Director of Public Policy

Athlete Ally – New York, NY

Athlete Ally’s mission is to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports and to exercise their leadership to champion LGBT equality. In the last three years, Athlete Ally has made unparalleled and groundbreaking progress in sports, working to create more inclusive cultures and helping athletes to use their voices to support LGBT equality. Athlete Ally has engaged hundreds of college and professional athletes, organized international campaigns around LGBT inclusion in sports, partnered with professional sports leagues like the NBA, WNBA and MLB, co-authored with Dr. Pat Griffin the NCAA’s first LGBT policy guide for college coaches, athletes, and administrators, and helped organize significant platforms for athletes and sports institutions to advance LGBT civil rights (including by helping create the Athletes Amicus Brief in connection with the Defense of Marriage Act). Since the time of Athlete Ally’s founding in 2011, LGBT inclusion in sports and the role that athletes play in the global battle for LGBT rights have become major conversations in mainstream media and in sports organizations at all levels of competition.

Director of Public Policy

Job Summary:

The Director of Public Policy will play a leadership role in advancing policy change through Athlete Ally’s developing advocacy program. The Director will work with Athlete Ally’s programmatic and funding partners to lead state-based civil rights efforts involving sports participants and institutions, including identifying policy change opportunities, developing a strategic plan around the role of sports in LGBT civil rights efforts within key battleground states, participating in research and writing about policy issues, developing issue campaigns and cultivating sports-based participation therein, and helping identify and mobilize partners. The Director will also support college and campus policy work in connection with Athlete Ally’s collegiate programming, including a planned effort to develop a certification program for coaches and athletic directors. The Director will develop and execute a communications and media relations strategy that utilizes both traditional and new media with the Outreach Director, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director and partners. The Director will represent Athlete Ally before nonprofit and funding partners as well as partners across professional and collegiate sports. The Director of Public Policy will be a key member of the management team who will participate fully in establishing and accomplishing program priorities, developing and managing the budget for policy programs, and assisting in raising funds to carry out the programs.

Major Responsibilities/Activities

Policy Leadership: (40%)

• Develop and implement a strategic policy agenda for each established issue priority, including achievable goals and quarterly performance measures;
• Build and direct strong, well-designed, well-defined awareness and engagement programs with sports participants and institutions in key battleground states around public policy;
• Coordinate organizing strategies and tactics;
• Work with nonprofit, funding and sports partners to analyze sports-based implications of federal, state and local legislation and litigation affecting LGBT people;
• Coordinate with the Executive Director, Outreach Director and Chief Operating Officer on policy advocacy communications including social media campaigns, opinion pieces, email alerts and press releases;
• Conduct and oversee policy research, including efforts with external research partners;
• Build and nurture effective multi-organizational coalitions and alliances on priority issues and campaigns as appropriate;
• Lead the development and management of effective working relationships with key organizations and sports participants;
• Work with programming staff to support campus policy work around LGBT inclusion and explore with the potential development of a college athletic department certification process for athletic directors and coaches in partnership with other organizations;
• Assist in raising funds to effectuate the programs.

Communications : (30%)

• In partnership with the organization’s other communications staff, spearhead multimedia athlete-based campaigns designed to extend the impact of the organization’s legislative, legal and policy awareness programming;
• Work with local, regional, statewide and national media to pitch stories, maximize media coverage, and enhance the visibility of athlete/sports advocacy in communities within target states and nationally;
• In partnership with the organization’s other communications staff, draft and edit press materials, including press releases, advisories and background memos;
• Working collaboratively with other Athlete Ally staff, develop and manage related dynamic content for the organization’s websites, e-communications, blog and social media;
• Oversee development of online activist campaigns and other web organizing campaigns as well as affirmative media opportunities around Athlete Ally issues;
• Produce and/or edit major reports and other publications, including newsletters.

Management and Supervision : (30%)

• Develop and maintain relationships with all Athlete Ally staff and across its projects and Board of Directors;
• Actively supervise and evaluate the programming and communications work of junior staff and work in collaboration with senior staff;
• Recruit, train and supervise interns and new staff members as appropriate;
• Prepare regular/quarterly reports for the Board of Directors and support board activities as appropriate;
• Participate in developing the annual budget for public policy;
• Assist with fundraising activities;
• Assist with ongoing operational needs.
  

Minimum Requirements

• Demonstrated commitment to LGBT civil rights, sports inclusion, allyship and the mission of Athlete Ally.
• Working knowledge and broad understanding of LGBT civil liberties issues and advocacy strategies.
• Significant professional experience in public policy advocacy, public policy research and analysis, coalition building, and field work; significant professional experience in strategic communications and media relations or significant experience working in professional or collegiate sports.
• Demonstrated skill and comfort in proactively building relationships with diverse audiences, including athletes, reporters and editors, community leaders, coalition partners and the public.
• A commitment to working in a start-up environment.
• Willingness to work beyond normal work day or more than 40 hours a week as necessary.
• Willingness to work remotely with video conferencing.
• Willingness to travel as necessary.
• A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, health, and socio-economic circumstance, and able to work with diverse individuals within the organization and broader community.
  

Essential Functions

• Excellent writing, speaking and analytical skills.
• Understanding of LGBT civil rights and civil liberties issues.
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of organized sports, particularly on the collegiate and professional levels.
• Strong self-motivation; ability to meet tight deadlines; adaptability.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse communities and people.
  

Desirable Attributes and Experience

• Experience serving as a spokesperson for campaigns or organizations.
• Experience in the nonprofit sector.
• Experience with professional and/or collegiate sports.
• Writing and editing experience with a variety of print and online communications media.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Photoshop experience
• Online campaign experience.
  

Equipment & Programs Used

• Computer, mobile phone, telephone, copier, fax.
• Google Hangout, Skype, Powerpoint, Microsoft Word.
• Extensive new media experience.

Job Reports To : Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer

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