Location: Remote in Pacific Northwest preferred; Washington, D.C., or other remote location strongly considered.

About Outdoor Alliance: Outdoor Alliance works to engage the human-powered outdoor recreation community to drive policy outcomes that support conservation and sustainable and equitable recreation access. Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of human-powered outdoor recreation nonprofits, including Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The Mountaineers, American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, the Mazamas, and Surfrider Foundation. We unite the voices of the outdoor community to conserve public lands and ensure those lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. We work with the policy experts from our national member groups to track important issues, lead advocacy, and give the outdoor community meaningful opportunities to engage and make a difference. We believe that a unified outdoor recreation community makes a crucial contribution to protecting the outdoors. Visit www.outdooralliance.org to learn more.

Position Description: Under the supervision of Outdoor Alliance’s Policy Director, the Policy Associate will provide general support for policy development and advocacy, with the potential (and expectation) of increased responsibility over time. Outdoor Alliance’s policy program is primarily focused on federal legislative efforts and policies of federal land management agencies, with lighter involvement in state or local policy matters. In general, our policy priorities are set with significant input from our member organizations and tend to focus on areas of mutual interest among those groups. The Policy Associate will work with the Policy Director to support federal legislative and administrative policy advocacy, including researching and analyzing legislation and rulemakings, drafting testimony and comment letters, and working to help Outdoor Alliance staff and our coalition members understand policy issues and in support of their program work. Outdoor Alliance works with a broad range of stakeholders, so the Policy Associate must be sensitive to balancing multiple viewpoints and helping to create consensus.

About our Policy Program:

Outdoor Alliance’s current policy priorities include:

• Recreation and conservation policy, including rehabilitating conservation tools damaged over the last administration and advancing equitable and sustainable outdoor access;
• Making public lands and waters a part of climate solutions;
• Providing better resources to land management agencies to fulfill their stewardship responsibilities; and
• Passing legislative protections for important landscapes.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting federal legislative and administrative policy advocacy, including through:
  • Research and analysis of legislation and rulemakings;
  • Drafting testimony and comment letters;
  • Briefing Outdoor Alliance staff and key partners on complex issues of public lands policy;
  • Drafting blog posts and talking points that effectively explain complex issues in an accessible fashion;
  • Engaging grasstops leaders and partners to participate in collaborative advocacy efforts; and
  • Engaging directly with congressional and agency staff.
• Convening grasstops leaders in the broader OA community through regular calls;
• Participating in regular calls with partners;
• Supporting organization of ongoing campaigns;
• Organizing fly-ins and virtual meetings; and
• Occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and other events.

Required Attributes:

• You must be adept at working collaboratively with a sensitivity to the needs of a wide range of public lands and waters stakeholders and able to navigate a variety of settings with grace, kindness, humor, and tact.
• A sharp, analytical mind adept at analyzing legislative and regulatory proposals and experience to demonstrate the same.
• Strong writing ability, able to write for both expert and lay audiences in a clear and compelling fashion.
• Organized, and adept in assisting the organization of others.
• Able to work under deadline in a sometimes fast-paced environment.
• Passion for outdoor adventure, conservation, and equitable access to the outdoors.
• 1–4 years experience working in an advocacy or public policy setting and/or post-graduate education directly relevant to public policy advocacy.

Preferred Attributes:

• Direct experience working to bring diverse voices into public policy;
• Experience working on Capitol Hill, in public lands advocacy, or on a political campaign.

Salary: $45,000­–$58,000, depending on experience.

Benefits: Outdoor Alliance offers a generous benefits program, with retirement contributions, healthcare, paid family leave, generous vacation time, monthly bonus days off for outdoor adventures, gear discounts, and the best colleagues you could ask for.