Pacific Legal Foundation—the nation’s first and most successful public interest law firm dedicated to vindicating individual liberty—seeks an energetic and experienced legal policy and legislative professional to lead a team to expand PLF’s positive influence on Capitol Hill, the federal executive branch, and in state capitals.

The director will oversee PLF’s legal policy component, a key part of the organization’s strategic plan. This position provides an opportunity to fill a critical role that will increase PLF’s national prominence and expand its success outside the courts in advancing liberty. The director will coordinate with the legal, research, and communications teams to develop and execute strategies to better engage Congress, federal agencies, and state governments. The director will collaborate with others on a strategic plan that will guide the foundation’s efforts to achieve increasing success in the political branches over time. The director will also need a high degree of entrepreneurship and initiative to launch and execute new projects pursuant to the plan.

The role will be based in PLF’s Arlington, VA office, with the director working at least 60-75% of the time from that office or in DC, with the opportunity to work virtually on days and times when meetings and events are not scheduled.

Responsibilities

• Building and strengthening relationships with legislative and executive branch leaders at the federal level and in the states (outreach at the state level will be selective at first).
• Building and managing a team to effectively engage elected leaders and their senior staff concerning PLF ideas to expand liberty and stop serious threats thereto, especially by designing and executing campaigns to increase PLF’s influence in the political branches.
• Presenting PLF’s reform ideas effectively to elected officials and affinity partners in various settings, including facilitating testimony and rulemaking comments by others at PLF, preparing talking points and other written material, and leading discussions in working group settings.
• Developing and successfully executing strategies to increase lawmakers’ oversight and legislative agendas on PLF priority issues and expand PLF’s influence on those matters, while tracking other secondary issues and developments.
• Working with the legal team to draft model legislation on priority issues and promoting it effectively (with other components at PLF) in Congress, state legislatures, and with the public.
• Coordinating with the strategic research team and their engagement of outside scholars to produce and distribute materials that will support positive change in the political branches.

Requirements

• 5 or more years of experience executing key duties (government affairs/outreach or relevant government experience)
• A proven record of managing efforts to change policy or procedures in the political branches
• Natural relationship building with existing relationships of value (both within the political branches and the liberty movement)
• Experience managing a team of professionals
• Tactician with a long-term strategic sense
• Strong coalition partner with the ability to marshal others’ efforts on our priorities
• Ability to work well with every component at PLF, across several offices; a track record of working productively and collaboratively in analogous settings preferred
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Adherence to and knowledge of the principles of liberty
• History of advancement over time in previous roles
• A law degree or extensive knowledge of legal issues is preferred, but not required

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following in one PDF file:

• Résumé
• A cover letter detailing:
• your philosophical interest in PLF’s mission (especially as it relates to promoting constitutionally limited government),
• how your background would translate well for this role,
• brief explanation of your supervisory or management experience, and
• your willingness to work primarily in the DC/Arlington area with periodic travel to state capitals.

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Lauren Skiver, Talent Manager at Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: [email protected]

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide free consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity-building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise