Family Equality

As the leading national center for LGBTQ family policy expertise, the Department of Public Policy sets and advances a proactive agenda for family creation and recognition, family-inclusive education reform, and family-inclusive non-discrimination and safety reform; lobbies in support of legislative and policy changes at all levels of government that are beneficial to and affirming of LGBTQ families; drafts and passes model family-inclusive legislation; and provides legislative drafting and other technical assistance to national, state and local partners and elected officials. 

Family Equality is a distributed organization, with employees in every part of the country. The Chief Policy Officer who will preferably be based in Washington, DC, will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and the organization’s leadership team to conceive, expand, and implement Family Equality’s public policy agenda.

The Chief Policy Officer is responsible for developing and overseeing the advancement of Family Equality’s policy platform and legislative and policy/advocacy priorities at the federal, state and local levels, including building the organization’s influence within the public policy community, cultivating relationships with strategic partners, policy makers and elected officials, shepherding Family Equality’s response to legislative and regulatory developments impacting LGBTQ families, and engaging LGBTQ families, friends and allies in advancing social and legal reform.

The Chief Policy Officer directly supervises two senior-level attorneys and serves as part of the senior management team for the organization, assisting the Chief Executive Officer and other team members with the strategic management, direction and resourceidentification for the organization, and attending meetings of the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities:

·       Develop and drive Family Equality’s federal, state, and local legislative, policy and institutional change priorities (both proactive and defensive), legal and legislative research, tracking and drafting, lobbying activities, and relationship building;

·       Build the influence, reach and visibility of Family Equality as the national family policy, education and engagement expert;

·       Identify innovative new relationships with key partners, networks and coalitions that can help achievepolicy, education and engagement goals;

·       Oversee the provision of legislative drafting and other technical assistance and resources tosupporters, community and institutional leaders, and policy makers working on legislative, policyand systems change issues affecting LGBTQ families;

·       Educate a range of audiences about LGBTQ family policy, education and engagement strategies through conferences, workshops, trainings and other public speaking (some travel required);

·       Develop and lead the implementation of educational programs that aid in creating andsustaining happy, healthy families over the continuum of their lives;

·       Develop and lead the implementation of engagement tools and strategies that will build thecapacity of LGBTQ parents to engage in and improve key legal and social institutions;

·       Supervise and support the organization’s policy, training, education and volunteer staff;

·       Participate in management team and staff meetings;

·       Participate in organizational development and strategic planning processes;

·       Prepare and manage departmental budget;

·       Assist with fundraising by helping prepare advocacy and education grants, participating in donoroutreach and education, and identifying and stewarding new and existing funding;

·       Prepare and present written and verbal reports to Board, members, funders and public;

·       Provide guidance and support to the development of communications for advocacy campaigns, press releases and other media interfacing related to key advocacy and education initiatives;

·       Participate in teams with Family Equality staff working on organizational priorities;

·       Represent Family Equality and its mission in the community;

·       Other responsibilities as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer. 

Minimum Qualifications:

All candidates must have a “can do” attitude, enjoy a fast-paced environment, be highly organized without losing sight of larger objectives, and be committed to justice and equality for LGBTQ families. Qualifications include:

·       An advanced degree in law or policy;

·       Minimum of seven years of relevant policy experience, preferably directly with legislative and legalresearch, drafting, policy analysis and/or lobbying at the national, state or local level;

·       Experience in management of senior-level staff and proven ability to provide clear direction,delegate well and assume ultimate responsibility;

·       Experience managing budgets and administration; 

·       Demonstrated experience building healthy and productive coalitions;

·       Experience working effectively with broadcast, online and print media, including serving as anorganizational spokesperson;

·       Knowledge of the full range of policy, institutional and engagement challenges facing FamilyEquality’s supporters;

·       Ability to think “big picture” in developing programs and operations as well as translate those ideasinto realistic, actionable plans;

·       Experience in creating and implementing advocacy campaigns;

·       Experience with resource development;

·       Interest in working with the Chief Executive Officer and other leadership team members to raisefunds to support the organization (some travel required);

·       Exceptional writing, verbal and interpersonal skills, including public speaking;

·       Keen analytical skills and attention to detail;

·       Ability to handle and prioritize appropriately multiple tasks in a timely, efficiently and flexiblemanner;

·       Ability to synthesize policy and research information for different audiences;

·       Ability to collaborate on projects with staff from other departments, and a high level ofpersonal investment in contributing to the priorities of the organization as a whole;

·       Willingness to travel;

·       Ability to work from a fully-connected home office (or secure own office space) in theWashington D.C. metro area, preferably;

·       Desire to grow with the organization;

·       Demonstrated experience working in the LGBTQ or allied movements is preferred; commitment and desire to working in a multi-cultural environment where diversity based on race, ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical ability, family status andother characteristics is an important and practiced value is essential.

For more information on Family Equality please visit our website at www.familyequality.org. We enjoy working in a team based environment and value the benefits of a diversified workplace.