Policy Director

Democracy North Carolina seeks an experienced advocate, leader, and coalition-builder for the position of Policy Director. This role develops the strategy for the organization’s voter protection program, which assists voters through a hotline and network of volunteers placed at voting locations. This Director is responsible for determining research priorities and developing advocacy strategies for election-related legislative and administrative agencies. This Director will work closely with our Organizing Director and staff responsible for the design of organizing and mobilization campaigns in coordination with those advocacy strategies.

The Policy Director is closely involved in joint efforts with coalition partners, including organizing, racial justice, and legal advocacy organizations, and direct advocacy to public officials. The Policy Director supervises the Senior Policy Analyst, Advocacy Program Manager, and Election Protection Research Manager.

This position reports to Democracy North Carolina’s Deputy Director, serves on the organization’s leadership team, and is based in our main office in Morrisville. We are currently operating in a hybrid mode, working in the office at least 2 days per week.

Election Protection Program (EP)

• Poll Monitoring/Vote Protector and Elections Advocacy Programs:
  • Supervise the Election Protection Research Manager (EPRM) to work with staff and partners in identifying poll monitor sites based on historic need and emergent issues.
  • Work with EPRM to coordinate with the Organizing department for EP training, site selection and coverage of priority voting sites.
  • Collaborate with Organizing and Communications departments to implement programs, including materials and assignment processes.
  • Manage communication and relationships with partner organizations, County Boards of Elections, and the State Board of Elections.
  • Work closely with the EPRM to evaluate program data for reporting and policy recommendations (EP Reports).
  • Monitor advocacy outcomes related to State Board of Elections, county-level Early Voting plans, and county Boards of Elections.
• Voter Hotline:
  • Work closely with the Advocacy Programs Manager and/or Hotline Contractor to coordinate a statewide voter hotline alongside coalition partners and the Lawyers Committee.
  • Co-develop hotline training materials and implement training to ensure effective responses to voter questions.
  • Work with partner organizations to plan and execute hotline data analysis and results for use in legislative and administrative advocacy.

Policy, Advocacy, and Strategy

• Identify policy department goals and strategies; set priorities, and timely research topics in collaboration with Directors, partners and other staff, under the supervision of the Deputy Director.
• Oversee legislative and administrative advocacy efforts on issues that impact the electoral process and democratic practice. Among other duties, provide written and oral testimony to policymakers, monitor and lobby relevant stakeholders, and coordinate closely with the Communications Director on digital advocacy strategies.
• Maintain internal legislative bill digest, tracking progression of relevant bills through the legislature to inform our strategic response and potential advocacy campaigns.
• Coordinate with partner organizations on shared advocacy goals and strategies.
• Serve as in-house expert on North Carolina election law, administrative policy, and practice; and increase staff-wide and coalition-wide expertise on these topics.
• File lobby and principal reports as required by the NC Secretary of State.
• Speak to reporters and media regarding inquiries about elections law, voting rights and structural democracy when needed.
• In close coordination with the Communications team, contribute to the development of campaigns, public-facting reports, fact sheets and other materials, that apply subject matter knowledge to the advancement of advocacy and organizing goals.
• When needed, provide legal expertise and guidance in instances where the organization is a plaintiff in election-related litigation.
• Working with the Deputy Director, assess the need to continue, modify or remove…