
• Strong research, analysis, and writing skills.
• Legislative drafting experience, including drafting bill language or amendments.
• Reliable and dependable with consistent follow through.
• Cultural competency working with marginalized communities.

Responsibilities

• Track and interpret Council activity and maintain campaign calendar.
• Draft and polish legislative materials including memos and testimony.
• Coordinate Council related activities and legislative meetings.
• Support training for advocates on testimony readiness.

Skills

Legislative drafting

Policy research

Critical thinking

Cultural competency

Writing skills

Education

Master’s degree in public policy or related field

JD

Job description

Mother’s Outreach Network (MON), a nonprofit organization located in Washington, DC, seeks to fill a temporary full time position for a Temporary Legislative Associate.

Job type: Temporary, full time employee

Duration: Four to five months, with possibility of renewal based on organizational need and funding

Work location: Washington, DC, onsite. This is not a hybrid position.

Reports to: Executive Director

Schedule expectation: This is a mission driven, deadline driven role. Legislative work moves on the Council calendar, often with short notice. The workday is not structured as a fixed daily schedule. The Temporary Legislative Associate must be willing to work early mornings, evenings, and extended hours when Council activity, hearings, or submission deadlines require it.

Compensation: $85,000 annualized salary, prorated for the term

Prorated total for four months: $28,333

Prorated total for five months: $35,417

Distribution of time by duty area, estimated monthly average

• Legislative tracking, research, and executive briefings: 25 percent
• Writing and materials development: 20 percent
• Legislative drafting and technical edits: 15 percent
• Council coordination, including legislative meetings: 15 percent
• Training coordination and testimony readiness support with moms and other messengers: 20 percent
• Relationship navigation, commitments tracking, and follow up: 5 percent

Operational note: On hearing intensive weeks, Council coordination and testimony readiness will temporarily increase, and research and drafting will compress into shorter turnaround windows. The monthly average should remain close to this distribution.

About Mother’s Outreach Network

Mother’s Outreach Network (MON) is a nonprofit organization that advances and centers the inclusion and empowerment of Black mothers in Washington, DC in the struggle for family preservation and economic security. MON is a constituency driven organization dedicated to family preservation. Through organizing, community lawyering, and policy advocacy, MON transforms, from punitive to supportive, government income and child welfare systems, laws, policies, practices, and culture.

MON’s pillars of work are organizing, community lawyering, and policy advocacy.

Job Description

The Temporary Legislative Associate reports directly to the Executive Director and runs the day to day operational backbone of MON’s legislative and budget advocacy during legislative season. This person tracks and interprets Council activity, maintains the campaign calendar, coordinates Council facing activity including legislative meetings, and produces the research and written materials that power the work. A central part of the role is working closely with moms in the membership, supporting training and testimony readiness so moms and other messengers are prepared, confident, and supported with dignity, clarity, and care.

This role requires strong critical thinking, sound judgment, and high reliability. The right person enjoys working under time pressure, thrives with competing deadlines, and takes pride in getting the work to completion.

Key Responsibilities

Maintain a legislative and budget tracker using Council schedules and published materials and keep the team ahead of deadlines and decision points

Review bill language, committee documents, and related materials and translate them into clear internal summaries and member ready explanations

Conduct targeted policy and budget research and produce decision oriented briefing memos for the Executive Director that clarify what changed, what it means, risks, options, and recommended next steps

Draft and polish briefing memos, fact sheets, talking points, testimony drafts, and meeting preparation materials that others can deliver as messengers

Support legislative drafting and technical edits, including drafting proposed bill language or amendments, preparing comparison drafts, and tracking versions in coordination with the Executive Director and legal or coalition partners

Maintain a sources and citations file so materials are defensible, easy to update, and ready for reuse

Coordinate Council related activities, including hearings, roundtables, oversight moments, and legislative meetings with Council offices and committee staff, with calendars, deadlines, agendas, preparation materials, and logistics clearly managed

Coordinate legislative meetings with Council offices and committee staff, including scheduling, agendas, preparation packets, attendance logistics, and post meeting debriefs and follow up tracking

Prepare the Executive Director and designated messengers for Council office meetings by producing briefing memos, meeting scripts, and a clear meeting objective and ask

Maintain a meetings log that captures attendees, commitments, deadlines, and next steps, and ensure follow through is completed on time

Coordinate and support trainings for moms and other advocates on testimony readiness, message discipline, and connecting lived experience to policy solutions

Prepare moms and other messengers for oral and written testimony, including message clarity, timing practice, anticipated questions, and logistics planning

Create hearing specific preparation packets including templates, submission guidance, and run of show details

Qualifications and Requirements

Demonstrated experience in legislative, policy, advocacy, or government relations work, or equivalent experience in a fast moving policy environment

Strong research, analysis, and writing skills, including the ability to translate complex policy into clear, accurate materials under deadline

Legislative drafting experience, including drafting bill language, amendments, legislative comments, or technical corrections in coordination with attorneys, legislative staff, or coalition partners

Reliable and dependable with consistent follow through and ownership of deadlines

Cultural competency and demonstrated experience working effectively and respectfully with people from marginalized and system impacted communities

Master’s degree in public policy or a related field a plus

JD a plus. A combined graduate degree and JD is especially valued

Compensation and Benefits

This is a temporary full time employee position. The salary is $85,000 annualized and prorated for the term as listed above.

A health, dental, and vision benefits package is provided. Health insurance is covered by 100 percent for the employee and available to dependents. All federal holidays and all holidays observed by the District of Columbia are observed, as well as the week between Christmas and New Year. Paid time off includes vacation and sick leave, consistent with MON policy and eligibility for the role.

TO apply

If you are interested, please email a resume, a list of three professional references, a writing sample, and a cover letter that describes why you are interested in this position and how your work history and goals relate to the position, to [e-mail]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position is open until filled.

Mother’s Outreach Network is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and insist on equity and inclusion in our work environment. If you have the passion for our mission and have the skill sets to help us fulfill this mission, we welcome you as you are.