Vice President, Legislative Strategy

Vice President, Legislative Strategy | JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: VP, Legislative Strategy
Team: Office of the CEO
Location: New York City
Employment Type: Full-time
FLSA Classification: Exempt 
Start Date: ASAP
Hiring Manager: CEO

ABOUT REFORM ALLIANCE

REFORM, founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement, is committed to transforming supervision throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture. The organization is working to replace America’s criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation. Our goal is for people to reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work, and equip them with the tools to succeed all while making families and communities safer and stronger. REFORM Alliance operates as both a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization, allowing us to drive meaningful criminal justice reform through a combination of charitable initiatives and advocacy efforts.

ABOUT THE ROLE

REFORM is hiring a Vice President, Legislative Strategy. This role is expected to operate as an organization-wide leader and is part of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The VP will serve as REFORM's chief legislative strategist, owning the organization's legislative roadmap — bill strategy, drafting input, committee and floor tactics, and session management — across federal, state, and local levels.

This role will be the primary legislative director for the organization, building and managing relationships with legislators, committee staff, and legislative counsel to move REFORM's policy priorities through to enactment. The role retains a political dimension — elected officials, party leadership, and political allies remain part of the relationship map — but the core mandate, and the majority of the role's time, is legislative: identifying vehicles, building votes, and shepherding bills through the process.

This role works in close partnership with the Chief Policy Officer and the Community Engagement team to ensure a unified and coordinated external affairs operation. The VP sets legislative strategy and owns the relationships that move bills forward.

Legislative Relationship & Government Relations: (35%)

• Build and maintain relationships with legislators, committee chairs, and their senior/legislative staff across federal, state, and local levels

• Cultivate ties with legislative counsel, committee staff directors, and chamber leadership offices who shape bill language and scheduling

• