State Policy Counsel

Travel Requirement

Minimal, less than 10%.

Hours and Schedule

Generally, Monday – Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm (minimum 37.5 hours within five (5) days per week). Ability to work flexible hours to be responsive to after-hours and time-sensitive internal requests and requests from legislative offices is required.

Reports to

Director, Government Affairs

Responsibility for Public Contact

Daily contact requiring courtesy, discretion, and sound judgment.

Summary

This position will provide lobbying, support, inter-divisional coordination, and strategy assistance on issues pertaining to state legislative outreach, technical assistance, and advocacy relating to state legislative and policy issues in support of NCMEC’s mission and programs.

The State Policy Counsel will report to the Director, Government Affairs and will work closely with the Chief Legal Officer, and NCMEC leadership and staff to conduct legislative research and policy analysis, advocating and lobbying, and support and strategy on state policy initiatives relating to NCMEC’s core mission and programs. Additionally, the State Policy Counsel will serve as the NCMEC lead on building relationships with state legislators, state legislative staff, and partner organizations relating to state legislative issues relevant to NCMEC’s mission.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Director, Government Affairs; Vice President, Government Affairs, Chief Legal Officer, and NCMEC senior leaders and staff to develop and prioritize NCMEC’s state legislative and policy agenda and strategy relating to state child protection legislative and policy issues concerning NCMEC’s mission and programs.
• Track and stay up to date on relevant state legislative initiatives relevant to NCMEC’s mission and provide technical assistance and strategic analysis internally and to external partners on state legislative issues.
• Build and maintain relationships and communicate with state legislative staff; government and non-profit entities; internal NCMEC staff; and the general public on state legislative issues that may impact or relate to NCMEC’s programs of work.
• Engage with NCMEC staff on potential areas of state legislative activity, including by conducting annual state policy surveys, scoping potential state legislative issues, collecting data-driven statistics, and crafting organizational responses relating to specific program-related inquiries and proposed legislation from state legislators and legislative staff.
• Coordinate with the Director, Government Affairs and OLC team to set short-term and long-range strategic state legislative goals, including framing state policy statements and initiatives and providing technical assistance to state legislators and legislative staff relating to NCMEC’ mission and programs.
• Coordinate on external policy positions/statements/social media relating to state legislative matters with NCMEC leadership and divisional staff as appropriate.
• Partner with the Director, Government Affairs and Vice President, Government Affairs to ensure NCMEC’s federal and state policy initiatives are coordinated, where appropriate, and consistent.
• Conduct legal and statutory research, and draft advocacy collateral, correspondence, and proposed legislation on matters impacting NCMEC’s mission.
• Develop and consistently maintain protocols and processes to track and store state legislative collateral, status trackers, and proposed state legislation.
• Engage with state legislators and their staff to provide technical assistance on state legislative issues relating to NCMEC programs and to lobby for NCMEC’s state legislative positions.
• Draft and provide, where appropriate, oral and written testimony relating to state legislative issues pertaining to NCMEC’s mission and state legislative priorities.
• Build network of state legislative and external policy contacts on state legislative issues.
• Maintain all state lobbying registrations and reporting requirements.
• Other duties and special projects as assigned by Director, Government Affairs, Vice President, Government Affairs, or Chief Legal Officer.

Qualifications

• JD in good standing.
• Minimum of 4 years substantive experience in a law firm, non-profit organization, or government agency handling a range of state and/or regulatory legislative issues concerning child or other mission-related projects.
• Strong writing skills and ability to generate formal advocacy content, correspondence, and proposed legislation.
• Commitment to continuing to develop and expand substantive understanding and knowledge of NCMEC’s mission and history and intersecting legal and policy issues regularly handled by NCMEC, including staying up to date on NCMEC’s broader legal and policy issues through self-education, research, and reading.
• Demonstrated experience balancing a wide range of short and long-term projects and meeting substantive productivity and time-sensitive goals under shifting deadlines.
• Ability to inspire trust in discussions relating to sensitive, complex matters and to think independently while embracing a team approach in policy and strategy discussions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to perform as a high-level strategic thinker and communicate succinctly and decisively verbally and in writing to a range of audiences.
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and to balance multiple pending projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to quickly, efficiently, and with high attention to detail absorb complex policy issues, often with evolving and multi-faceted developments, and conduct research; draft summaries and documents; and review materials under tight deadlines.
• Excellent judgment in setting priorities and interacting with internal and external contacts.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform legal and Internet research and proficiency with basic word processing and database software tools.
• Diligence and past success in pursuing positive outcomes in difficult situations.
• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to work as part of a team and in an individual capacity.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is an EO employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

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