Position: Director of Advocacy
Salary: $60,000-$70,000
Reports to: Executive Director
Type: Exempt
Location: Remote
About Equality Virginia: Equality Virginia advocates and organizes across Virginia to build a future where all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and broader spectrum of people (LGBTQIA+) thrive.
Equality Virginia’s vision: At Equality Virginia, our values are the foundation of our work. They guide how we serve, advocate, and connect with LGBTQIA+ communities across the Commonwealth. As we pursue our strategic goals, we commit to upholding these core values in every initiative, relationship, and decision. Our commitments to Community, Equity, Perseverance, Impact, Empowerment, and Integrity reflect our dedication to creating a safer, more inclusive Virginia for all LGBTQIA+ individuals.
CommunityWe are dedicated to building a strong, interconnected LGBTQIA+ community across Virginia, fostering support, resilience, and a sense of belonging for all.
EquityWe prioritize inclusivity and work tirelessly to address the unique needs and challenges of marginalized groups, especially those within BIPOC, trans, and rural communities.
PerseveranceWe are resilient and committed to creating long-term change, advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and protections in all areas of Virginia, even when challenges arise.
ImpactWe strive to create meaningful, lasting change that improves the lives of LGBTQIA+ Virginians and strengthens the communities we serve.
EmpowermentWe believe in the power of LGBTQIA+ individuals to create change and are committed to providing resources, training, and opportunities that amplify their voices and build leadership capacity.
IntegrityWe hold ourselves accountable to our mission, values, and communities, conducting all actions with transparency, respect, and a commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of LGBTQIA+ Virginians.
About our team: The Equality Virginia team is made up of 5 full time staff and a rotating number of interns. We will be in a virtual office starting in March of 2025, and staff is based throughout Virginia. We engage in a robust schedule of legislative & community engagement programming. 2025 marks 36 official years of Equality Virginia as an organization.
About the Role: Equality Virginia seeks a Director of Advocacy who will lead statewide and local legislative advocacy campaigns on issues related to LGBTQIA+ rights by monitoring legislative activity, analyzing new and changing legislative language, convening and training community members to advocate directly to decision-makers, and educating community members about LGBTQIA+ related bills. This work requires close collaboration with Virginia’s community and civic leaders, social justice and LGBTQIA+ organizations, faith communities, unions, and businesses, as well as elected officials across the political spectrum.
The Director of Advocacy manages Equality Virginia’s legislative advocacy work, both at the local, state and federal level, by directly engaging with legislators, lobbyists, organizational partners, and other stakeholders. This role requires the ability to remain flexible and adaptable, yet decisive regarding work assignments.
The Director of Advocacy seeks to deepen Equality Virginia’s capacity to advocate for a broad range of issues impacting LGBTQIA+ Virginians by collaborating with staff members in various departments - particularly the communications and community engagement teams- to find viable policy solutions to the hurdles that LGBTQIA+ Virginians face on a regular basis.
Policy & State Advocacy Priorities & Activities
Build and strengthen LGBTQIA+ advocacy networks across Virginia
Advance legal and lived equality in Virginia by helping to pass positive legislation for LGBTQIA+ Virginians
Coordinate responses to attacks on legal and lived equality for LGBTQIA+ Virginians by monitoring state and federal legislation & executive action that would negatively impact LGBTQIA+ Virginians
Assist in responding to events that may occur in the LGBTQIA+ policy sphere (e.g., a major court decision, executive order, or introduction of harmful legislation)
Educate local, state and federal legislators and members of their staffs on LGBTQIA+ issues
Develop strategic campaigns and strategies to advance the organization’s advocacy priorities at the state and local levels.
General Assembly & School Board Engagement
Track and monitor General Assembly and School Board activities, public statements, and political context that impacts LGBTQIA+ and intersectional policy issues, including but not limited to:
Elected officials' actions on various legislation in order to issue an accurate and fair Legislative Scorecard grade at least once per General Assembly session
Introduction of legislation and providing an initial assessment on the impact to LGBTQIA+ Virginians
Bill status changes and movement
Lawmaker, agency, and governmental social media accounts
Build relationships with legislative staff & lobbyists
Recruit and connect constituents with their state and federal elected officials through meetings, calls, and emails
Write and submit testimony on bills that impact LGBTQIA+ Virginians on behalf of Equality Virginia
Analyze legislation, administrative rules, and other policies and their potential impact on LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities
Convene Stakeholders
Launch a Statewide Advocacy Institute to equip new and existing leaders with tools and knowledge for effective advocacy in their local communities.
Connect and coordinate with community partners on intersectional advocacy, policy, and legislative work to advance social justice broadly within Virginia
Work alongside civic groups and community leaders to build support and foster positive dialogue on LGBTQIA+ issues.
