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In this moment, the future of our rights, our bodily autonomy, our freedom feels uncertain. What we do next will make a difference for decades to come.
Director of LGBTQI Equality
The Position
The National Women’s Law Center seeks an inaugural Director of LGBTQI Equality to coordinate and drive its legal and policy efforts to protect and advance the rights of LGBTQI+ people at work and in schools and to coordinate and collaborate with members of the Reproductive Rights & Health team, the Child Care & Income Security team, and the Strategy & Policy team on cross-cutting issues related to LGBTQI+ equality.
Priority areas of focus include advocating for LGBTQI+ legal rights through legislative advocacy (including support for passage of the Equality Act), regulatory advocacy, and other efforts to strengthen protections against harassment and other forms of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; advocating for trans inclusion and defending against anti-trans policies in state legislatures and at the federal level; seeking to limit the use of religion as a license to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people, women, and girls; defending marriage equality and the rights of LGBTQI+ families; and ensuring that sex discrimination protections are interpreted and enforced to protect LGBTQI+ people. All of these efforts are to be shaped and informed by a gender justice and racial justice analysis. The Director of LGBTQI Equality sits on the Education & Workplace Justice program team.
The Organization
The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.
We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women and girls of color, LGBTQI+ people, and low-income women and families.
For 50 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women. Find out more at NWLC.org.
Responsibilities
- Identify priorities and shape strategies for the Center’s policy and legal work related to LGBTQI+ equality, with a particular focus on the rights of workers and students, and (in collaboration with the Center’s Marketing & Communications team) inform narrative shift and culture change work on these issues;
- Coordinate, align, and implement cross-cutting Center-wide strategies related to LGBTQI+ policy in collaboration with staff across NWLC program teams;
- Engage with federal and state policy makers on policy efforts related to LGBTQI+ equality;
- In coalition with organizational partners, lead and collaborate in identifying policy priorities and crafting and implementing strategies to forward policy priorities;
- Direct and participate in NWLC’s response to legislative and regulatory proposals related to LGBTQI+ equality;
- Draft and edit written materials for a wide variety of audiences relating to legislative and regulatory proposals, such as federal and state legislative testimony, comments on proposed regulations, factsheets, blogs, reports, and talking points;
- Participate in drafting and editing amicus briefs related to LGBTQI+ equality and pursue and respond to litigation to forward our policy goals on these issues;
- Work with Center researchers to analyze and present data related to the experiences and needs of LGBTQI+ individuals in clear and compelling ways;
- Build and maintain close working relationships with coalition partners and work to expand partnerships with new stakeholders, with a focus on promoting integration and collaboration across movements and mobilizing women’s rights, survivor justice, and reproductive rights and justice partners for LGBTQI+ equality, and vice versa;
- Participate in fundraising efforts for Center initiatives;
- Represent the Center at public events, trainings, conferences, and in the media;
- Supervise staff and interns, and manage projects and staff supporting those projects, using project management strategies;
- Otherwise support the broader work of the Education & Workplace Justice team and the Center.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess:
- A law degree and admission to a state bar with ability to waive into the DC Bar if not already admitted;
- At least 7 years of relevant experience;
- Significant experience with and deep understanding of legal and policy issues related to LGBTQI+ issues;
- Significant experience with and deep understanding of antidiscrimination law, ideally gained through both policy advocacy and litigation;
- Experience advocating with policymakers, with a preference for experience advocating with Congress and/or federal agencies;
- Creativity and initiative in identifying strategies to advance policy goals;
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with key stakeholders including ability to influence and engage diverse audiences and to build long-term collaborative relationships with key organizational and individual partners;
- Strong research, analytical, oral and written communication skills;
- Experience with supervising projects and/or staff, including delegating tasks, mentoring and providing feedback, with a collaborative and collegial approach, an ability and desire to work in a team-based environment, and an orientation to the work that recognizes and values the contributions of all team members;
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of the time;
- Genuine passion for the mission of the National Women’s Law Center;
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills;
- Demonstrated commitment to and experience working on gender and racial equity and centering LGBTQI+ communities and communities of color in the approach to work.;
Key Relationships
This position reports to the Vice President for Education & Workplace and works closely with members of the Education & Workplace Justice team, including the Legal Director on litigation-related tasks and strategies, as well as teams across the Center, in coordinating LGBTQI-focused work. Current supervision responsibilities include one senior counsel.
Compensation & Benefits
A minimum salary of $122,255 will be provided to the successful candidate who has at least 7 years of experience directly relevant to this role, consistent with the National Women’s Law Center’s compensation framework, which is based on position and years of relevant experience.
The Center offers a comprehensive benefits package, and four weeks of annual vacation.
NWLC is a non-profit organization whose headquarters and staff are based in Washington, D.C. However, due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, most NWLC staff are temporarily teleworking with the option to work from our office, which is located in historic Dupont Circle (moving to Franklin Square in early 2023). We continue to monitor public health guidance and keep safety, science, and flexibility top of mind as we evaluate what reopening looks like for our team.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, please forward a cover letter and resume outlining your interests and qualifications. Resumes should include exact start and end dates (month and year) of employment. Please send application materials via e-mail to: [email protected] include the position title in the subject line. Applications accepted until position is filled.
The National Women’s Law Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek applications from people with disabilities; people of all gender identities and sexual orientations; people of color; and veterans.
Reasonable Accommodations
If you require reasonable accommodations during any part of the hiring process, please email us at [email protected].