About the State Innovation Exchange

The State Innovation Exchange is fighting for a governance system that reimagines how elected officials, their constituents and civil society leaders build, shape and sustain shared power in service of racial, gender, social and economic justice within a multi-racial society.

The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) makes collaborative governance the norm among values-aligned state legislators in their partnership with issue advocates and grassroots leaders. Through this practice, we commit to centering the people most impacted by systemic and structural oppression to transform the conditions of power at the state level. When we do this, we will secure and sustain meaningful racial, gender, social and economic justice outcomes that are fully realized in the lived experience of these communities.

Collaborative governance is a governing model and practice in which the people most impacted by governing decisions have real agency, through collaboration with their elected decision makers, to pursue racial, gender, social, and economic justice by shaping the rules, processes, and structures that govern their lives.

About this Position

SiX’s Reproductive Rights Policy Intern supports the work of the Reproductive Rights team to amplify the work of legislators, organizing legislator databases, executing policy research, and growing the SiX Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council (RFLC). The Reproductive Rights Policy Intern will help the team organize and synthesize state legislator information for the 2025 legislative session, synthesize trending policies, as well as

support team projects. As a team, we seek to apply a reproductive justice framework to our policy, research and communications work, and are committed to disrupting how white supremacy culture shows up in organizations.

At SiX, we commit to equal pay for equal work. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable starting salary system, while benchmarking our pay to highly competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. The rate for this position is $20/hr, and interns are eligible for paid leave benefits. The position is remote and open to anyone living in the United States. Interns are expected to work approximately 15-20 hours per week, but weekly hours are flexible and can be adjusted based on school schedules or other work commitments. This internship is anticipated to start in January of 2025 and end May 30, 2025.

Note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Role Responsibilities

All staff at SiX have personalized role responsibilities – the outcomes and impacts you are expected to deliver as part of your unique role within the organization. As a Reproductive Rights Policy Intern you will report to the Director of Policy for Reproductive Rights and will be responsible for delivering on the following expectations in your day-to-day work:

• Research and track state legislation relating to reproductive health, rights and justice;
• Support the team in presenting at national and regional conferences;
• Support our RFLC, including in cross-state meetings between legislators and 1:1 technical assistance;
• Deepen partnerships with SiX State Directors, state legislators, and coalition partners;
• Monitor news and social media for key reproductive health, rights, and justice trends in state legislative work; and
• Create social media graphics and content to highlight RFLC members and their work.

Based on these expectations, the following qualifications are desired:

• Demonstrated interest in reproductive health, rights, and justice that centers race equity, economic justice, and democracy;
• Ability to communicate effectively with varying stakeholders i.e. senior staff, state legislators, and coalition partners
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to self-motivate and drive projects to completion;
• Strong research and writing skills; and
• Outstanding attention to detail.

Core Competencies

All staff roles at SiX are grounded in a set of core competencies that are standardized across the organization based on the type of role you hold. As a Reproductive Rights Policy Intern, you will be expected to demonstrate the following core competency expectations in your day-to-day work:

1. Equity and Inclusion. You have a demonstrated understanding of the role that racial, gender, economic, and other inequities play in our society and in movement-building and demonstrate an ability to effectively collaborate across lines of difference.
2. Program Implementation. You successfully execute the activities of your program/issue area(s) and contribute to the success of your team and the organization overall.
3. External Communication and Brand Management. You are able to advance the organization’s reputation, profile and brand with key stakeholders. You possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
4. Knowledge Management. You are detail oriented and able to support the collection, synthesis and dissemination of information about your team’s work, internally and externally.
5. Compliance. You comply with relevant nonprofit laws and adhere to internal policies, practices, and protocols.
6. Organizational Culture and Values. You are able to practice and uphold organizational values in your day-to-day and long-term work. You participate in creating a team culture that is productive, collaborative, and equitable. [See below for more on organizational values.]

Organizational Values

All staff at SiX are responsible for upholding our organizational values, which were developed collaboratively by all staff. These describe the way we strive to do our work together and the kind of organizational culture we want to build. As a Reproductive Rights Policy Intern, you will be responsible for demonstrating the following behaviors in carrying out your day-to-day work:

1. Equity and Inclusion. Actively practice our commitment to racial, gender, economic, and social justice. Demonstrate an openness to cultivating progressive, inclusive leadership and welcoming different learning and leadership styles. Seek and accept feedback about ways to strengthen your awareness and understanding of how to create more inclusiveness in your speech and behavior. Practice humility and continuous learning. Commit to repairing relationships if your speech or behavior has promoted inequity or exclusion.
2. Collaboration. Proactively build relationships with your colleagues and partners. Demonstrate respectful speech and behavior. Be honest, kind, and direct in instances of conflict. Adopt a stance of “having each other’s back.” Resist habits of individualism and competition in favor of turning toward and building with one another.
3. Accountability. Demonstrate the ability to own and achieve your responsibilities at work. Attend to both the results and the process by which you achieve your results. Pay attention to details, anticipate roadblocks, offer solutions, drive work forward, include relevant stakeholders when making decisions, follow through with delivering high-quality work on time.
4. Integrity and Trust. Do not withhold information but democratize knowledge. Acknowledge both your successes and your mistakes. Practice forthrightness, “saying the thing,” graciously giving and receiving feedback, and building your own skills and capacity as well as that of your colleagues.
5. Initiative and Tenacity. Take responsibility for your success and the success of your teammates. Demonstrate the ability to manage and successfully execute on the work in the context of a remote organization. Offer and seek answers and options proactively, in consultation with your supervisor, colleagues, and partners. Challenge implicit assumptions and create explicit agreements.
6. Flexibility. Embody a “getting to yes” attitude and a propensity for working through roadblocks, building consensus, and course correcting when necessary. Engage in continuous learning and reflection. Seek feedback. Apply your learnings to subsequent projects and responsibilities. Welcome change and seek ways to adapt to new information, people, and circumstances.
7. Innovation. Commit to learning and growing the organization’s work. Stay open to possibilities. Greet new opportunities with curiosity and a sense of possibility and openness. Contribute to a culture that lets us grow, try new things, succeed (or fail), and learn from our efforts.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a compelling cover letter and resume to jobs@stateinnovation.org. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of the email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by December 15, 2024.

State Innovation Exchange is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ folks, and immigrants to apply for open positions. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, martial, and/or veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected by federal, state, or local law.