Provide planning and preparation support for town halls and other public events supporting policy priorities
Public Engagement
Speaking and presenting at conferences, coalition meetings, partner events, trainings, and more (average 2-4 per month)
Serving as an occasional media spokesperson in coordination with the Communications Team (during busy season the EQVA team may deploy multiple spokespeople to respond to media interview requests per week)
Fulfilling communications requests such as: filming TikToks, executing to provide social content (e.g. pictures, videos, etc.), and consulting on messaging to maximize political and narrative impact
Administrative Tasks
Manage Equality Virginia ’s internal and external trackers- General Assembly Bill Tracker, and School Board Meeting & Policy Tracker.
Utilizing EQVA’s EveryAction database to ensure tracking of:
Relationships and engagement (i.e. coalition partners, lawmakers, etc.)
Grant deliverables (i.e. # of testimonies, constituent contacts generated, etc.)
Writing and editing handouts, issue one-pages, presentations, and other educational materials
Ensuring General Assembly tracking activities are documented appropriately and easily accessible internally
Shared Organization Responsibilities - Expectations for all EQVA Team Members
Upholding and advancing Equality Virginia’s vision, mission, and values.
Participation in internal staff meetings
Adapting to and utilizing internal communications and document retention protocols and platforms
Providing content and expertise to inform grant proposals and reports and funder communications as needed
Qualifications
Experience & Education
Minimum three (3) years of professional or volunteer experience in/in a combination of coalition work, legislative work, and/or civic engagement work
Demonstrated experience in grassroots and grasstops advocacy strategies
A strong understanding of Virginia state and local politics and its major players
Bachelor's degree in political science, public administration, or related field
Experience delivering training content, presentations, slide shows, etc
Awareness of the issue priorities, policy battles, and experiences of LGBTQIA+ Virginians
Skills
Comfortable communicating and collaborating with policymakers and staff of all political parties
Competency in working with diverse groups in an intersectional manner and across all levels of organizations with a commitment to building positive collaboration
Strong technical and persuasive writing skills
Able to digest and translate complicated and detailed policy analyses for multiple audiences
A collaborative team player with an appreciation for diverse approaches to the work
The flexibility, humor, and humility to thrive in a fast-paced hybrid remote and in-person environment
Resourceful, adaptable, patient, and flexible to navigate complex situations in real-time
Charismatic and diplomatic to cultivate, nurture, and maintain relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders and navigate coalition dynamics
Ability to track, lead, and/or implement multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, and re-prioritize as needed.
Have excellent written, verbal, and listening communication skills, along with effective public speaking and presentation skills
Self-motivated and able to work independently without constant direct staff contact
We especially encourage applications from people who have any of these additional qualifications:
Direct experience working at an LGBTQIA+ or trans-focused movement organization
Proficiency with Google Suite
Ability to recite talking points and press materials
Familiarity with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and experience with Every Action in particular
Facilitation skills
Experience leading and managing others
COMMITMENT
Unwavering commitment to addressing the needs of LGBTQIA+ Virginians
Commitment to Equality Virginia's vision, mission, and values, with a particular focus on racial justice
Passionate about LGBTQIA+ equality broadly and public policy and advocacy work specifically
An understanding that the process of changing hearts and minds is not overnight or immediate, which is a core element of our theory of change
Willing and excited to work across the political spectrum
Willing to serve as a public face of Equality Virginia when needed, including in media interviews, as a social media influencer, and more
Physical Requirements
Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
This position will require occasional travel
The person in this position may be required to sit or stand for extended periods, move objects up to 25 pounds, operate office equipment, open and close filing cabinets and boxes, observe visitors, and communicate messages by telephone.
Location Requirements
This position will require consistent presence at the General Assembly during the legislative session; the frequency varies based on the legislative and state advocacy work and could be as often as weekly from January-March.
Willingness and ability to travel in Virginia and flexibility to work weekend and evening hours when necessary.
Benefits
Equality Virginia is dedicated to providing all employees a competitive salary, 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off and holidays, 401k plan with 3% employer contribution, employee cell phone, paid parking, and a professional development stipend. The salary for this position is $60,000-$70,000 This is a full-time position.
You’re interested but not sure you tick every box: If you’re excited about this role but do not feel you meet every single criteria outlined above, we encourage you to apply anyway! Research tells us that individuals from historically excluded and marginalized groups tend to self-select out of opportunities at higher rates. We are interested in finding the best fit for this work, someone who is aligned with our mission, goals, and values, and while we have a good idea of how we want to do this work, it’s possible that in drafting this description, we didn’t realize YOU were actually the ideal candidate. Let us have the chance to see if this is the right fit for both of us.
Equal Opportunity Statement: Equality Virginia is an equal opportunity employer to all regardless of gender identity, gender presentation, sex, sexual orientation, race, national origin, immigration status, parental status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, veteran status, or history of arrest or conviction. We encourage LGBTQIA+ folks to apply.
Next Steps
Email jobs@equalityvirginia.org with a cover letter and resume in PDF format. Please be sure to put “Director of Advocacy” in the subject line of your email.
Here’s what you can expect from our interview process:
Application Review
Panel Interview ~60 minutes
Interview with Executive Director ~30 minutes
Applications must be submitted by 5pm on Monday, March 31st. We are looking to fill this position for a start date of Monday, April 28th.