Advocate-Rochester

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

About the Organization DRNY, the Protection and Advocacy System and the Client Assistance Program for New York State, is seeking a passionate individual to achieve disability justice and protect civil rights. We dismantle the structural oppression of people with disabilities through individual advocacy, systemic litigation, public investigations, and collaboration with stakeholders. Come join a civil rights leader committed to addressing these barriers and driving meaningful change in everything we do.

DRNY seeks a Voting Rights Advocate. This position will be a key member of the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program. The Voting Rights Advocate will be responsible for supporting engagement and mobilization of voters with and without disabilities through virtual and in-person outreach and trainings, emails, website content, written copy, and related digital programs.

This position requires an individual with a passion for civil rights to work to make the state’s voting programs accessible to all qualified New Yorkers. The ideal candidate is eager to work in a fast-paced environment. The position will require working irregular hours and a flexible schedule, with some weekend and evening hours required to achieve the goals of the PAVA program.

The ability to balance and prioritize competing priorities, to create written and verbal content in plain language, and a knowledge of voting and civil rights laws are essential. The Advocate is expected to report to the PAVA program initially and different programs thereafter as needed.

• Register people to vote in NYS and train voters on NYS’s voting program;
• Design accessible content about voting and civil rights in NYS;
• Establish and maintain meaningful relationships with community partners and organizations to further programmatic goals and outreach efforts to better serve voters with disabilities;
• Educate policymakers about accessibility issues in NYS’s voting program;
• Draft written resources and related web content, including social media postings, about voting laws and updates;
• Research new laws and regulations that impact NYS’s voting programs;
• Contribute to the creation and execution of programmatic goals and projects;
• File administrative complaints on behalf of voters with disabilities;
• Regularly communicate with the local and State Board of Elections offices and other agencies responsible for enforcing the civil rights of voters with disabilities;
• Collaborate in cross-program projects and outreach efforts to further organizational advocacy goals;
• Keep up-to-date about voting and civil rights issues that impact people with disabilities during elections;
• Engage with elected officials and candidates to raise awareness about disability issues;
• Collaborate with DRNY’s Marketing Program on the development of visual and audio content;
• Organize files, update existing online content and voting rights resources, and research changes in local, NYS, and Federal election systems, laws, regulations, policies, and procedures;
• Participate in committees, task forces, and other organization-wide groups;
• May be asked to provide multilingual client support; and
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree or five+ years of advocacy experience in a professional setting;
• Civil rights or disability advocacy experience;
• NYS driver’s license;
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write quality advocacy resources in plain language;
• Availability to work irregular hours and occasionally work on evenings or weekends;
• Ability to balance and prioritize competing priorities;
• Comfortable presenting to large and small groups, virtually and in-person;
• Demonstrated attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy;
• Strong time management skills, including the ability to balance competing priorities;
• Ability to work under deadlines and stick…