ABOUT GOVACT

Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps Governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people's lives. GovAct serves as a centralized platform for collaboration across Governors’ Offices — incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of Governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face, from reproductive freedom, democracy, public safety, and public health.

Currently, GovAct supports the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, Governors Safeguarding Democracy, the Governors Public Health Alliance, and other Governor-led initiatives and collaborations. GovAct helps:

• Build capacity and expertise by connecting experts across Governors' Offices and organizations, tailoring best practices, model policies, and legislation, and advancing other legal and policy innovations for Governors to advance bold policies;

• Develop innovative ideas for collaboration by breaking out of silos and advancing creative initiatives;

• Advance affirmative agendas for Governors to maximize their powers to protect fundamental freedoms and counteract federal overreach; and

• Partner with other nonprofit organizations and otherstakeholders.

More information about GovAct can be found at www.GovActAlliance.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Managing Director & General Counsel, the Director of Legal & Policy Strategy will serve as GovAct’s senior legal and policy leader—shaping the strategic direction, quality, and impact of the cross-state legal and policy work across our alliances. This role sits at the nexus of strategy, execution, and partnership, ensuring that governors and their teams receive best-in-class legal and policy support in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The Director of Legal & Policy Strategy will oversee the development, review, and strategic deployment of legal and policy products across multiple alliances, ensuring that all materials are rigorous, actionable, aligned with governors’ priorities, and responsive to urgent state needs. They will be a trusted partner to governors’ legal and policy teams, helping translate complex issues into timely guidance, innovative strategies, and coordinated cross-state action.

This leader will manage and mentor a growing team of legal and policy staff, steward relationships with outside counsel and issue-area experts, and collaborate closely with alliance leads and external partners. As GovAct continues to grow, the Director of Legal & Policy Strategy will play a

defining role in building the systems, standards, and intellectual backbone that allow the organization to scale its impact.

This is a unique opportunity for a mission-driven strategist with deep legal and policy expertise—someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, loves building from scratch, and is committed to helping governors protect fundamental freedoms across the country.

Some travel is required to attend work-related meetings and convenings.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning

• In close collaboration with GovAct’s CEO, Managing Director & General Counsel, alliance leads, and governors’ office staff, develop and implement a strategic plan to advance democracy, public health, reproductive rights, and other GovAct alliances and initiatives, legal strategies, and policy priorities at the state level.

Legal & Policy Work Product Management

• Lead the identification, drafting, review, and quality control of legal and policy materials

provided to governors’ offices.

• Ensure relevance, accuracy, timeliness, and alignment across all GovAct alliances.

• Provide input on alliance legal and policy projects and maintain consistency with GovAct’s

mission and standards.

• Develop and manage work plans to execute the strategic plan, establish timelines, define roles, track progress, and elevate risks or obstacles.

Team Leadership

• Supervise, mentor, and review work from GovAct legal and policy staff.

• Build team capacity, set standards for excellence, and develop processes to support high-quality, responsive work.

Outside Counsel & General Counsel Support

• Retain, supervise, and coordinate with outside counsel to expand GovAct’s capacity and

deepen issue-area expertise.

• Support the General Counsel on organizational legal needs, including contract review,

vendor management, and coordination with GovAct’s fiscal sponsor.

Governor Office Support & Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with governors’ offices—including legal counsels, policy directors, and senior advisors.

• Serve as an on-call resource to help states navigate emerging threats, opportunities, and cross-state collaborations.

• Work with alliance leads to strengthen engagement with governors’ legal and policy teams.

Partner & Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop strategies to engage local and national policymakers, legal experts, academics, and

advocacy partners to support alliance goals and shared state priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of experience in legal, policy, advocacy, or government roles related to democracy, civil rights, constitutional law, state governance, or adjacent fields.

• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects and collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, advocates, and external partners.

Education

• Juris Doctor (JD) from a nationally accredited law school is required.

• Bachelor’s degree required; a major in political science, public policy, law, or a related field

is preferred.

• Admission to at least one state bar (active or inactive) is strongly preferred.

Knowledge & Expertise

• Deep understanding of democratic processes, state government operations, and public policy.

• Strong subject-matter familiarity with constitutional, administrative, or election law is highly valuable.

Leadership & Management

• Proven ability to lead and mentor legal and policy staff, manage multiple workstreams, and ensure high-quality outputs.

• Demonstrated success coordinating across teams and forging collaborative, cross-cutting relationships.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional legal and policy writing skills, with the ability to produce rigorous, actionable work under tight timelines.

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts for varied audiences.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment on highly sensitive policy, legal, and political matters—

particularly in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and organizational skills.

VALUES AND LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES

To effectively meet this critical startup moment, successful candidates will also bring relevant and diverse lived and professional experiences to the build of the organization and will align with key founding values of GovAct, including:

• Belief in the power of government—and governors’ offices in particular—to advance bold, affirmative agendas that protect fundamental rights.

• Strong, hands-on work ethic to support fast-paced startup growth and development of a

sustainable organization.

• Political acuity and sound judgment in handling sensitive information, gaining trust, and

working effectively across governors’ offices and diverse partners.

• Collaboration and communication skills to operate effectively across a complex and matrixed network of stakeholders and teams.

• Resiliency, optimism, and solutions orientation to advance a joyful approach to the work, remain responsive rather than reactive, and support progress when meeting difficult challenges.

• Commitment to building a diverse workforce and demonstrated ability to work effectively and build alignment across lines of difference.