Careers, Fellowships, Internships

The Vice President of Public Policy oversees Americans United’s legislative program and serves as the organization’s foremost policy expert and analyst, lobbyist, and coalition leader. The VP defines public policy strategies and positions in support of AU’s mission and serves as a thought partner to AU’s CEO and other senior leaders.

The Vice President of Public Policy is a reliable expert on church-state separation policy, advising both internal AU staff and external parties including legislators, administration staff, and other officials. They build and strengthen relationships with legislators and agency personnel at all levels of government. The VP represents AU in coalitions and runs AU-led coalitions.

The successful candidate will possess deep experience in public policy advocacy, be passionate about church-state separation and related issues, be a detailed-oriented and thorough analyst, and have excellent communication skills. They will also be a highly collaborative and dynamic leader. The VP of Public Policy reports to the Chief Program Officer and oversees a team with four additional staff members.

This is a full-time, exempt position. The incumbent must be based in the Washington, DC metro area.

Background

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. AU includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular faith. It is a community that welcomes people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions or beliefs, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work.

Americans United uses high-impact litigation, powerful lobbying, visibility raising, and grassroots advocacy to ensure that religion does not dictate public policy; the government does not tell Americans what to believe or how to practice their faith; and discrimination is not justified under the guise of religious beliefs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement AU’s public policy priorities, strategies, and positions in collaboration with other senior leaders within the organization and the public policy team.
• Manage a cohesive, high performing team to effectively advance AU’s policy agenda and further the team’s professional growth.
• Lobby and serve as AU’s top policy expert before Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.
• Build and strengthen relationships within legislatures and with executive branch officials and staff.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and policy strategy expert to partners, legislative and administration officials, and staff.
• Expand AU’s lobbying and policy efforts at the state level.
• Build and strengthen relationships with partner organizations: represent AU in coalitions, run AU-led coalitions, and build ad hoc coalitions as needed.
• Analyze and research legislation and proposed regulations and policies; draft legislative language; draft and edit legislative and policy materials (such as congressional testimony, regulatory comments, and letters to public officials).
• Speak as a leading policy expert to the media and at events.
• Serve as a member of AU’s Senior Team, collaborating on organization-wide decisions, vision and strategy, and cross-departmental initiatives.

Skills and Experience

• A minimum of 12 years of experience in federal and state public policy advocacy.
• Expertise in civil liberties policy, First Amendment, and/or Constitutional law.
• Ability to think creatively and strategically about the direction of a public policy program.
• Strong organizational, analytical, writing, research, and speaking skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of the congressional and regulatory process, and federal and state legislative strategy.
• Experience building, leading, and working within coalitions.
• Ability to forge relationships with key policymakers and administrative officials; existing relationships a plus.
• High emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills.
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion that manifests in strategy and management style.
• Skilled and experienced in managing a team; dedication to mentoring and developing staff
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other senior leaders and departments across the organization.
• Ability to plan and manage under tight deadlines and to be flexible and effective in high-pressure situations.
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and civil liberties, with experience in church-state separation issues preferred.

Education

• J.D. required.

Competitive Salary and Generous Benefits

The salary range is $189,000 to $215,250 for a candidate with 12 to 27+ years of experience. The successful candidate’s starting salary will be determined by the number of years of relevant experience they bring to the role and their qualifications. Americans United offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid premiums for health care, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) with match, and commuter subsidy.

Work Location

This role can work remotely from the Washington, DC metro area or from our Washington, DC office. In-person attendance at events and meetings will be required throughout the year. Occasional travel is anticipated.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Americans United has made the safety of our staff and our surrounding community a top priority. As part of that commitment, we have implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. This policy states that all Americans United employees, fellows, and interns are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to have received a booster shot. If a candidate selected for hire desires a medical or religious exemption, the candidate should make a request to our human resources personnel, and the request will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and a thoughtful, relevant cover letter. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

AU is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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The Position

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is seeking a Senior Litigation Counsel or a Litigation Counsel to serve as lead counsel in trial and appellate litigation of church-state cases around the country. Your work will include defending the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and racial and religious minorities against religion-based discrimination and oppression. And you will fight to keep religion out of government—including through challenges to religious activities in public schools, public financing of religious institutions, and government-sponsored religion in the public square.

Background

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure freedom of religion, including the right to believe or not believe, for all of us. Founded in 1947, Americans United is a diverse and dynamic organization composed of people from all walks of life: lawyers and lobbyists, students and activists, religious leaders and impassioned Americans. Americans United includes people of faith and people who don’t profess any particular faith. Americans United uses high-impact litigation, powerful lobbying, visibility raising, and grassroots advocacy to ensure that religion does not dictate public policy, that the government does not tell Americans what to believe or how to practice their faith, and that discrimination is not justified under the guise of religious beliefs.

