---
title: 'Legislative Director, CA at Common Cause'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/legislative-director-ca-common-cause-sacramento-z35zy2bsnh0r'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Legislative Director, CA at Common Cause

- **Company:** Common Cause
- **Location:** Sacramento, CA
- **Compensation:** $101k–$117k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-08-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/commoncause/7cc37784-5ffb-47e3-81ed-de4cfb1dcbbc

## Job description

We are looking for a Legislative Director to set the vision for and manage the legislative portfolio for Common Cause in California. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong collaboration and policy skills who can join us to lead our work at the State Capitol. This role will work closely with the State Director as well as teammates, board members, and partners, and will build relationships to be our ambassador at the State Capitol. This role will work to advance our policy agenda at the state capitol so that we are building a more inclusive, equitable, representative, and trustworthy democracy in our state. This is a full-time role reporting to the State Director and based in the Greater Sacramento Area, with an expectation to travel to the California State Capitol at least 3 days per week (up to 5 times per week during legislative session). We hope our new Legislative Director will start in October.

## Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction for and advance our California and national policy agenda

- In partnership with the State Director, set and execute the long-term strategy for statewide policy development and democracy reform, ensuring alignment with our organizational priorities

- Manage all aspects of the legislative process for Common Cause in California, including developing ideas for and drafting legislation, determining strategies to advocate for legislation, finding bill authors, lobbying, testifying at legislative hearings, and negotiating amendments

- Act as the team’s primary representative in meetings with elected leaders, legislative leaders, and other critical stakeholders

Advance our legislative agenda through coalition building and stakeholder engagement

- In partnership with the State Director and the Senior Director of Legislative Affairs, build relationships with key legislative staff at the state capitol to advance Common Cause’s federal policy agenda with the California delegation and other critical stakeholders

- Collaborate with program staff to leverage their subject matter expertise to support our advocacy efforts

- Build and lead coalitions of civil rights, tech/AI, civic engagement, and community-based organizations from across the state, and act as a representative at the Capitol for our work with these organizations

- Lead coalition meetings, manage cross-sector relationships, and represent Common Cause in external policy discussions, public forums, and legislative hearings

- Coordinate efforts with coalition partners on joint advocacy strategies, including lobbying campaigns, grassroots mobilization, and media outreach

- Act as a spokesperson for Common Cause, delivering testimony, making public statements, and representing the organization in high-level meetings and legislative events

- Present and speak at legislative hearings and committee meetings

- Manage consultants and contractors as needed to ensure Common Cause’s legislative agenda is successful

Drive campaigns and our advocacy strategy

- Lead legislative advocacy campaigns, including creating policy proposals, drafting position papers, providing testimony, and organizing strategic outreach efforts to support legislative action

- Provide input on election protection activities

- Support and engage with the One Million Conversations Campaign and additional organization-wide campaigns and initiatives

Communicate about our work

- Write op-eds, research reports, legislative factsheets, policy briefs, and memos

- Create social media content to publicize legislative work

- Draft policy memos for the advisory board and members

- Contribute to policy-related social media posts, website content, and other communications

- Make on-the-record statements to the press, and speak at press conferences or rallies

- Understand best practices for effective engagement with Common Cause members and the public to support our legislative agenda

Support our Fundraising and State Advisory Board management

- Collaborate with the State Director and fundraising team to identify and pursue funding opportunities to support policy and legislative advocacy.

- Act as the primary communicator with our state board on legislative and policy priorities, facilitating discussions on policy with the board as needed

- Support fundraising efforts by engaging with key donors, grantmakers, and funding organizations to cultivate financial support for state programs and initiatives.

- Write and develop updates and share successes through written updates and funder briefs

Administrative and Other Duties

- Complete administrative tasks as required, including logistics for legislative advocacy activities, stakeholder engagement, and coalition meetings.

- Manage lobbying filings on behalf of Common Cause in California

- Perform other duties as assigned

## Qualifications

You will thrive in this role if you have:

- A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda

- A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others

- Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth

- An ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests, with a track record of working collaboratively with others, navigating organizational and power dynamics to meet common goals, and respectfully navigating conflict while maintaining your values

- Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solving problems

- Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once, with high attention to detail; strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage your time independently

- Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences; ideally, you have experience speaking to the press on complex issues

- Highly adaptable to shifting legislative priorities

- Familiarity with office productivity tools, including Microsoft Office, Slack, and Zoom

The following is required:

- A track record of impactful lobbying efforts and deep knowledge of the California legislative process

- A demonstrated knowledge of decision-makers at the state level, with a preference for candidates who have existing relationships with these people and organizations

- Strong knowledge of current issues, challenges, and opportunities related to at least one of our issue areas: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties or Anti-Corruption & Accountability; ideally, you also have knowledge of issues related to Media & Technology (in particular, AI and democracy) and/or Voting & Fair Representation

- Have led successful local- or state-level public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights, and civil rights

- Have managed coalitions with diverse interests to achieve a goal

- Willing to have a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause, including being tagged on posts and creating content on behalf of the organization (as needed, Common Cause may provide accounts for staff members to use)

- Ability to travel in-state 3-4 times per year, and out-of-state 1-2 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats

- Ability to work in-person in Sacramento at least 3 days per week, and up to 5 days per week during legislative sessions, conferences, gatherings, and election protection work

- Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate, or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

Additional information about this role:

- This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations

- Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated. Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.

