Texas Legislative Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Director of Legislative Affairs

Status: Full-time, exempt

Location: Austin, TX (with statewide travel)

Reports to: Lead Organizer of Statewide Campaigns

Setting: In-Person

About Us:

Raise Your Hand Texas is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for high-quality public education in Texas. We work to educate, engage, and activate Texans through public education policy and advocacy initiatives.

About the Role:

Raise Your Hand Texas seeks an experienced Capitol professional to help execute legislative strategy and advance efforts to improve public education across Texas.

This role is ideal for a seasoned legislative affairs or government relations professional who understands how policy moves - from committee to calendar to floor to implementation - and is ready to apply that experience at a broader, statewide level. The Director of Legislative Affairs manages day-to-day legislative activity, maintains high-trust relationships across offices and agencies, and ensures that RYHT’s priorities are advanced with discipline, clarity, and sound judgment.

Working in close coordination with the Lead Organizer of Statewide Campaigns, this position will play a key role in translating research and expertise into actionable legislative strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Legislative Execution

• Implement RYHT’s legislative priorities in coordination with internal teams and leadership.
• Monitor, analyze, and manage legislation across both chambers using tracking systems (e.g., Telicon).
• Own bill movement and timelines, including committee activity, amendments, and floor action.
• Produce clear, timely briefings and updates on legislative developments and risks.

Capitol Engagement

• Serve as a primary liaison to legislative offices, committee staff, and state agencies.
• Collaborate with organizational leadership to initiate and maintain relationships with members of the legislature.
• Build and maintain bipartisan relationships with a variety of stakeholders across the Capitol.
• Coordinate RYHT engagement in hearings, including preparation, testimony, and follow-up.
• Speak publicly regarding Raise Your Hand’s legislative priorities, including during public testimony.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Cultivate relationships with statewide organizations and key stakeholders.
• Align partners around shared priorities and legislative strategy.

Internal Leadership & Collaboration

• Partner with Policy, Communications, and Advocacy teams to align strategy, messaging and execution.
• Translate policy priorities into actionable guidance and materials.
• Manage and mentor interns and fellows during legislative sessions.
• Provide training content and legislative commentary for organization’s grassroots advocates
• Support advocate engagement in the Capitol during legislative sessions
• Assist Regional Advocacy Directors in initiating and managing relationships with lawmakers and legislative staff

Interim Strategy

• Support interim work, including monitoring charges, stakeholder engagement, and session preparation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in a legislative office, government relations, or comparable role.
• Direct experience advancing or managing legislative policy.
• Strong knowledge of the Texas legislative process, including committees, calendars, and floor dynamics.
• Experience with legislative tracking tools and managing bill flow and reporting.
• Availability to travel in the service area (regional and statewide) and occasionally work weekends and evenings.
• Must be willing to work extended hours during sessions, hearings, and key periods.
• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Public Policy, or related field.

Core Strengths:

• Judgment & Professionalism: Operates with discretion in high-pressure environments.
• Process Fluency: Deep understanding of how legislation moves and how to manage it.
• Relationship Management: Ability to build credibility across offices, parties, and stakeholders.
• Communication: Excellent verbal communication skills. Strong briefing, writing, and presentation skills.
• Analytical Ability: Can assess issues quickly and provide clear recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

• Familiarity with the public education landscape, existing relationships a plus.
• Experience working across coalitions or multiple stakeholders.
• Relevant master's degree or equivalent experience.
• Proficient with Telicon or other legislative tracking software and Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, Slack.

What We Offer:

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package including, health insurance, a 401(k) Retirement plan, disability insurance, paid time off, and paid parental leave.
• Perks at Work Program
• RYHT offers limited opportunities for remote work opportunities, dependent on employees’ continued ability to execute on projects and responsibilities.

Why Join Raise Your Hand Texas?

As the Director of Legislative Affairs, you’ll have the opportunity to shape strategy and outcomes across the state. You will join a high-performing team that is committed to strengthening public education. If you are a results-oriented leader with a passion for shaping public policy and building relationships, we want to hear from you!

Raise Your Hand Texas is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

To Apply: Please upload your resume, a cover letter, 1 reference letter (a preferred letter author being someone either elected to or working within the Texas Capitol), and 1 completed Texas Legislative Strategy Memo assignment.

Texas Legislative Strategy Memo Assignment

Scenario: You are tasked with advancing one of our top priorities during the upcoming Texas legislative session. The organization is advocating for the passage of House Bill 123, known as the "Texas Workforce Readiness Allotment Update." This school funding bill proposes adjusting the specific funding weights within the existing school finance formulas to help districts offset the rising costs of providing high-demand, industry-based certification programs, modernizing career and technical education (CTE) equipment, and retaining specialized vocational instructors.

The bill is authored by Representative John Smith, a House member who sits on the Public Education Committee. Rep. Smith and his staff are ready to partner with you to advance this bill, which will have a significant fiscal note.

Your Assignment: Design and submit a 2 to 3-page legislative strategy memo on how you would execute on the passage of this major piece of legislation.

Contents should include:

• Bill author collaboration: Outline your strategy for collaborating with Rep. Smith and your approach to identifying and securing a strategic Senate sponsor/Senate companion bill author.
• Potential allies and partners you would seek in order to secure passage: Detail the broad range of statewide stakeholders you would engage to build a winning support base, paying particular attention to business and industry leaders and regional workforce development advocates alongside community and grassroots partners.
• Actions taken at critical legislative process points: Provide your step-by-step tactical approach for advancing the bill, specifically addressing:
• Securing a committee hearing: Detail your approach for engaging committee leadership and staff.
• Securing committee passage: Explain your strategy for vote counting, managing public testimony, navigating potential committee substitutes, and overcoming the fiscal note hurdle.
• A floor vote: Describe how you would manage floor debate, Calendars Committee placement, and potential opposition.

AI Usage Disclaimer: Raise Your Hand Texas values the authentic strategic judgment, legislative fluency, and communication skills of applicants. We expect all submissions to be the original work of the candidate, demonstrating their unique professional capabilities. The use of artificial intelligence tools to generate, draft, or heavily structure this memo is strictly prohibited. Submissions suspected of being AI-generated will not be considered.