Policy Advocate/Senior Policy Advocate

Western Center on Law & Poverty seeks to eliminate poverty and advance racial and economic justice by dismantling and transforming systems so all communities in California can thrive. Western Center applies a racial equity lens to analyzing poverty issues and brings about system-wide change through impact litigation, legislative, policy and administrative advocacy at the state and federal level, and support for legal services and community-based organizations. With offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Oakland, we are California’s largest legal services support center. For more information, please visit our website: www.wclp.org.
Position Summary
Western Center offers a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced policy advocate to join our successful and dedicated health team. WCLP seeks an advocate who will work in the state legislature to sponsor and pass legislation that benefits our client communities, oppose legislation that does not, and work more broadly, including with administrative agencies, regarding legislation, the state budget, regulations, and policies involving health care.
Our health team’s work includes: Medi-Cal, Covered California, birthing justice, medical debt, county health safety net programs, eligibility and coverage gaps, improving delivery of care, social determinants of health, health disparities, oral health, and the intersection of these issues with racial justice.
The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of multiple areas of health policy and legislative experience. We seek a team member who has at least 3 years or more of lobbying experience, thrives in a collegial and dynamic team environment, and is committed to addressing race-based inequities. This position reports to the Associate Director of Policy Advocacy and will be located in Sacramento on a hybrid basis. While remote work is permitted when on-site presence is not required, candidates not living in Sacramento must be prepared to work in Sacramento regularly, particularly during the legislative season.
Responsibilities
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Coordinate, develop, and execute legislative and advocacy strategies and campaigns aligned with organizational and health team priorities, in partnership with the Associate Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center’s health team, legal services and community partners, and teams across the organization.
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Analyze, monitor, and advocate for and against pending legislation, budget proposals, and administrative policies and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels, with an emphasis in California.
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Collaborate with community partners, stakeholders, legislators, and agency staff to increase awareness and ensure the proper implementation of policies and systems that addresses the health care injustice impacting BIPOC women, birthing people, and infants throughout California.
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Develop and maintain strong working relationships with legislators, legislative staff, administrative
agencies, coalition partners, and community-based organizations.
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Testify for or against relevant legislation and represent the organization in legislative, administrative, coalition, and public forums.
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Respond to requests for information from public officials, agencies, coalition partners, and the media.
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Create and disseminate legislative reports, analyses of bills and statutes, implementation guidance,
and administrative materials to our partners, and internal teams.
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Work with the health team to implement legislation after passage, including collaboration with administrative agencies on guidance, technical assistance, and training as appropriate.
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Plan, manage, and participate in regional and statewide health policy meetings with local advocates.
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Answer technical assistance inquiries from local legal services attorneys and staff members in areas of expertise.
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Provide training for legal services advocates and community organizations related to advocacy work and health policy developments.
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Work collaboratively within a team while independently managing and advancing projects and
organizational priorities.
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Represent WCLP in various coalitions and help build effective partnerships among stakeholders with diverse interests and perspectives.
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Champion economic, social, and racial justice and equity in external advocacy and internally within
WCLP.
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Other duties as assigned.
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Some overnight travel is required.
Qualifications
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Strong policy analysis and research skills, including experience interpreting and analyzing California health law, regulations, and policy initiatives and the ability to evaluate legislative and regulatory impacts.
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A minimum of 3 years of experience in legislative or policy advocacy, preferably in California. The Policy Advocate title applies to those with less than 8 years of experience; Senior Policy Advocates have 8+ years of experience.
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Ability to think creatively, be strategic, and exercise good judgment.
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Willingness to engage in continuous learning to develop working knowledge and/or expertise in new areas of health policy.
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Strong oral and written communication skills.
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Strong organizational and project management capabilities, including experience with policy research databases, legislative tracking software, and progress reporting. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships across teams, coalitions, government agencies, and community partners.
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Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build and collaborate within diverse
coalitions with partners representing multiple perspectives and competing interests.
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Ability to work in a team setting but independent enough to be able to implement team objectives effectively outside the team setting.
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Ability to work under time pressure.
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Exemplary ethical standards.
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Ability to travel, as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience in successfully managing legislative campaigns and/or complex advocacy initiatives.
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Experience in advocacy that centers racial and socioeconomic disparities, health access and equity, and LGBTQ+ communities.
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Experience in advocacy that advances birthing justice for BIPOC families.
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Experience working with or coming from historically marginalized communities.
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Experience with community-based organizations or nonprofit legal services agencies.
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Experience working collaboratively across departments, coalitions, or multidisciplinary teams.
Compensation
Salary is very competitive and commensurate with experience. We provide a generous benefits package, including leave policies, vacation, and two-week December holiday office closure at full pay. We provide numerous opportunities and support to ensure our staff are able to grow and develop their professional skills. The salary range is $87,000-$107,000 for Policy Advocate and $105,000-$125,000 for Senior Policy Advocate, commensurate with experience.
To Apply
To promote racial and social justice and achieve our mission, Western Center is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and creating an inclusive and respectful workplace. In your cover letter, please explain how you think your experience or background has prepared you to contribute to a work environment with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Western Center strongly encourages applications from persons of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups whose background may contribute to effectively representing low-income people and underserved communities.
Applications accepted until the position is filled. Applications preferred by October 5, 2026. Please email a cover letter, resumé, and a list of references to jobs@wclp.org.