Policy Director

The Policy Director is responsible for helping to build a progressive, community and partner sourced and centered, collaborative policy agenda in conjunction with all of Wisconsin Voices’ partner organizations.

Highly qualified candidates will have a deep knowledge of the functions of government at all levels in Wisconsin (with a focus on the Wisconsin State Legislature) and have knowledge of how the legislative process works from start to finish. This person should be a long-term relationship builder, able and willing to interact with diverse Black, Brown, and otherwise communities, Wisconsin Voices partners, and government officials alike.

The candidate should be highly collaborative and able to work symbiotically and effectively with Wisconsin Voices Co-Executive Director leadership and other Wisconsin Voices staff.

This person should flourish in a fast-paced environment while being able to communicate clearly to Wisconsin Voices leadership, colleagues, community partners, and legislators- complex policy issues and objectives. The Policy Director should be highly organized and able to lead the planning, tracking, and lobbying efforts of the entire Wisconsin Voices community partner coalition in deep collaboration with their partner organization peers.

This individual, with the support of their departmental team, should be able to effectively manage multiple policy issues and projects simultaneously, create and edit detailed policy position documents, possess a deep understanding of a broad range of civil liberties and civil rights issues, advocacy strategies, and Wisconsin politics and, most importantly, be able to make that knowledge effectual for the people we serve.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Convening and facilitating the Wisconsin Voices Collaborative Policy Partnership Committee. This committee will convene partners and community members from across the state to help create and inform the policy initiatives Wisconsin Voices takes on.
• Developing and implementing a collaborative truly progressive (as in making real progress from the community’s perspective) legislative strategy as well as a strategizing for non legislative policy actions, including policies, guidance, and regulations issued by executive agencies.
• Managing and supervising professional staff and contractors engaged in legislative and policy advocacy.
• Researching and analyzing, in collaboration with our partners, proposed legislation and policies.
• Drafting and presenting testimony on legislative and policy proposals before legislative and other government bodies.
• Drafting new legislation and policies and amendments to existing laws and policies.
• Preparing legislative and policy memoranda, reports, briefing papers and letters for Wisconsin Voices partners.
• Representing Wisconsin Voices in key policy coalitions and coordinated advocacy campaigns.
• Cultivating strategic relationships with legislators and otherwise partnerships to further the Wisconsin Voice's collaborative mission and strategic objectives.
• Collaborating with all the departmental leadership and staff of Wisconsin Voices to coordinate and synergize all of Wisconsin Voices’ organizational efforts as they relate to policy.

Bachelors in Political Science or related field AND/OR a demonstrable equivalent level of experience in political lobbying, policy drafting, and analysis.

Compensation: $60,000 to $70,000 annual salary (based upon experience).

Benefits: Health, Vision, Dental, 401k, paid vacation, sick leave, partial phone reimbursement, and travel reimbursement.