Policy Director

Position: Policy Director

Status: Full Time, Exempt

Location: This position can be remote or work out of TLC’s offices in Oakland or Brooklyn

Reports to: Executive Director or Executive Director’s Designee

Salary: Our compensation model is designed to promote equity and alignment with our values. This includes salary adjustments for geographic differences in cost of living and living wages. Below are example locations and their salary ranges for this position.

• Atlanta (Base Salary Range): $155,790-$161,290
• New York: $162,940-$168,440
• Los Angeles: $167,945-$173,445

Note: We’re thrilled by the interest in this role! To help our team manage the volume of applications, we kindly ask that you avoid calling or emailing to check on your status. We’ll be sure to reach out if you’re selected to move forward.

About Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national, trans-led organization working to set all people free. We champion the rights of all transgender and gender-nonconforming people to make their own choices and live freely, safely, and authentically. Prioritizing BIPOC, disabled, and HIV+ communities, we advance community-driven strategies that harness trans knowledge, power, and joy to ensure that we all not only survive but thrive at all ages and phases of life.

You can learn more about our work at www.transgenderlawcenter.org.

About the Position

Transgender Law Center is seeking an experienced and motivated Director of Policy to join our team working at the heart of a movement of transgender and gender nonconforming people and allies to change laws, policies, and attitudes to ensure that we can all live as our authentic selves.

The Director of Policy will work collaboratively with Transgender Law Center’s Legal, Communications, Programs, and Narrative teams to oversee and coordinate TLC’s political strategy on the federal, state, and local level. The Director of Policy will work to maintain TLC’s reputation as a legal expert with a critical analysis throughout all of TLC’s policy work. Further, the Director will ensure TLC’s policy strategy is community driven and centered in our work with Black migrants, Black trans women and Black trans femmes, disability justice, transgender people living with HIV, youth and transgender community in the south and mid-west. s

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and build out TLC's policy department and supervise a multidisciplinary policy team, including the Deputy Director of Policy and other policy staff providing leadership, mentorship, performance management, and professional development using trauma-informed and equity-centered management practices, with attention to workload sustainability and political burnout.
• Supervise, review, analyze and track legislation, provide technical assistance, and develop policy recommendations.
• Build and advance a strategy on transgender rights across all governmental avenues, including legislation, administrative regulation, and state and local policy.
• Oversee TLC's Policy department to implement legislative and policy strategies rooted in on-the-ground community needs and aligned with the Trans Agenda for Liberation and TLC's policy priorities.
• Set policy agendas, lead advocacy campaigns, and align legal/policy efforts with broader organizational goals.
• Meet with lawmakers, testify at hearings, draft legislation, and advocate for pro-trans laws while opposing harmful ones.
• Streamline and coordinate TLC's legislative efforts to uplift and resource trans-led advocacy campaigns.
• Formulate TLC policy positions on ongoing and emerging legislative issues, particularly those related to criminalization, immigration, HIV policy, and other TLC priority areas across all 50 states.
• Keep TLC staff updated about federal, state, and local policy developments and solicit input as it relates to specific program areas, including immigration, disability justice, criminalization of trans and allied community and work addressing violence against Black trans communities.
• Develop or supervise the development of policy explainers and educational resources on federal, state, and local policy to be distributed to community partners.
• Provide guidance to TLC staff and community partners on strategies to respond to proposed and enacted TGNC-related legislation.
• Work collaboratively with our Narrative, Legal, and Programs teams, as well as Communications and Development, to lead coordinated national, state, and local-level rapid-response strategies, shared policy agendas, and aligned messaging, capacity, and funding priorities.
• Lead rapid-response policy strategy to emerging legislative threats impacting TGNC communities, coordinating closely with Legal, Communications, and community partners.
• Identify opportunities to deploy organizational resources to advance local decriminalization efforts, including HIV and sex work decriminalization.
• Partner with Communications staff to develop clear, values-aligned policy narratives and public-facing messaging, including support for media engagement as appropriate.
• Develop systems to track policy outcomes and advocacy impact, and report regularly to organizational leadership and funders to support accountability and sustainability.
• Manage policy-related budgets, grants, and consultant resources in alignment with organizational priorities and capacity.
• Engage in education efforts for community members and attorneys, including speaking at conferences, trainings, and webinars.
• Serve as an organizational spokesperson and national expert on policy issues.
• Other duties consistent with the scope of the position.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 7 to 10 years of demonstrated experience implementing policy strategies with a particular focus on impacts on TGNC communities.
• 7 to 10 years of demonstrated experience with leading a team focused on policy and legislative efforts. 
• Deep understanding of federal, state, local government policy making and how to advance policy priorities in these areas, including experience with building and maintaining relationships with key state representatives and government officials in priority departments.
• Experience working with transgender migrants, Black trans communities, communities of color, poor, working class, transgender youth and disability communities and transgender and gender nonconforming communities. 
• A clear vision for how to advance trans rights through public policy work, including dismantling harmful policies and systems.
• An ability to remain focused on rapid response needs and working toward long term policy goals while existing in a changing landscape with shifting needs and priorities. 
• A clear passion for public policy work grounded in a critical analysis of the role of the state. 
• Willingness and capacity for frequent national travel.

Preferred qualifications:

• Practicing Attorney or 10+ years leading policy work on the national or state level
• Facilitation and media training skills
• Litigation experience.
• Experience working with pro-bono attorneys.

Benefits

• Medical/dental/vision (TLC covers 100% of premiums for employees, 80% for dependents)
• Employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (currently $3,500 per year)
• Employer-funded Lifestyle Spending Account (currently $1,500 per year)
• Optional employee-funded Flexible Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Fund that can grant financial assistance for certain qualifying disasters and personal hardships
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• 3 weeks’ sick leave
• 19 days’ vacation (24 after 3 years’ employment) and 12 holidays
• Organizational ‘slowdown’ in winter and summer, including, historically, 2 weeks paid time off in the summer and 2 weeks paid time off at the end of the year (separate from employee vacation time)
• 2-month paid sabbatical program available after 5 years of employment
• Retirement plan with partial organizational matching
• Indemnity insurance for critical illness, hospital confinement, and accidents
• Professional development & coaching
• Office setup, phone and internet reimbursement (if working from home)
• Additional mental health, budgeting, travel, and pet benefits

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Transgender Law Center is proud to be an affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; women and femmes; people with disabilities; and people who are transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer are particularly urged to apply. For more information about Transgender Law Center please visit our website: www.transgenderlawcenter.org.

Medical/dental/vision (TLC covers 100% of premiums for employees, 80% for dependents)

Employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (currently $3,500 per year)

Employer-funded Lifestyle Spending Account (currently $1,500 per year)

Optional employee-funded Flexible Spending Account

Employee Assistance Fund that can grant financial assistance for certain qualifying disasters and personal hardships

Short-term and long-term disability insurance

3 weeks’ sick leave

19 days’ vacation (24 after 3 years’ employment) and 12 holidays

Organizational ‘slowdown’ in winter and summer, including, historically, 2 weeks paid time off in the summer and 2 weeks paid time off at the end of the year (separate from employee vacation time)

2-month paid sabbatical program available after 5 years of employment

Retirement plan with partial organizational matching

Indemnity insurance for critical illness, hospital confinement, and accidents

Professional development & coaching

Office setup, phone and internet reimbursement (if working from home)

Additional mental health, budgeting, travel, and pet benefits