Position Title: Director of Policy and Advocacy
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Classification: Exempt
Status: Full-Time
Department: Policy and Advocacy
Location: Hybrid: Refer to the “Work Environment” section below.
Salary Range: $95,000 – $105,000 (depending on experience)
Start Date: July 2026

About Arts for LA:

Arts for LA (AFLA) activates artists and organizations and leads communities to advocate for an equitable, healthy, and creative Los Angeles region through the arts. 

Position Summary:
Arts for LA seeks a Policy & Advocacy Director to support the strategy and positioning on arts and culture issues. This position will be responsible for developing the organization’s annual policy agenda and advocacy strategies that further organizational goals. They will help develop campaigns with an eye towards advancing AFLA policy agenda at the local level. They will also oversee legislative visits/advocacy days, and work to build critical relationships with key stakeholders to advance field priorities pertaining to arts and culture. The director will need to be a strong grasstop organizer and manage our coalition building work.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in policy and legislative advocacy, as well as demonstrated experience building productive relationships and mobilizing key stakeholders. They will also have excellent analytical skills with an ability to think critically and write effectively. An understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to the success of this role, and candidates should be prepared to articulate how they will approach policy analysis and development with an equity lens. The position is an opportunity to serve as the resident policy expert for an influential public policy and advocacy organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Steward the organization’s annual policy agenda development process and lead advocacy strategies to move those policies forward.
• Lead data collection/analysis, research projects, and policy development on arts and culture issues.
• Author policy reports, issue briefs, and fact sheets that analyze arts and culture policy issues affecting artists, arts organizations and cultural communities.
• Rapid response analysis of bills and policy proposals.
• Build and maintain relationships with City Councilmembers, County Supervisors, legislative staff, and other policymakers.
• Build advocacy campaigns across the Los Angeles County region, including but not limited to letter campaigns, phone banks, petitions, and social media content.
• Represent the organization at external events, including coalition meetings, to foster our external relationships and collaborate strategically with partners.
• Serve as an on-record spokesperson for AFLA on arts and culture policy at events, in official statements, and in the media.
• Develop advocacy trainings and consumer education materials, including but not limited to webinars, town halls, workshops, strategy sessions, and toolkits.
• Contribute to the development of arts and culture-related fundraising proposals and execute policy grant deliverables as necessary.
• Oversee AFLA’s Creative Jobs Collective initiative in collaboration with our Strategist.
• Educate and strategically engage Board members and Policy Committee members on key policy matters.

Supervisory Responsibility:
This position is responsible for supervising at least two employees, our Policy Associate and Strategist, with potentially more as AFLA grows. This position may also be responsible for supervising contractors and consultants as-needed to support the mission of AFLA.

Required Knowledge/Skills:

• Five years of relevant experience in policy and politics (experience can be across different issue areas).
• Excellent research and writing ability, including an existing portfolio of policy materials.
• Experience with implementing and supporting successful legislative advocacy and community organizing campaigns.
• Experience managing projects with multiple teams and competing priorities.
• Experience building and managing relationships with external partners.
• Represent/advocate for AFLA and its constituents with appropriate local, state, federal, elected officials, and agency officials.
• Willingness to register as a lobbyist.

Preferred, but not required skills: 

• Experience with nonprofit board liaising and management.
• Awareness of Los Angeles arts community and local government structures.
• Experience with social media outreach and other grassroots methods of community organizing.
• Experience with Quorum or similar advocacy platforms. 

Qualifications:

• California state driver’s license and ability to use own car for travel.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people and organizations of diverse backgrounds and political viewpoints.
• Understanding and support of the values, mission, and goals of AFLA.
• Must reside within LA County.

Work Environment:
This organization operates in a hybrid work-from-home and professional office environment. All Arts for LA staff are required to attend once-a-month in-person “Conscious Coworking” day at a coworking location. 

Travel: 

This position requires local travel to in-person meetings and events throughout LA County, as well as occasional travel within the state of California and Washington DC. 

Compensation:

Compensation for the position is competitive and commensurate with experience. The hiring range is $95,000 – $105,000. Benefits include health, vision and dental coverage. We also offer 10 days of vacation per year, 6 days of sick leave per year, 13 days of paid holidays, and a $100 monthly work-from-home stipend. 

How to Apply:

Applications close Thursday, May 7 at 11:59 pm PST. To be considered, please fill out this form which will ask you to submit a resume, cover letter, and three references. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

AFLA is an equal employment opportunity employer and we strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply. AFLA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, (including transgender status), weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency, were not substantially job-related), citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.