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About the Role
The Rural Justice Initiative Policy Specialist is a project-funded position focused on expanding access to civil legal services for low-income Texans in rural communities. This role involves subject-matter expertise on policy issues and advocacy to protect and advance the legal and civil rights of people with disabilities, with a specific focus on rural justice.
Responsibilities
- Conduct policy research and analysis.
- Monitor legislative, regulatory, and administrative developments.
- Develop policy reports, testimony, educational materials, and other communications.
- Provide training and technical assistance to DRTx staff and external stakeholders.
- Collaborate with DRTx teams to identify policy advocacy opportunities.
- Ensure policy activities are coordinated with organizational priorities and advocacy strategies.
- Represent DRTx before policymakers, governmental agencies, advisory bodies, community organizations, coalitions, and other stakeholders.
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with local, state, and national organizations, agencies, legislators, public officials, and other partners.
- Support organizational planning, grant and program reporting, and other policy-related activities.
- Assist with additional subject-matter areas based on RJI programmatic needs.
- Research and analyze state and federal laws, regulations, policies, and emerging issues affecting Texans with disabilities in rural and underserved communities.
- Identify systemic barriers to accessing education, disability-related services, and legal protections.
- Develop policy recommendations to address identified needs.
- Collaborate with community partners and stakeholders to identify and translate community-identified needs into actionable policy priorities.
- Monitor proposed legislation, regulatory changes, and administrative policies affecting the rights of Texans with disabilities.
- Prepare policy briefs, issue summaries, talking points, and other materials to support advocacy.
- Analyze information gathered through community assessments, outreach, and legal service delivery to identify trends and opportunities for systemic advocacy.
- Develop and maintain advanced subject-matter knowledge of assigned policy areas.
- Serve as an internal subject-matter resource and provide policy-related technical assistance.
- Identify significant policy issues, trends, barriers, and opportunities affecting people with disabilities and recommend appropriate policy strategies.
- Create periodic regional policy issue summaries.
- Synthesize complex legal, legislative, regulatory, programmatic, and policy information into understandable and actionable information.
- Write policy briefs and administrative advocacy materials.
- Review relevant publications and communicate pertinent developments to stakeholders.
- Monitor implementation of and compliance with relevant federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and programs.
- Provide annual assessments of systemic advocacy outcomes.
- Evaluate the potential impact of legislative, regulatory, and administrative activity on people with disabilities and DRTx priorities.
- Track relevant legislation and provide timely analysis and information.
- Attend legislative hearings, meetings, and administrative proceedings.
- Educate policymakers and stakeholders regarding the potential impact of proposed legislation, regulations, policies, and administrative actions.
- Develop and present public statements, policy positions, testimony, comments, briefing materials, and other communications.
- Respond to requests for policy information, technical assistance, and subject-matter expertise.
- Develop clear, accurate, and accessible policy reports, briefs, analyses, testimony, presentations, correspondence, and educational materials.
- Coordinate the collection, development, and distribution of policy-related information.
- Ensure policy-related training materials and public information accurately reflect applicable laws and DRTx policy positions.
- Contribute RJI subject-matter information and analysis to organizational reports and publications.
- Develop and deliver education, training, presentations, briefings, and technical assistance regarding DRTx RJI services.
- Provide policy-related training and technical assistance to DRTx RJI staff.
- Present complex policy and legal information appropriately to various audiences.
- Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with various stakeholders.
- Represent DRTx and actively participate in workgroups, advisory boards, and coalitions.
- Facilitate collaboration among stakeholders regarding policy issues and advocacy priorities.
- Communicate DRTx policy priorities and activities effectively to stakeholders.
- Develop and periodically update written policy plans.
- Coordinate and contribute to annual planning and reporting.
- Participate in organizational strategic planning and implementation activities.
- Coordinate policy, training, outreach, communications, and advocacy activities with the DRTx RJI team.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of organizational outreach activities.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of work activities.
- Manage assigned responsibilities and projects to ensure timely completion.
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Government, Education, Disability Studies, Social Services, or another related field of study, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
- A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant public policy, legislative, governmental, regulatory, advocacy, or closely related professional experience.
- Demonstrated experience with disability-related issues.
- Sufficient directly relevant professional experience to independently perform the essential policy advocacy functions of the position.
- Demonstrated ability to research, analyze, interpret, and communicate complex policy, legislative, regulatory, and legal information.
- Strong professional writing skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate complex issues clearly, accurately, and concisely to varied audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively through verbal, written, presentation, electronic, or other effective communication methods.
- Demonstrated experience developing and delivering presentations, training, policy briefings, public testimony, or similar communications.
- Demonstrated interpersonal, relationship-building, collaboration, and negotiation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to develop productive relationships and influence outcomes through collaboration, expertise, communication, and consensus building.
- Experience working with governmental entities, policymakers, regulatory agencies, legislative bodies, or similar public-sector organizations.
- Demonstrated working knowledge of complex state and federal laws, regulations, rights-protection statutes, public programs, or other legal and policy frameworks relevant to the position.
- Knowledge of policy issues, programs, initiatives, and legal protections affecting people with disabilities.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and implement effective policy or advocacy strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize multiple assignments, manage competing deadlines, maintain attention to detail, and adapt to changing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage assigned responsibilities and ensure work products are completed accurately and timely.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, train, or provide technical assistance to others.
- Ability to travel to locations necessary to perform the essential functions of the position.
- Proficiency using Microsoft 365 applications and other technology necessary to conduct research, prepare documents and presentations, analyze and organize information, communicate, and collaborate effectively.
Skills
- Subject-matter expertise on assigned policy issues
- Policy research and analysis
- Legislative, regulatory, and administrative monitoring
- Policy report development
- Testimony preparation
- Educational material development
- Communication
- Training and technical assistance
- Collaboration
- Advocacy strategy development
- Relationship building
- Interpersonal skills
- Negotiation skills
- Public speaking
- Data analysis
- Microsoft 365 proficiency
- Spanish bilingual proficiency (preferred)
Location
- Austin, TX
Work Type
- Full-time
- Exempt
Experience Level
- Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant public policy, legislative, governmental, regulatory, advocacy, or closely related professional experience
- Demonstrated experience with disability-related issues
Education Level
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Government, Education, Disability Studies, Social Services, or another related field of study, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
About the Company
- Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is participating in the Rural Justice Initiative (RJI), a collaborative effort designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans living in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties.