Session-Only Policy Advocate
WHO WE ARE: The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has been the leading legal and scientific voice for Minnesota’s environment since 1974. A growing nonprofit with offices in Saint Paul and Duluth, MCEA supports its employees through a commitment to a living wage, a good benefits package, and regular opportunities for professional growth and development. We value diversity, equity, an inclusive culture, and respect in the workplace. MCEA was featured on the 2022 Best Nonprofits to Work For list by the Nonprofit Times and the 2022 Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list.
POSITION SUMMARY: MCEA is looking for a temporary full-time Policy Advocate during the 2024 Legislative Session to be a key team member for our Legislative Program. Our ideal candidate is passionate about community engagement, and dedicated to the work of environmental justice, climate justice, water advocacy, and improvement of public health through environmental advocacy. Our ideal candidate is energized by working with communities and coalitions, and has demonstrated success in community organizing and engagement. This person is passionate about equity and has a strong understanding of the meaning of environmental and climate justice. They are invested in their own personal and career growth, and are working to develop themselves as a leader in the environmental advocacy space. This position is only for the 2024 Legislative Session and begins on January 22nd 2024, and ends on May 31st 2024.
MAJOR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY – 80%
For 80% of this position, the Policy Advocate would be working to advance MCEA’s legislative priorities, working alongside the Legislative Director on lobbying efforts. The Policy Advocate drafts presentations and is responsible for organizing internal meetings for the legislative team, with the goal of keeping MCEA staff updated on what’s happening at the Legislature. Additionally, the Policy Advocate is the face of the organization in multiple coalition meetings, and would develop new relationships that are key to our legislative work. The Policy Advocate plays a key role in developing strategy with the Legislative Director, responsible for implementing components of decided-on strategy. The Policy Advocate assists the Legislative Director in managing the Capitol Pathways intern and other legislative interns and volunteers. The Policy Advocate will also assist the communications team in drafting public engagement pieces (action alerts, newsletters, press releases, social media) regarding MCEA’s legislative work during session.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT - 20%
For 20% of this position, the Policy Advocate will support the legislative team and other MCEA staff members on organizing and tracking the legislative work. This includes calendaring meetings, taking notes, and organizing project materials.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Basic understanding of the process of Minnesota policy at the state level, and some knowledge of Minnesota politics.
- Experience working in campaigns, community organizing, or general grassroots work.
- Experience working with various Minnesota communities on community-focused issues.
- Experience working with coalitions of organizations aimed at a common cause
- Commitment to learning and personal growth
- Passion for working on environmental justice, climate justice, water quality advocacy, and public health advocacy.
- Ability to be physically present at the State Capitol during legislative session (Feb-May), and access to reliable internet to attend remote sessions if necessary.
- Self-management of projects, including time management and self-advocacy for workplace needs.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and for both small and large audiences
- Willingness to work with people of different backgrounds, political viewpoints, and life passions.
- Computer literacy required, preference to a candidate with knowledge or willingness to learn basic webpage management and project management platforms.
- No specific education requirement for this position, but relevant education may count as partial experience.
SALARY & BENEFITS: MCEA strives to create a mission-focused work environment that is equitable and inclusive. MCEA highly values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. The monthly salary for this temporary full-time position is $4,000. As a term position, no benefits are available for this position.
REPORTS TO: Legislative Director
TO APPLY: Please send your resume and cover letter to hr@mncenter.org by January 3, 2023 for priority consideration, we will begin review of applications as they are received. In your cover letter, please describe your previous experience with public policy and public engagement, and what is exciting to you about this position. You must submit all materials directly to this email address – no applications via third party websites (such as Indeed) will be accepted.