Policy Director & Counsel, Media & Technology

Our Media & Technology team fights for a democracy where technology and media empower every person to participate fully, freely, and equally, and where every community has trustworthy, locally rooted sources of information. We defend digital rights and civil freedoms, demand transparency and accountability from platforms and tech companies, and work to revitalize the media and information ecosystems communities depend on. Alongside Common Cause’s state teams and partners nationwide, we pair legislative advocacy in statehouses and Congress with coalition-building that holds technology and media institutions accountable to the public. And we’re growing, including a new workstream on AI transparency and accountability at the state, multi-state, and federal levels.

As Policy Director & Counsel, you’ll be at the center of that work. You’ll bring policy, legal, and strategic insight to teams across the organization, lead research that sharpens our positions and strengthens our campaigns, and help carry out our issues to policymakers, partners, and the public. This role is for someone who loves spotting what’s coming next in the democracy landscape and turning sharp research and analysis into strategies that win.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Senior Policy Director, Media & Technology. It’s remote-eligible anywhere in the lower 48 United States, though we strongly prefer a candidate based in the DC area who can work from our office at least two days a week. Applications received by Monday, November 16 will be given priority consideration, and we hope our new Policy Director & Counsel can start in February.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of proactive state, multi-state, and federal policy and legal strategies within the Media & Technology pillar, anticipating emerging threats and opportunities

• Supervise the Senior Policy Manager(s): set goals, provide coaching and feedback, and support their professional development

• Conduct legal review of bills, testimony, and model legislation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with organizational priorities

• Lead watchdog and regulatory work, including drafting FCC and FTC comments, contributing to amicus briefs, and coordinating with state Attorneys General, while advancing strategy on media and technology issues

Policy Research and Analysis

• Proactively conduct legal and policy research to identify opportunities to advance reform and legal strategy within the media and technology portfolio

• Develop policy and legal briefs, reports, and other materials that clearly communicate findings, recommendations, and positions for both internal and external audiences

• Collaborate with state staff and other teams to track and monitor key policy and legal issues, legislative developments, and regulatory changes that affect our issues within the pillar

• Support litigation strategy by conducting legal analysis, drafting and reviewing briefs or memos, and contributing substantive expertise to cases within the pillar

• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of policy proposals, regularly evaluating impact and identifying areas for improvement

Coalition Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• Proactively build strategic external relationships and represent Common Cause in coalitions and external convenings, advocating for the organization's policy priorities and objectives

• Support partner-tier work on surveillance and antitrust issues, providing legal and policy expertise to coalition partners and allied organizations

• In collaboration with the Litigation team, identify and cultivate relationships with pro bono law firms to support our work

• Facilitate productive and inclusive collaboration among stakeholders, identifying opportunities for thought-partnership and joint action to maximize the impact of our work

• Serve as a key spokesperson for the organization on policy matters, engaging with media, public officials, and other influential entities to elevate Common Cause’s work

Collaborate with Teams Across the Organization

• Work closely with senior policy staff and state teams to identify and leverage policy and legal wins within and across states

• Collaborate with the External Affairs, Campaigns and Organizing, and States departments as needed to amplify the impact of our work

• Collaborate with the development team to identify and secure funding for our work, creating materials and joining meetings with donors as needed

Administrative and Other Duties

• Complete administrative tasks as needed

• Perform other duties as assigned

You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have:

• A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda

• A track record of working collaboratively with others, with the ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests

• Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solve problems

• Ability to navigate organizational and power dynamics, respectfully navigate conflict while maintaining your values, and influence others to adopt changes to meet common goals

• Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences; ideally, you have experience speaking to the media

• Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail; strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently

• A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others

• Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth

• Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office, Slack, and Zoom

The Following Is Required:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• Demonstrated subject-matter expertise in issues related to media and technology

• Have managed at least one staff member, intern, and/or fellow

• Experience taking policy ideas from concept through execution, including drafting proposals, conducting legal analysis, building support, and implementing reforms

• Demonstrated knowledge of the unique aspects of our national political dynamic, and knowledge of leaders and decision-makers within at least one state and ideally also at the federal level, with a preference for candidates who have built relationships with these stakeholders

• Experience managing coalitions or groups that represent stakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a goal

• A track record of leading organization-wide change initiatives

• Experience leading successful state-level or national public advocacy campaigns related to media and/or technology

• Experience with the federal legislative process within at least one state, and ideally also at the federal level (including policy research and analysis, policy development, legislative drafting, legislative advocacy and lobbying, and policy implementation)

• Ability to travel up to 6 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats, and ideally is able to work out of our DC office at least two days per week

• Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization

• Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

Additional Information About This Role:

• This position is classified as supervisory and therefore not included in the union-represented collective bargaining unit

• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US