## About Common Cause

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit organization that advocates for democracy reforms, including voting rights, campaign finance limits, and government accountability, through public education, litigation, and legislative action.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit 501(c)(3)/(c)(4))
- **Headquarters**: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- **Founded**: 1970
- **Founders**: John Gardner

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Non-profit organizations / Democracy & Government Reform
- **Target customers**: General public, activists, policymakers, and communities across the United States (B2C and B2G)
- **Mission**: “To uphold the core values of American democracy—creating open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promoting equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empowering all people to make their voices heard in the political process.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Products & Services
Common Cause operates as an advocacy and service organization rather than a product company. Its major offerings include:
- **Advocacy Campaigns**: Grassroots mobilization and lobbying at federal, state, and local levels to pass pro-democracy legislation (e.g., voting rights, ethics reforms).
- **Litigation**: Legal action in courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, on issues such as fair redistricting, campaign finance, and government transparency.
- **Election Protection**: Recruiting and training volunteers to monitor polling places and assist voters on Election Day.
- **Research & Public Education**: Producing reports, policy analyses, and educational campaigns (via the Common Cause Education Fund) to inform the public and decision-makers.
- **State & Local Offices**: On-the-ground teams in over 25 states that tailor national strategies to local needs.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit)
- **Key Metric – Annual Revenue**: $7.6 million (most recent data) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
- **Key Metric – Total Funding**: Not applicable; funded through donations and grants (not disclosed)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Not applicable; key partners include elected officials from both parties, coalition partners in democracy reform, and a network of 1.5 million supporters.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 156 employees (+5.5% year-over-year, +13 people) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
  - 1.5 million supporters nationwide [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
  - Active offices in 25+ states
  - LinkedIn followers: 14,015 (monthly growth +1.9%, yearly +35.8%)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Nonpartisan credibility**: Works across the political spectrum, building trust and enabling bipartisan wins.
- **Deep historical track record**: Founded in 1970, Common Cause has played a role in landmark achievements such as lowering the voting age to 18, banning “soft money” in campaigns, and creating the Office of Congressional Ethics.
- **Grassroots power**: 1.5 million members and supporters provide a massive, distributed network for rapid mobilization.
- **Legal and policy expertise**: In-house litigation and policy teams with a history of impactful Supreme Court and state-level cases.
- **State-level infrastructure**: Over 25 state offices with on-the-ground specialists who understand local dynamics.

## Strategic Focus
- **Defending the right to vote**: Fighting voter suppression and expanding access to the ballot.
- **Limiting big money in politics**: Advocating for campaign finance reform and transparency.
- **Holding officials accountable**: Pushing for stronger ethics rules, anti-corruption measures, and fair redistricting.
- **Racial equity and inclusion**: Embedding equity across all programs and internal operations, with a stated commitment to “a truly representative and inclusive government.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven environment**: Direct impact on strengthening democracy at every level of government.
- **Comprehensive benefits** (from [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)):
  - 97% of employee medical premiums covered (100% vision/dental); 75% family coverage.
  - 401(k) with employer match.
  - Generous PTO: up to 20 days vacation, 3 personal/floating days, plus all major holidays (up to 35 days off annually including holidays).
  - 16 weeks paid parental leave for new parents (plus up to 16 weeks unpaid medical/family leave).
  - $1,000 professional development stipend per fiscal year.
  - $1,000 child/petcare stipend annually for work-related travel.
  - $100/month internet stipend for remote work.
  - Birthday gift from SugarWish.
- **Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)**: Five active ERGs – Advocates for Disability & Neurodiversity Awareness (ADNA), Black ERG, Latine ERG, LGBTQIA+ ERG, and North African, Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Desi (NOMADs) ERG. [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/careers/)
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Remote-friendly with a monthly internet stipend and WFH support; headquarters in Washington, DC with offices nationwide.
- **Culture**: Rated 3.8/5.0 on LinkedIn (47 reviews); work-life balance 3.4, compensation 3.5, career opportunities 3.0. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Sources
1. [Common Cause Careers Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/careers/)
2. [Common Cause Benefits Page](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)
3. [Common Cause About Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
4. [Common Cause Homepage](https://www.commoncause.org/)
5. [Common Cause LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Other roles at Common Cause

- [Election Protection Organizer, New York (temporary)](https://feeny.ai/job/election-protection-organizer-new-york-temporary-common-cause-new-york-8a8zkfv6pg9p) — New York, NY