Director of Legislative Affairs

The Mackinac Center seeks a director of legislative affairs to work with the vice president for government affairs overseeing the organization’s Michigan legislative initiatives and relationships. This includes the day-to-day management of policy priorities, communications, and relationships with the Michigan Legislature and executive branch; representation of the Center at state legislative functions and state coalition meetings; and working with policy leads, research, and outreach to drive legislative campaigns. The director may also be asked to manage emerging policy areas of interest to the Center that are not already under the purview of one of our policy analysts.

The position is based in the Center’s Lansing satellite office and reports to the vice president for government affairs. Applicants should possess at least a bachelor’s degree, five or more years of Michigan legislative experience, and a passion for articulating how the principles of free markets and limited government benefit everyone. Strong candidates will also have excellent interpersonal skills, public-facing communications experience, and policy depth. Travel to Midland headquarters twice per month, plus occasional in-state and out-of-state travel to events and conferences.

Job Duties:

• Coordinate legislative outreach for policy analysts.
• Build and advise broad-based Michigan coalitions, including industry and cross-ideological allies, to achieve policy goals.
• Cultivate relationships with members and their staffs, facilitating meetings and participating in relationship-building opportunities.
• Facilitate development of relationships between the Center’s policy experts and Michigan executive branch and legislative offices.
• Track legislative, administrative and agency initiatives by policy area, working with individual policy experts to develop legislative materials and pursuing educational and engagement opportunities.
• Identify potential legislative champions for individual policy campaigns.
• Develop templates to guide policy experts in the creation of action plans to accomplish their legislative goals.
• Coordinate testimony training for policy experts prior to potentially hostile hearings.
• Implement legislative tracking software.
• Manage one or more emerging policy areas of interest to the Center that are not already under the purview of one of our policy experts.
• Represent the Mackinac Center at legislative events, public meetings, and state and national conferences.
• Support other duties as assigned by the vice president for government affairs.

Qualified candidates should submit as PDFs their resume with a cover letter detailing their interest in the position, alignment with the Mackinac Center’s mission, and salary requirements.

About the Mackinac Center

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is an educational and research institute located in Midland, Michigan. We advance liberty and opportunity for all people. We develop free-market policy recommendations, challenge government overreach, and foster a climate of public opinion that encourages policymakers to act in the public interest.

To apply for this position, please send cover letter, resume, 3 professional references* and salary history to:

Patricia Benner
Vice President for Operations
Email: careers@mackinac.org

While we thank all applicants for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those whom we are considering for an interview. No telephone calls, please.

*References will not be contacted without prior permission from the candidate.