Americans United’s legal department litigates church-state issues in federal and state courts across the country, with a substantial practice before the federal courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Most of our cases involve novel, cutting-edge First Amendment and other constitutional issues. In recent years, for example, we have litigated lawsuits and submitted amicus briefs challenging or opposing:

• Religion-based refusals by businesses, foster-care agencies, and government officials to provide services to LGBTQ+ people and religious minorities.
• Efforts to deprive women of access to abortion and contraceptives.
• Race-based and sex-based employment discrimination by religious employers.
• Coercive religious practices in the public schools.
• Demands for religious exemptions from Covid-19-related public-health orders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Litigation Counsel or Litigation Counsel will:

• Serve as lead counsel in church-state cases throughout the country.
• Serve as principal counsel for Americans United in church-state cases co-counseled with pro bono teams from law firms or with other public-interest organizations.
• Draft and edit pleadings and briefs, take depositions, deliver oral arguments, conduct trials and evidentiary hearings, and prosecute appeals.
• Develop new cases by investigating the applicable facts and law, formulating case strategies, and identifying plaintiffs with standing.
• Draft and edit amicus curiae briefs; evaluate amicus opportunities to determine whether to file briefs.
• Guide, mentor, and train junior lawyers and legal interns.
• Make public-speaking and media appearances.
• Help determine strategic vision and direction for Americans United’s litigation program.

Desired Qualifications

Americans United seeks an attorney who ideally:

• Has at least ten years of litigation experience (for Senior Litigation Counsel) or at least five years of litigation experience (for Litigation Counsel). (Judicial-clerkship experience counts toward those years.)
• Has substantial experience serving as lead counsel in litigation (for Senior Litigation Counsel) or has demonstrated the ability to assume that role (for Litigation Counsel).
• Has exceptional analytical and writing skills.
• Is a persuasive oral advocate.
• Is a self-starter who takes initiative and gets excited about identifying and developing new cases and opportunities to assume representation on appeal.
• Is able to travel as their cases require.
• Has the interpersonal skills to work well with our staff and co-counsel and to serve as a trusted adviser to clients and partner organizations.
• Is committed to advancing the public interest and the separation of religion and government.

Americans United welcomes applicants of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions and beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, and abilities. Because we work on a wide variety of issues and with many different communities, we value what diversity and diverse perspectives bring to our work.

Competitive Salary and Generous Benefits

The salary range is $92,500 to $168,000 annually, depending on experience and location. Americans United’s compensation system is described in detail below. We provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) with match, and commuter subsidy.

This is a full-time, exempt position. This position is within a union; it is included in the bargaining unit represented by AU Collective in connection with SEIU Local 500.

Work Location

The Senior Litigation Counsel or Litigation Counsel can work remotely from anywhere in the United States or locally in our Washington, D.C. office. Occasional in-person attendance at events and meetings in Washington, D.C. will be required, most likely twice per year.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Americans United has made the safety of our staff and our surrounding community a top priority. As part of that commitment, we have implemented a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy. This policy states that all Americans United employees, fellows, and interns are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and to have received a recent booster shot. If a candidate selected for hire desires a medical or religious exemption, the candidate should make a request to our human-resources personnel, and the request will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, a resume, a law-school transcript, and a writing sample through our web-based application portal at https://americansunited.bamboohr.com/careers/48. The cover letter should highlight why you want to work with us and what perspectives you would bring to strengthen our practice. The writing sample may be of any length; it should be your best example of comprehensive and detailed legal argument or analysis, should be your own work, and should not be substantially edited by anyone else. Please include your transcript and writing sample in the same PDF file as your resume. Please also be prepared to provide a list of three references upon request at a later stage of our hiring process. If you have any questions about the position, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Deadline

Open until filled. We encourage you to apply by March 31, 2024.

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) seeks a Development Intern to assist the Development department in its national fundraising efforts. The Development Intern will report to the Senior Director of Development and work with the development team to support the organization’s ongoing fundraising efforts. Activities include but are not limited to all areas of Development management, such as donor stewardship, major gift donor and foundation research, and development operations.

Interns have the opportunity to meet and learn from staff across the organization, including communications, policy, and legal departments. The Development Intern will connect with and learn alongside a cohort of summer interns working in various departments at AU. All interns also have the opportunity to be published on AU’s Wall of Separation blog.

