Senior Policy Associate

Who We Are

Verified Voting is a trusted, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening democracy through the responsible use of technology in elections. Founded by computer scientists in 2004, Verified Voting works with election officials, policymakers, and democracy advocates across party lines to help voters cast their ballots securely and to support justified public confidence in election outcomes. Our work promotes best practices, including voter-verified paper ballots, routine post-election tabulation audits, and other safeguards that enhance the security, resilience, and transparency of our elections.

Overview

Verified Voting (www.verifiedvoting.org) seeks a Senior Policy Associate (SPA) to join its programs team. This is a full-time salaried position reporting to the Policy & Strategy Director. This is a grant-funded position with secured funding through December 31, 2027. The SPA will play an integral role on Verified Voting’s programs team and will lead our engagement in several priority states related to Verified Voting’s key issue areas, including robust tabulation audits, ballot accounting, chain-of-custody documentation, and other best practices that support public confidence in elections. Priority states will be set in coordination with other state leads. The SPA will advocate for improved policies, engaging with coalition partners and election officials. The SPA may also conduct limited lobbying. The SPA will offer procedural and technical support related to the implementation of risk-limiting audits and other best practices to election officials, and will provide strategic messaging support to help them effectively communicate the impact of their work to voters. The SPA will work closely with team members on other policy work, and may lead research and writing projects, and support cross-departmental work.

We are a fully remote organization—the only requirements are that you are eligible to work in the US, that your location is in the US, and that you have a workspace that allows you to complete the demands of the position. Our operating hours are 9am-5pm Eastern Time, but we work together to accommodate team members' various time zones, circumstances, and work styles. You may occasionally travel for in-person meetings, conferences, and programmatic work.

Verified Voting is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. We strongly encourage interested individuals to apply, even if they don't believe they have every skill, strength, and experience listed.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to policy formation and articulation related to Verified Voting’s work
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and monitor relevant developments in
• selected priority states
• Provide expertise for policy improvements in meetings, statements, and analysis,
• including, on occasion, in written and oral testimony to state legislatures
• When appropriate, partner with election officials on implementation of risk-limiting audits
• and other best practices
• Contribute to the development of new resources and support existing VV resources,
• such as the Verifier and other tools
• Work and collaborate in a remote team environment, sharing information and
• responsibilities with state leads and other colleagues
• Occasionally represent Verified Voting at conferences, virtually or in person
• Travel to priority states, potentially several weeks in some months, though this is

unusual

Required experience and skills

• Minimum five years of relevant work experience
• Ability to articulate key policy, procedural, and technical concepts to various non-technical audiences, orally and in writing
• Ability to analyze, summarize, and draft concrete legislative or regulatory proposals, with minimal supervision
• Ability to build trusting and productive relationships with partners across the political spectrum
• Experience working with state legislatures, government, or the public sector
• Experience with either election policy or election administration
• Knowledge of election technology and/or voting rights issues
• Strong outreach skills and initiative
• Ability and motivation to learn about complex policy issues and election procedures
• Ability to function and collaborate effectively in a remote work environment
• Experience working with diverse teams

Nice-to-have experience and skills

• Partnership building with election officials or organizations in the democracy space with an emphasis on efforts to protect and expand voting access
• Knowledge of or interest in voting technology systems for purposes of informing development of the Verifier and other tools
• A background in defining, tracking, and reporting on key performance metrics and program impact
• Experience with legislative and/or executive lobbying on state- and local levels

Flexible work schedule and a supportive work environment. We value flexibility to support our team holistically, and prioritize results over rigid schedules. People are encouraged to take exercise breaks during the work day, to attend their child’s swim class, and to handle whatever life may require in a typical workday.

Competitive pay and excellent benefits. In addition to a competitive salary, Verified Voting’s benefits package includes comprehensive medical and dental/vision insurance, and Disability and Life Insurance. We offer unlimited Flexible Paid Time Off for vacations and staycations, personal wellness, religious holidays, family commitments, and other life events that require time away from work, in addition to 2 weeks sick/medical leave, and 13 paid company holidays. We close the office the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and close our office early on Friday. We offer three months of paid parental leave, and the option to participate in a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match. We offer a home office reimbursement to help cover the cost of high speed internet and more, as well as a wellness reimbursement for exercise or hobbies.

Ample opportunities for career development. Our organization emphasizes mentorship, growth, and learning, and has a dedicated budget for training and career development.

Commitment to a diverse workplace. Verified Voting is an equal opportunity employer. Our culture principles emphasize that there is strength in diversity as we believe diverse teams are more innovative, creative, and productive. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Eligibility for some of these benefits depends on the length of your tenure.