TO APPLY

https://forms.monday.com/forms/522c54bb106f302644a316b54209691b?r=use1&color_mm6tfndq=3 South Carolina is one of the hardest states in the country to be openly LGBTQ+, and one of the most important places to fight for change. At AFFA and AFFA Action, we're building the coalitions, the policy wins, and the next generation of leaders who will make our state safer, fairer, and more free. We're looking for a Policy and Advocacy Manager to help lead that fight. The Role The Policy and Advocacy Manager is a central driver of AFFA Action's Policy Playbook and a key contributor to AFFA's coalition, education, and thought leadership work. Reporting to the Executive Director and working in close partnership with AFFA Action's contract lobbyist, the Policy and Advocacy Manager executes key components of the organization's strategic plan into a proactive, year-round legislative program that advances LGBTQ+ hate crime protections, anti-discrimination laws, and local ordinance expansion across South Carolina. This role operationalizes the strategic plan by maintaining a rolling bill tracker, drafting the annual proactive legislative agenda, building the "Ordinance Expansion & New Wins" playbook, cultivating trusted-advisor relationships with state and local officials, and equipping a statewide pipeline of trained, ready-to-testify advocates. The Policy and Advocacy Manager also embeds policy expertise across AFFA's C3 education and coalition work, informing the annual "State of LGBTQ+ People in SC" report, SC United coalition deliverables, and the Courageous Crowds advocacy training curriculum. Who You Are We're looking for a fighter and a bridge-builder. Someone who understands that advancing LGBTQ+ rights in South Carolina means showing up in rooms where the odds are stacked against us, and leaving those rooms with allies we didn't have when we walked in. The ideal candidate is a disciplined researcher, a persuasive writer, and a natural communicator who knows that policy wins are built on narrative as much as on legislative mechanics. They can translate a committee amendment into a talking point, a talking point into a testimony, and a testimony into a movement moment. They bring hands-on experience in state or local policy or government relations, the patience to collaborate with people who don't share their worldview, and the courage to inspire advocates, coalition partners, and lawmakers to act. They hold an unshakable, intersectional commitment to LGBTQ+ South Carolinians and the stamina to fight for them the long way. What You'll Do Run our legislative program, year-round Maintain a rolling bill tracker from pre-file through floor action and local ordinances Publish our annual proactive agenda and refresh positions mid-session Flag emerging threats early and identify openings for offense Track the wins that matter: co-sponsors gained, public statements secured, lawmakers picking up our talking points Drive the "Local Ordinance" playbook Maintain a jurisdiction inventory of SC cities and counties; where protections exist, where the gaps are, where we can move Steward our library of model ordinance language and a "menu of upgrades" (employment protections, enforcement, protected classes, training, complaint pathways) Assemble repeatable local campaign toolkits: one-pagers, FAQs, sign-on letters, plain-language explainers Sit down with mayors, councilmembers, city managers, and municipal attorneys to walk the language through Become a trusted advisor to legislators — including the ones who aren't with us yet Track a prioritized list of champions, persuadables, blockers, and committee chairs Show up consistently in their offices Host 1:1 meetings and caucus "lunch & learns" that feel less like lobbying and more like real education Operate in strict compliance with C3/C4 boundaries, nonprofit lobbying rules, and ethics requirements Build and run a testimony pipeline Recruit, train, and maintain a statewide roster of "ready-to-testify" advocates Build hearing prep packets covering talking points, process, safety, and logistics Deploy advocates when hearings drop and coach first-time testifiers through their nerves Grow the bench year over year and track retention Coordinate rapid response with national partners Activate 3-5 national policy allies when a hostile bill drops or a proactive opening appears Pull in research, comms amplification, and legal/policy backup Turn around memos and briefs in hours, not days Turn policy into narrative Draft policy briefs, testimony, fact sheets, talking points, position statements, and op-eds (target: 2+ published per year) Contribute the policy backbone of AFFA's annual "State of LGBTQ+ People in South Carolina" report with our academic partner Partner with communications so every policy fight lands as a story South Carolinians can see themselves in Feed the coalition and training ecosystem Bring policy substance to our quarterly Courageous Crowds advocacy trainings Help staff our annual LGBTQ+ Lobby Day Coordinate with SC United on testimony training and community briefings

What You Bring Required:

A Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Public Administration, Government, Law, Social Work, Communications, or a related field or equivalent professional experience in public policy 4+ years of experience in public policy, legislative affairs, government relations, advocacy, community organizing, or a closely related field A track record of working with elected officials, coalitions, or government agencies; analyzing legislation; drafting advocacy materials; and moving campaigns forward with multiple stakeholders Bonus points for: Experience with the South Carolina legislative process (or another Southeast state) Local ordinance campaign experience Building volunteer testimony or advocate pipelines Working alongside a contract lobbyist or inside a state legislature, agency, or public affairs office Familiarity with C3/C4 structure and nonprofit lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics rules LGBTQ+, civil rights, health equity, racial justice, reproductive justice, or disability rights advocacy through an intersectional lens

The Details Salary:

$58,000-$65,000, based on experience

Benefits:

Health insurance, paid time off and holidays, retirement, professional development, and flexible work arrangements

Location:

Primarily remote, based in the Columbia, SC metro area. Regular in-person presence required during the legislative session, plus meetings, hearings, coalition events, and travel across

South Carolina Schedule:

Full-time; expect legislative-session intensity January through May

TO APPLY

https://forms.monday.com/forms/522c54bb106f302644a316b54209691b?r=use1&color_mm6tfndq=3 Applicants who do not fill out the linked form will not be considered.

Pay:

$58,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Retirement plan

Location:

Columbia, SC 29201 (Required)

Work Location:

Hybrid remote in Columbia, SC 29201