The Development Intern will be responsible for a variety of tasks in support of the department, including but not limited to:

• Conducting donor research (Google search, Wealth Engine, Foundation Directory Online, and EveryAction, etc.)
• Creating a Board Historical Index that includes all board members, their tenure years, and whether they were officers and/or served in a committee.
• Assisting in identifying donor prospects
• Maintaining prospect files
• Offering support for donor events
• Drafting letters and emails
• Updating AU’s database as needed

The strongest candidates will be able to demonstrate a commitment to the separation of religion and government, be responsible and hard-working on a remote and virtual environment, and be excited to work with diverse staff and supporters, and have some or all of these skills:

• Writing concisely and persuasively
• Meeting deadlines and communicating about progress
• Organized and eager to learn new skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Google Drive

The internship is 35 hours/week from June 3rd to August 9th (with some flexibility to accommodate the intern’s academic or other scheduling needs). The intern will attend weekly all-staff meetings, team meetings, 1:1 meetings with their supervisor, and workshops for the summer intern cohort.

Americans United is an equal-opportunity employer and places strong emphasis on a diverse environment in which individuals are valued regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.

How to Apply

Submit as attached Word documents or PDFs:

• A resume (one page) outlining your relevant academic, campus, and professional experience
• A cover letter (one page) describing how your experience relates to the Development Internship and explaining why AU’s mission is important to you

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to applications received by April 12, 2024. Interviews will begin being scheduled April 22, 2024 and hiring decisions made by May 10, 2024. No calls, please.

Compensation

The Development Intern will be paid a stipend of $6,000. Interns receive substantive experience with in-depth exposure to some of the most important issues facing the country. Interns are encouraged and provided time to learn across the organization. AU can provide documentation for academic credit upon successful conclusion of the internship.

About Us

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit educational and advocacy organization that brings together people of all religions and none to protect the right of everyone to believe as they want — and stop anyone from using their beliefs to harm others. We fight in the courts, legislatures, and the public square for freedom without favor and equality without exception.

We envision a nation where we are all free to believe or not believe as we choose, where our laws don’t allow anyone to use their religious beliefs to harm others, and where we can come together as equals to build a stronger democracy.

AU has a staff of over 40 people and 5-10 interns during the summer. Staff communicate via Outlook email, Zoom meetings, and Slack.

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In AU’s compensation framework, all positions in the organization have been mapped to roles that correspond to a defined pay range for that role. The roles reflect positions that are similar in terms of skill level and scope of responsibility, based on an analysis of job competencies. Grouping positions into roles promotes consistency and transparency around position requirements and clarifies the differences in expectations from one role to another. This makes it easier to determine the appropriate compensation level, to understand the work that is expected for each role, and to identify career paths for employees from one level to another.

AU’s compensation program, developed in partnership with Working IDEAL, is designed to ensure that our program is competitive, aligns with our organizational values, and eliminates bias in setting salaries at hire and providing annual raises. Many choose to work at mission-driven organizations because of their commitment to social change, and we know that fair, transparent, and equitable compensation practices are key to attracting and retaining their talent.

AU’s compensation program seeks to provide clear, measurable, and reasonably objective criteria for setting pay within a role and pay band for employees and job applicants. It also seeks to provide competitive compensation linked to an individual’s role in the organization and level of experience and expertise. In addition, the compensation program aims to define salary growth opportunities over time, enabling individuals to see how their salary will increase if they remain with the organization.

An individual’s placement within a particular role (Manager, Director, etc.) is determined by their skill level and scope of responsibility In entry-level roles, an individual’s level of skills will be still developing and their scope of responsibility will be smaller than in more senior roles (e.g., focused on individual tasks and supporting rather than leading projects or programs).

Each role has defined experience benchmarks for placement that correspond to a point in the pay range, from zero to 100 percent. As an individual gains additional experience, they will move to a higher placement (step) in the pay band. An individual’s placement within the range or pay band for their role is based on their related experience, as calculated under criteria set by Americans United.

For most jobs, experience is an important factor in determining someone’s level of compensation, and it is a standard practice to pay individuals who have more experience a higher salary than someone with less experience in the same role. Experience is also a measurable factor that is reasonably objective and provides consistency and transparency. In addition, incorporating experience allows us to provide more defined opportunities for salary growth for individuals who stay with the organization over time, as accumulating more experience leads to regular pay increases at set times.

All individuals will have their salaries benchmarked according to national level salary bands. These data, however, are based in part on data for larger urban areas and therefore are higher than the “true” national average. Individuals residing in certain specific high-cost locations, such as the Washington, DC or New York metropolitan areas, will receive a 5% add-on to raise their pay above the national benchmark. If an individual who has been living in a high-cost area and receiving the add-on moves to a lower cost area, they will no longer receive the add-on. The 5% add-on supplements the “national” salary bands but is also based on budgetary constraints and not intended to fully reflect all differences in wage rates or cost of living in places like DC or New York.