Assistant Director of Activism

The Institute for Justice seeks an experienced and passionate professional to join our Activism team as Assistant Director at our headquarters in Arlington, VA. IJ’s multi-faceted Activism team challenges and reforms local and state policies and laws in the areas of economic liberty, property rights, and government accountability.

We change state and local laws, like occupational licensing and local regulations, to make it easier to work and earn an honest living, especially for people of modest means. We fight policies and projects that threaten the rights of property owners to keep what they have worked so hard to own, like eminent domain abuse and civil forfeiture. And we work to hold government officials accountable, by advocating for the end of qualified immunity.

We achieve change through strategic advocacy in city halls, state legislatures, and communities. Our tools include public education, lobbying and testifying, coalition building, community outreach, publishing research and recommendations, public speaking, media engagement, and hosting events and demonstrations.

The ideal candidate will have at least seven years of both policy and management experience, and a desire to grow into a versatile generalist across the team’s full range of activities.

This role will supervise junior team members, and the ideal candidate will be passionate about mentorship that happens through meaningful collaboration on projects—developing staff by modeling sound judgment, servant leadership, and professionalism; teaching skills in real time; and providing thoughtful feedback through the work itself. This role will also manage projects and initiatives, and the ideal candidate will have project management experience.

This position offers significant opportunities for travel, professional development, and long-term advancement. The Assistant Director will join a collaborative, close-knit team and should thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven, collegial environment.

The team’s projects include:

• Collaborating with city officials to enact regulatory reforms to make it cheaper, faster, and simpler to start a small business, through our “Cities Work” initiative.
• Reducing state occupational licensing laws that disproportionately impact people of modest means; for example, through our “The Barber Project” and “Beauty, Not Barriers” initiatives.
• Advocating for the end of qualified immunity through our “Americans Against Qualified Immunity” initiative.
• Stopping the abuse of eminent domain.
• Expanding the ability of home cooks and vendors to sell food and support their families.
• Creating new opportunities for educational entrepreneurs.
• Closing the civil legal needs gap by increasing the ability of non-attorneys to offer legal help and advice.

Specific responsibilities for this role may include:

• Managing projects including The Barber Project initiative and other occupational licensing efforts, our new work empowering educational entrepreneurs, our growing work on issues like “right to rescue” and stopping unconstitutional surveillance schemes, as well as other special projects as they arise.
• Being a member of our Cities Work team.
• Managing select junior team members and reviewing public-facing materials drafted by others on the team.
• Becoming an expert user on Quorum, our public affairs software.
• Researching state and local laws across our issue areas, tracking legislation and regulations, and developing policy recommendations and reports.
• Engaging policymakers and regulators through meetings, testimony, and lobbying.
• Developing and executing grassroots and legislative strategies and public information campaigns. 
• Identifying and cultivating relationships with activists, decision makers, and coalition partners, including through community and small business corridor canvassing.
• Hosting events (town halls, roundtables, community block parties) and activism trainings. 
• Drafting materials for activists, decision makers, and the public, including one-pagers, press releases, flyers, op-eds, and digital and social media content.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in policy, advocacy, or campaign work
• Proven track record managing projects and supervising staff
• Strong writing, communication, and project management skills
• Experience working with policymakers, communities, and coalitions
• Comfortable traveling 1–2 times per month, occasionally on short notice
• Familiarity with state/local government; Quorum experience a plus
• Deep commitment to IJ’s mission and a passion for helping people of modest means and from all walks of life
• Personable, self-motivated, proactive, and eager to learn in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Professional, detail-oriented, and a strong critical thinker
• Excited about the work and able to thrive in a collaborative team setting

Benefits:

• Hybrid work schedule 
• Flexible work hours with our core business hours of 10am and 4pm    
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance (IJ covers 100% of individual premiums) 
• Free Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life insurance plans 
• HSA employer contributions 
• 401(k) with employer matches 
• Smart casual dress code with casual Fridays 
• Generous PTO package of accruing sick and vacation hours in addition to a paid personal day and floating and traditional holidays   

To Apply:
To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter detailing why you’re interested in working for the Institute for Justice, and a writing sample.

IJ is an equal opportunity employer.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At IJ we value a diverse workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

To learn more about our culture and benefits, visit our Working at IJ page. No phone calls please.

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