Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

ABOUT US

UnidosUS, previously known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through its unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. For more than 50 years, UnidosUS has united communities and different groups seeking common ground through collaboration, and that share a desire to make our community stronger. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SUMMARY

The Senior Director, Legislative Affairs is part of UnidosUS’ Policy and Advocacy component and leads, manages, and coordinates congressional legislative activity of UnidosUS. The Senior Director plays a key role in advancing UnidosUS's policy priorities and legislative advocacy efforts in congress and in statehouses. This position reports directly to the Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy and works closely with internal teams, external allies, and lawmakers to drive positive change for the Latino community.

The Senior Director must register to lobby for UnidosUS and be available for in-person Hill visits and events. The position requires occasional travel, including to UnidosUS events.

This position is hybrid, and will be based in Washington, DC.

Salary: $169,400-$188,200

Essential Functions:

Legislative Strategy and Advocacy:

• Develop and implement comprehensive congressional agenda.
• Guide, advise, and inform legislative campaign strategies and tactics to advance UnidosUS's core priorities and systems change efforts, including congressional budget and appropriations.
• Cultivate, coordinate, and maintain influential relationships with key members of Congress and congressional staff, engaging in direct advocacy to advance UUS’s legislative agenda.
• Track, monitor, and analyze legislative developments, providing timely updates to senior leadership and policy teams.
• Represent UnidosUS on Capitol Hill and secure opportunities for UUS leadership and staff for impactful engagements with Congress, including briefings, testifying at hearings, and strategic meetings.
• Leverage UnidosUS’s grasstops relationships with Affiliates and partners in the field, and lead grassroots advocacy in congress.
• Oversee tracking, recording, and reporting of all UnidosUS legislative affairs engagement.

Institutional Management and Cross-Sectional Leadership:

• Collaborate with senior leadership and internal teams to align legislative priorities with strategic impact priorities.
• Advise and inform the organization’s “power building” work and voter engagement efforts.
• Supervise legislative affairs staff and collaborate with Policy Project Directors to oversee lobbying efforts across issue areas.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team around rapid response, communications, traditional and social media engagement, and key messaging around legislative and policy developments.

Compliance and Budget Management:

• Register as a federal lobbyist and ensure compliance throughout UnidosUS with lobbying rules and reporting requirements at both the federal and state level.
• Manage external lobbying and legislative contracts and monitor adherence to compliance standards.
• Responsible for managing lobbying budgets, tracking spending, and ensuring adherence to spending limits.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in policy, law, or related policy and advocacy field.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of in-depth experience engaging in federal level advocacy.
• Minimum of seven (7) years supervisory.
• Experience working with Congress on major legislation.
• Knowledge of legislative procedures, processes, and rules.
• Successful track record of engaging and influencing Congress with established relationships on the Hill.
• Experience communicating Latino policy and legislative priorities in public settings such as coalition meetings, congressional meetings and briefings, and major conferences.
• Knowledge of and experience advocating for policy issues that impact Latinos, with proficiency and advocacy experience in UnidosUS’s primary issue areas.
• Project management skills, including planning, strategy setting, monitoring, and reporting to various audiences.
• Experience staffing principles and senior leadership in their engagement with Congress.
• Proficiency in ethics, lobbying, and campaign and election rules.
• Flexibility to accommodate the congressional calendar (session) and for occasional travel.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community.

Desired Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of Hill experience.
• Experience working with Hispanic lawmakers.
• Bilingual ability (English and Spanish).

Skills and Abilities

• Steadfast commitment to UnidosUS mission, vision, and values
• (Excellence, Respeto, Accountability).
• Commitment to U.S. Latino community, Latino nonprofit organizations, and the Latino market.

Competencies

• Leadership-Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Managing People-Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; Takes responsibility for subordinates' activities; Makes self available to staff; Provides regular performance feedback; Develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth; Solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); Fosters quality focus in others; Improves processes, products, and services; Continually works to improve supervisory skills.
• Strategic Thinking-Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Project Management--Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.
• Written Communication-Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Oral Communication-Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Problem Solving-Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Teamwork--Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Able to work well independently and remotely.
• Ability to travel.
• Accurately complete detailed forms and reports.
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Sit for long periods of time.
• Utilize visual acuity to operate equipment, read technical information, and/or use a keyboard.

COVID-19 Considerations:

• All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID - 19.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employment with UnidosUS is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screen.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.