State Director

Job Description:

Under the general direction of the PPAA Vice President of Political Operations, and in close collaboration with the Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, the State Director leads a team to oversee the policy, political, and related communications efforts within their state. This position plans and supervises the execution of policy, political and organizing efforts appropriate to their state to protect and promote reproductive health, rights, and justice that support and uplift the health care and education work of Planned Parenthood affiliate partners and center equity in pursuit of the organization’s mission.

The State Director leads a team to develop and execute all aspects of PPAA’s work in their state, including legislative advocacy, developing, and executing effective field organizing campaigns to engage and empower communities, building strategic political campaigns, and maintaining an equity lens on all of their efforts toward sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. This role strategically manages and develops coalition relationships. The State Director may serve as the organizational lobbyist and may lead the Political Action Committee in their state. This role represents PPAA’s mission, priorities, and brand in the legislature, in the media, and at coalition tables and oversees state projects and budgets. This position is responsible for ensuring equity and anti-racism goals are included in all programs and campaigns.

Job Duties:

• Develops statewide strategic external affairs plans to protect and promote access to reproductive health, rights and justice.
• Collaborates to ensure successful execution of public affairs activities to meet the expectations, goals and objectives of region-wide public affairs plan.
• Supervise PPAA staff to build and ensure comprehensive, strategic, equitable, and effective statewide programs centered around community engagement through broad and deep and measurably effective field organizing campaigns.
• Leads overarching legislative advocacy, political, organizing and state level communications programs; including working directly with the Vice President of Political Operations, Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, and compliance officers to ensure proper lobbying and electoral reporting, compliance, and oversight.
• Serves as PPAA spokesperson and spokesperson for local Planned Parenthood affiliates as needed to accurately communicate messages to media and stakeholders where appropriate.
• Accomplishes specific objectives by establishing relationships with legislative members and staff, state regulatory agencies, lobbyists, consultants, local level office holders, members of Congress, and others.
• Assures that state lobbying efforts are comprehensive, strategic, and equitable in the effort to achieve state legislative and policy goals; leads the development of policy initiatives, establishing and supervising the establishment of priorities and strategies for accomplishing state policy goals, assuring legislation of interest to Planned Parenthood is thoughtfully and strategically planned for proactive efforts, and appropriately identified and analyzed as it arises in state.
• May represent PPAA as the primary lobbyist in the state legislature.
• Works with regional and state staff to coordinate strategic grassroots lobbying efforts of the Legislature.
• Maintains familiarity and compliance with all state and local lobbying and political reporting requirements. Ensures the organization, the staff, and they themselves are in compliance and reporting as necessary. Maintains consistent internal reporting of lobbying activities as directed.
• Assures that PPAA is providing high quality affiliate support for and leadership as needed for regulatory efforts and state agency advocacy.
• Serves as a credible source of local political and public policy knowledge and information.
• Develops, grows, and maintains influential relationships with local leaders, coalition partners, elected officials and their staff, community organizations, business organizations, the public, the voting public and other affiliates and PPAA staff.
• Ensures a cohesive and coordinated approach to lobbying efforts by consistent communication with state and regional staff including advocacy for regional resources and support for state team as needed from the PPAA policy and other regional staff.
• Seeks new opportunities to support partner organization efforts that will positively impact the lives of the communities served by Planned Parenthood and enhance their ability to access reproductive health information and care, with a priority on supporting equity efforts for historically underserved and/or under-resourced populations.
• Manages the overall field, organizing, political and legislative advocacy program in the state, including implementation of field plans as they relate to advocacy and electoral efforts and assuring all efforts consistently focus on seeking reproductive health, rights, and justice in a way that is equitable and anti-racist.
• Staffs and oversees the state Political Action Committee, including support for recruiting committee members, managing meetings and candidate endorsement processes, assuring appropriate compliance and reporting, supporting fundraising efforts, developing campaign budgets, and maintaining separation of independent expenditure and coordinated political campaign efforts.
• Develops and maintains expertise in use of the Voter Activation Network and assures consistent, accurate, and timely reporting in the VAN by field staff and assures effective use of the VAN for advocacy activities.
• Represents the agency by attending meetings and special events, speaking on behalf of Planned Parenthood.
• Maintains job knowledge by attending meetings and trainings as required.
• Manages state public affairs staff to ensure field and organizing goals and objectives are met and organizational values are consistently upheld; evaluates staff and provides leadership and professional development opportunities and coaching; coordinates and ensures the supervision of interns and volunteers; develops and supports staff to implement field organizing programs in pursuit of the organization’s mission.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: BA/BS in related field
Experience: Seven years’ experience with the legislative process, field organizing work, or electoral or advocacy campaign experience. Four years minimum experience in a lead or supervisory position.

How to Apply:

Apply online.

Salary Range

$ $80,411 to $149,335