Senior Policy Manager

Employment Type: Full-Time; Non-Exempt Program Area: Policy Reports To: Chief of Staff Full-Time Salary Band: $82,000 - $100,000 Location: Flex/Remote and In-Person in either Seattle, Vancouver, or Yakima Office Preferred Application Deadline: November 6, 2026

ABOUT ONEAMERICA

OneAmerica (OA) organizes immigrant and refugee leaders and our allies in Washington State to build power in our communities and run campaigns that ensure immigrants are not only protected and can survive, but that immigrants can thrive and are equal, valued, and loved. Established in 2001 by U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, we have since grown to become a locally and nationally recognized leader in advancing immigrant, civil, and human rights. Our family of organizations consists of OneAmerica (501(c)3), OneAmerica Votes (OA) (501(c)4), OneAmerica Votes Justice Fund (State PAC), OneAmerica Votes Justice for All Fund (Federal PAC). OA envisions a peaceful world where every person’s human rights and dignity are respected, where communities appreciate differences and stand together for justice and equality, and where each person contributes to the common good. All of our work is grounded in our Theory of Change and guided by the conviction that people directly impacted should lead our movement for justice because they are best equipped to create real solutions that build lasting power. You’ll be stepping into an organization in a strong position: 25 years of relationship-building and political credibility, stable and growing funding, and deeply committed leadership and staff. Immigrants are under attack nationally, and WA is where we push back, win, and actively model for the rest of the country what it looks like to fully include immigrants as part of the fabric of our communities. This is a chance to be at the center of that fight: to lead a resistance movement inside an organization committed to long-term power building and real wins for immigrants in WA. For the right person, there is no more exciting or meaningful place to work.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Immigrants and refugees are facing significant political and policy threats. We are also at a moment where there are opportunities to advance meaningful protections and build a more inclusive future. Washington State is a critical place to defend our communities, win policy victories, and demonstrate what it means to fully include immigrants in the fabric of our democracy. The Senior Policy Manager will play a central role in shaping and advancing OneAmerica’s policy agenda. This position combines deep policy analysis, strategic judgment, legislative advocacy, and relationship-building to advance policies that improve the lives of immigrant and refugee communities and strengthen a multiracial working-class. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Senior Policy Manager will lead a portfolio of proactive and defensive policy priorities, with a primary focus on Washington State legislative and administrative advocacy and additional responsibility for monitoring federal developments and supporting targeted municipal campaigns. This is a role for someone who can move fluidly between analyzing complex policy, identifying emerging opportunities and threats, developing and implementing strategic responses, and coordinating the people and partnerships needed to act. The Senior Policy Manager will have significant ownership over assigned policy portfolios, campaigns, coalitions, and projects, working closely with organizing, communications, organizational leadership, community partners, and contract lobbyists. The Senior Policy Manager will also supervise a Policy Analyst, ensuring that policy analysis, legislative intelligence, lobbying, and community priorities translate into coordinated and effective advocacy.

