Pro-Choice Virginia

Policy Director

Richmond, VA (currently WFH, position will be hybrid upon office reopening)

 

Pro-Choice Virginia (PCV), which will announce a new name and brand in June 2022, is pleased to accept applications and nominations for the position of Policy Director to advance our state-level advocacy, organizing, and political work for reproductive rights and healthcare access. PCV is at a point of exciting transformation and faces a critical need to re-envision strategies to ensure reproductive freedom and access. The new Policy Director will be the strategic brain of our policy and legislative programming to lead that charge, working closely with our executive director, staff, and state and national partners to advance Pro-Choice Virginia’s policy and legislative priorities. 

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Our ideal candidate will have a breadth of experience and success in legislative advocacy and/or issue-based campaigns; experience centering the needs and voices of those most affected by reproductive or other systemic injustice; exceptional written and verbal communication skills; an aptitude for strategic thinking; and the organizational skills to manage themselves and others to implement various policy and communication strategies to achieve our goals and fulfill our mission every day.

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Who We Are

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Pro-Choice Virginia is an independent, community-based, advocacy organization leading the charge for reproductive rights and freedom across the Commonwealth. As of January 2022, we are no longer affiliated with NARAL Pro-Choice America. As part of that transition, we have been in deep conversation with partners, staff, Board members and community members and have outlined our core values and mission as part of this process.

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We have also considered the core elements of our culture, recognizing that we are a team of progressive people deeply committed to reproductive rights and freedom, and we are eager to defend and advance those rights. In all our efforts, we seek to center the needs and voices of those most affected by reproductive injustice. We are committed to deepening our understanding and practice of intersectionality and justice, in both our internal operations and external programming. Our team is very collaborative and supportive; we encourage asking for help when it is needed and often pitch in across teams when things get busy. We are diverse and visionary thinkers. We value diversity of lived experience, and we welcome bold and creative ideas and ensure space to test those ideas. We own areas of work and decisions within a collaborative team. We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace makes us a more creative and more resilient organization.

 

 

Your Role

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Pro-Choice Virginia is at a critical moment of opportunity, and the Policy Director will have a significant impact on the strategy of the organization and our ability to secure ongoing reproductive rights and access for all. Reporting to the Executive Director and overseeing a Political Manager and a Policy Fellow, the Policy Director can expect to lead in the following areas:

• Set policy strategy – Set the strategy and plan for our policy work based on Virginia’s political climate and lessons-learned across the country. Calibrate strategy as opportunities or obstacles present themselves.

• Advance policy – Ensure that Pro-Choice Virginia can advance our agenda in the General Assembly, local governments, and with key stakeholders. Draft, analyze, and shape legislation and policy-related materials to drive forward results. Help plan Pro-Choice Virginia’s legislative and policy-related events and represent Pro-Choice Virginia at relevant local, state, and national events and coalitions.

• Advise on policy – Advise partner organizations and legislative and administration allies at the local, state, and national levels. Serve as the policy resource for Pro-Choice Virginia’s staff and Executive Director, donors, members, and reproductive health care providers across the state, as needed.

• Build and cultivate partnerships – Develop and cultivate relationships that promote reproductive freedom for all Virginians, ensuring that Pro-Choice Virginia continues to be a valued partner across Virginia’s diverse progressive coalition space. Cultivate new strategic partner relationships with local, state, and national organizations as well as with local, state, and federal elected and appointed leaders.

• Manage and lead – Hire, supervise, and support a new Political Manager. Contribute to the strategic direction and decision-making of Pro-Choice Virginia and strive to practice our values in internal and external relationships. Ensure our policy work is consistent with our mission, vision, and values.

 

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Who You Are

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To be successful in and enjoy this position, you bring experience in the following areas and enjoy using these skills in collaboration with a team:

• Communication – Your words inspire action – winning over legislators and partners alike through persuasive verbal and written communication skills. You confidently distill complex information and advance messages in the media, in legislative committees and other public spaces, in a clear, culturally competent manner.

