Policy Director and Counsel, Media and Technology

Our Media & Technology team fights for a democracy where technology and media empower every person to participate fully, freely, and equally, and where every community has trustworthy, locally rooted sources of information. We defend digital rights and civil freedoms, demand transparency and accountability from platforms and tech companies, and work to revitalize the media and information ecosystems communities depend on. Alongside Common Cause’s state teams and partners nationwide, we pair legislative advocacy in statehouses and Congress with coalition-building that holds technology and media institutions accountable to the public. And we’re growing, including a new workstream on AI transparency and accountability at the state, multi-state, and federal levels.

As Policy Director & Counsel, you’ll be at the center of that work. You’ll bring policy, legal, and strategic insight to teams across the organization, lead research that sharpens our positions and strengthens our campaigns, and help carry out our issues to policymakers, partners, and the public. This role is for someone who loves spotting what’s coming next in the democracy landscape and turning sharp research and analysis into strategies that win.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Senior Policy Director, Media & Technology. It’s remote-eligible anywhere in the lower 48 United States, though we strongly prefer a candidate based in the DC area who can work from our office at least two days a week. Applications received by Monday, November 16 will be given priority consideration, and we hope our new Policy Director & Counsel can start in February.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of proactive state, multi-state, and federal policy and legal strategies within the Media & Technology pillar, anticipating emerging threats and opportunities

• Supervise the Senior Policy Manager(s): set goals, provide coaching and feedback, and support their professional development

• Conduct legal review of bills, testimony, and model legislation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with organizational priorities

• Lead watchdog and regulatory work, including drafting FCC and FTC comments, contributing to amicus briefs, and coordinating with state Attorneys General, while advancing strategy on media and technology issues

Policy Research and Analysis

• Proactively conduct legal and policy research to identify opportunities to advance reform and legal strategy within the media and technology portfolio

• Develop policy and legal briefs, reports, and other materials that clearly communicate findings, recommendations, and positions for both internal and external audiences

• Collaborate with state staff and other teams to track and monitor key policy and legal issues, legislative developments, and regulatory changes that affect our issues within the pillar

• Support litigation strategy by conducting legal analysis, drafting and reviewing briefs or memos, and contributing substantive expertise to cases within the pillar

• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of policy proposals, regularly evaluating impact and identifying areas for improvement

Coalition Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• Proactively build strategic external relationships and represent Common Cause in coalitions and external convenings, advocating for the organization's policy priorities and objectives

• Support partner-tier work on surveillance and antitrust issues, providing legal and policy expertise to coalition partners and allied organizations

• In collaboration with the Litigation team, identify and cultivate relationships with pro bono law firms to support our work

• Facilitate productive and inclusive collaboration among stakeholders, identifying opportunities for thought-partnership and joint action to maximize the impact of our work

• Serve as a key spokesperson for the organization on policy matters, engaging with media, public officials, and other influential entities to elevate Common Cause’s work

Collaborate with teams across the organization

• Work closely with senior policy staff and state teams to identify and leverage policy and legal wins within and across states

• Collaborate with the External Affairs, Campaigns and Organizing, and States departments as needed to amplify impact of our work

• Collaborate with the development team to identify and secure funding for our work, creating materials and joining meetings with donors as needed

Administrative and Other Duties

• Complete administrative tasks as needed

• Perform other duties as assigned