WHAT YOU’LL LEAD

Policy Analysis, Development & Strategy You will help shape OneAmerica’s policy agenda for our core campaign areas of immigrant defense and inclusion, childcare and education, and democracy reform by identifying opportunities to advance our mission, anticipating emerging threats, and developing clear, actionable recommendations. Monitor and analyze legislation, administrative actions, agency policies, budgets, regulations, and emerging policy developments. Track priority legislation and identify opportunities, threats, unintended consequences, and emerging attacks affecting immigrant and refugee communities. Develop clear organizational analysis and strategic recommendations regarding policy positions, amendments, interventions, and potential responses. Develop proactive policy proposals that materially improve conditions for immigrant and refugee communities and advance a broader multiracial working-class agenda. Translate complex policy and legislative developments into accessible analysis for staff, members, partners, and organizational leadership. State Legislative & Administrative Advocacy You will lead and coordinate OneAmerica’s Washington State policy and legislative advocacy, helping move priorities from policy development through implementation. Conduct deep policy analysis and participate in policy development from concept through implementation. Engage state agencies on implementation, administrative policy, emerging questions, and opportunities for advocacy. Along with the Chief of Staff, coordinate the work of OneAmerica’s contract lobbyists, ensuring lobbying priorities and activities align with organizational strategy, policy analysis, and community priorities. Integrate legislative intelligence and political assessments from contract lobbyists with OneAmerica’s policy analysis, organizing priorities, and community perspective to inform legislative strategy and organizational decision-making. Serve as the primary internal point of coordination for contract lobbyists, Policy staff, and relevant OA teams on legislative inquiries, partner requests, testimony, and other advocacy opportunities. Set clear priorities and expectations for lobbyist engagement, monitor progress on priority legislation, and identify opportunities to adjust strategy in response to changing political conditions. Help shape in-building legislative strategy for priority bills, including amendments, targets, negotiations, testimony, coalition strategy, and escalation. Identify defensive threats early and recommend organizational responses. Federal & Local Policy You will help OneAmerica respond strategically to policy developments beyond the state level while identifying opportunities to advance change locally. Monitor significant federal policy, regulatory, administrative, and legislative developments affecting immigrant and refugee communities. Maintain relationships with relevant national advocacy organizations and federal policy partners. Assess implications of federal developments for Washington communities. Coordinate organizational engagement when federal action is warranted. Support municipal policy advocacy on a strategic basis. Provide policy support for local childcare campaigns and initiatives. Help develop and support local campaigns that improve conditions for immigrants and refugees. Provide policy analysis and technical assistance to organizing staff and community partners working on local advocacy. Identify opportunities where local policy can serve as a model or pathway toward broader statewide change. Community-Informed Policy Development You will ensure that the experiences, expertise, and priorities of immigrant and refugee communities meaningfully shape OneAmerica’s policy agenda. Translate complex policy questions into accessible language and concepts that enable meaningful participation by a diverse membership of immigrants and refugees. Develop opportunities for members and community partners to provide input into policy priorities, proposals, and organizational positions. Listen for how proposed policies would affect people's lives, not simply how they read on paper. Incorporate member and partner feedback into policy development and recommendations. Work with organizing staff to ensure community priorities meaningfully inform legislative and administrative advocacy. Help members understand how government decisions are made and where community participation can influence those decisions. Train members on campaign strategy and policy proposals Policy Team Leadership You will build a coordinated, accountable policy function that connects internal expertise, external advocacy, and organizational strategy. Supervise and support the Policy Analyst, including setting priorities, providing strategic direction and feedback, supporting professional development, and ensuring accountability for deliverables. Establish clear roles, responsibilities, communication practices, and decision-making processes across internal policy staff and contract lobbyists. Translate OneAmerica’s organizational priorities into coordinated policy, legislative, and lobbying work plans with clear objectives, timelines, and measures of success. Facilitate regular coordination among the Policy Analyst, contract lobbyists, and relevant internal teams to ensure timely information-sharing, strategic alignment, and effective execution. Assess the effectiveness of policy and lobbying strategies, identify gaps or emerging needs, and adjust priorities and assignments as necessary. Ensure policy analysis, legislative intelligence, and lobbying activities inform one another and advance OneAmerica’s organizational goals and the interests of immigrant and refugee communities.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

OneAmerica is seeking candidates who are passionate about our mission and are highly proactive. While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications below, our ideal candidate would bring:

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES

5+ years of experience working in advocacy 1-2+ years of direct management experience Strong public policy analysis and the ability to move from assessment to recommendations with the use of insightful political and strategic judgment Ability to spot emerging political or policy threats and assess their significance to develop proactive policy solutions, not only responding to existing legislation Experience managing multiple campaigns, projects, coalitions, or policy portfolios simultaneously Ability to build productive relationships with lobbyists, elected officials, legislative staff, agencies, advocates, community members and community organizations Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to explain complicated subjects in accessible language Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple contributors toward shared policy or advocacy goals while maintaining clear communication, strategic alignment, and accountability

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of legislative and administrative advocacy; Washington State legislative experience Experience supervising staff and/or managing external consultants, contractors, or lobbyists, including setting priorities, providing direction and feedback, and ensuring accountability for results Experience facilitating conversations with people who bring various levels of technical policy knowledge Deep policy expertise in immigration policy and/or childcare/democracy issues Ability to work effectively across organizing, communications, legal, policy, and leadership teams Existing relationships with and power analysis of the Washington state ecosystem of lawmakers and community organizations Strong commitment to racial, immigrant, economic, and social justice Bilingual or multilingual

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Willingness to accommodate community-based scheduling needs, such as evening and weekend meetings Access to reliable transportation and willingness to travel throughout Washington State and nationally on occasion

WORKING AT ONEAMERICA

OneAmerica is committed to creating a supportive, collaborative workplace where staff can contribute meaningfully to our mission while maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. Our benefits and workplace practices include: Comprehensive health insurance plans, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as long-term disability coverage. 90% of premiums for Medical, Dental and Vision are paid by OneAmerica. Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability are covered in full by OneAmerica. Twenty weeks of paid family and medical leave. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) options, cell phone and transportation stipends, and a 403(b)-retirement plan with a 4% employer match. Five weeks of PTO in years 0–3, six weeks in years 4–6, and seven weeks after seven years of service. Eight additional hours of annual PTO to celebrate staff birthdays. Three months of paid sabbatical after every five years of service. Meeting-free Fridays and Summer-free Fridays, including three-day weekends for two months during the summer. A transparent compensation philosophy, cost-of-living and annual merit-based raises, and investments in professional development and employee growth.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a hybrid position based in Washington State with the option to work from OneAmerica’s Seattle, Vancouver, or Yakima office. Staff is expected to work in person twice per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with flexibility within Washington State. The role requires regular computer work, frequent phone and video meetings, and travel within the state, particularly to Olympia during the legislative session.

INTERVIEW PROCESS ORDER

Phone screen interview Virtual panel interview Performance task. All candidates who submit a performance task will receive a $100 e-gift card as compensation for their time. Virtual or in-person final interview with the Chief of Staff and Executive Director Desired start date: January 12, 2027 OneAmerica is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr OneAmerica