• Policy and Legal Analysis – You are trained or experienced in understanding the details of policy and regulatory language and can translate it to others and advise them on the implications and nuances. A JD or MPP is desired but is not required.

• Strategic Thinking and Judgment – You understand what it takes to win over support and maintain that support to achieve results. You see both the long-term and short-term strategic needs and opportunities to advance a policy agenda and make pivots and changes as necessary, depending on organizational and partner needs and state, local or national policy and political changes. You understand the political aspect of our work and are attuned to shifting political winds in Virginia’s state government and see intended and unintended consequences of legislative or policy proposals.

• Relationship Building – You quickly connect with others and partner to achieve results. You pride yourself on bringing allies together to solve complex problems. You know how to step back in coalition spaces and understand the importance of working in interdisciplinary, culturally diverse coalitions in the social and reproductive rights, health and justice spaces.

• Results Orientation – Winning is your end goal. And you have the accomplishments to show for it. You have overcome roadblocks before, and you are eager to do it again.

• Project Management – You expertly orchestrate the implementation of multiple projects and build buy-in and support communication across teams.  You plan backwards and anticipate obstacles.

• Values Alignment – You share our values of integrity, transparency and trust; equity; compassion and appreciation; a healthy and supportive work culture; multi-faceted growth and progress; and collective power. You strive to live those values in your work and to give grace to yourself and others in our shared learning and work.

 

A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

 

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What Else You Should Know

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• The Position – The Policy Director role is based out of our Richmond bureau and reports to the Executive Director. This position is temporarily remote due to COVID-19 but will be a hybrid of in-office/ remote work moving forward. This position requires some nontraditional work hours, including Virginia-based travel and evening and weekend hours (especially during the January-March General Assembly session). This position is full-time exempt (35 hours/ week).

• Compensation – Starting compensation is $68,000-$73,000 annually (commensurate with experience)

• Benefits – Benefits include health, vision, dental, and life insurance, long-term disability, and a retirement plan with 3% matching. We also offer professional development opportunities and, for candidates with JDs, cover the cost of annual Bar dues.

• Time off – We recognize that burnout is prevalent in issue-advocacy and nonprofit spaces and therefore we offer: every other Friday off (outside of our 8-12 week legislative session), 7-hour work days, extra days off for most federal holidays (including, but not limited to: three days for Thanksgiving, a week off over the December holidays, and 4-day weekends for Memorial Day and Labor Day), as well as generous paid time off including sick, personal, parental, and vacation leave.

 

 

About our Organization

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Pro-Choice Virginia is a strong and trusted leader in the fight to establish laws and policies that ensure real, reliable, affordable, and timely access to abortion, contraception, and other reproductive health services for every person in Virginia. We work with community and state-based partners to connect this work to a broader reproductive health, rights, and justice agenda. In all our efforts, we seek to center the needs and voices of those most affected by reproductive injustice. We are committed to deepening our understanding and practice of intersectionality and justice, in both our internal operations and external programming.

Ultimately, we seek to ensure that every person in the Commonwealth of Virginia has access to comprehensive and high-quality reproductive health information and services free of stigma or coercion.

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Our mission is to build political power for and develop and sustain a constituency of pro-choice Virginians that uses the political process to guarantee every individual has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion

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PCV is made up of three entities: our main 501(c)(4) policy and political arm; the 501(c)(3) Pro-Choice Virginia Foundation, which oversees our issue advocacy, culture change and education programming; and the Pro-Choice Virginia Political Action Committee which works to elect pro-reproductive freedom candidates. Our staff of 12 is located across a central office in Alexandria, VA and satellite offices in Richmond and Hampton Roads. You can learn more here.

 

To Apply

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume as one document to the attention of McKenzie Midock, Chief of Operations, at apply[at]prochoiceva.org with the subject line "Policy Director - [Your Name]." Please include where you heard about this opportunity in your application email.

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Your cover letter should address the qualifications listed above and what draws you to apply. Application review will begin May 23, 2022, and the position will be open until filled. While the timeline may change, we anticipate a new hire starting in this position by mid- to late- Summer of 2022.

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We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.