Position Overview

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey seeks a Director of Government Affairs to join its growing Political Advocacy Department. This position is a senior member of the ACLU-NJ Political Advocacy team, responsible for developing and maintaining the organization's strategic relationships across local, state, and federal government to advance and protect the ACLU-NJ's civil liberties priorities. Alongside the Executive Director and the Political Director, the Director of Government Affairs serves as a primary external representative of the organization in government-facing contexts, bringing a combination of relationship management, legislative acumen, and advocacy strategy to a broad portfolio of policy campaigns.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Government Relations and External Representation:

• Develop, cultivate, and manage strategic relationships with elected officials, legislative staff, and executive branch officials at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Serve as an external representative of the ACLU-NJ in meetings with legislators, congressional staff, and government agencies.
• Advocate directly on behalf of the ACLU-NJ's positions with legislators, their staff, and executive branch officials, alongside ACLU-NJ subject matter experts.
• Represent the ACLU-NJ at legislative hearings, briefings, press events, lobby days, and other government-facing engagements and serve as a spokesperson in the media.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable lobbying registration and disclosure requirements.

Legislative Strategy:

• Provide strategic counsel to the Political Director, Executive Director and other senior leaders, and the Political Advocacy team on government relations matters and political landscape developments.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to advance ACLU-NJ priorities through legislative, regulatory, and executive action, in partnership with the Political Advocacy team.
• Coordinate with the National ACLU and peer affiliates on federal advocacy priorities, joint campaigns, and legislative strategy alignment.

Internal Collaboration:

• Partner closely with the Political Advocacy team to ensure government relations work is grounded in policy expertise and aligned with campaign strategies.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and with the Communications team to develop government-facing messaging, including testimony, briefing materials, and stakeholder one-pagers.
• Supervise, mentor, and provide direction to junior staff and Policy Fellows as assigned.
• Contribute to organizational planning and priority-setting as a senior member of the Political Advocacy team in collaboration with other members of the Political Advocacy team.

Administrative:

• Prepare regular reports on government affairs activities for the Political Director and senior leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Support departmental planning, project management, and administrative functions as needed.

Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:

• Advance ACLU-NJ's commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in advocacy strategies, organizational practices, and community partnerships.
• Contribute to department and organization-wide efforts to ensure programs, policies, and engagement practices are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to impacted communities.

Candidate Requirements:

• Demonstrated track record of building and maintaining effective, trust-based relationships with elected officials and government staff.
• Experience working in, or directly with, New Jersey state government or the New Jersey legislature strongly preferred.
• Experience in civil rights, social justice, nonprofit advocacy, or a mission-driven organization preferred.
• Experience with federal legislative or administrative advocacy a plus.
• Prior management or supervisory experience preferred.
• This position will be primarily based in Trenton, with regular travel around the state, including to the ACLU-NJ headquarters in Newark.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Deep knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process, particularly at the New Jersey state level.
• Existing relationships with New Jersey legislators, legislative staff, and/or executive branch officials strongly preferred.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to identify policy opportunities, assess political dynamics, and develop effective advocacy approaches.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to represent the organization credibly and persuasively in high-stakes external settings.
• Skilled at building trust and credibility with a broad range of stakeholders - from elected officials and government staff to community organizations and coalition partners.
• Strong judgment and discretion, with the ability to navigate complex political environments with integrity.
• Ability to manage a broad portfolio of relationships and concurrent advocacy campaigns simultaneously.
• Familiarity with lobbying compliance and registration requirements preferred.

Values and Commitment:

• Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice, and alignment with the ACLU-NJ's mission and values.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and authentic partnership with the communities the ACLU-NJ serves.
• Ability to engage respectfully and effectively with individuals across the political spectrum in pursuit of civil liberties goals.
• Willingness to occasionally work non-traditional hours to attend meetings and events in the evenings or weekends.

Preferred Qualifications:

The following are not required, but will strengthen a candidate's application:

• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish (or another language spoken by New Jersey communities).
• Existing relationships with members of the New Jersey congressional delegation or their staff.
• Experience working on civil rights, criminal justice reform, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or voting rights campaigns.
• Experience with federal agency advocacy or administrative rulemaking processes.
• Experience using legislative tracking tools.

Compensation

The salary range for this position starts at $110,000 and will be commensurate with experience based on the ACLU-NJ salary bands. The ACLU-NJ supports and plans for staff member professional growth and skill development through internal and external opportunities. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off, 12 office holidays and 16 health care leave days; medical, vision, and dental insurance; 20 weeks (100 days) paid family leave; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.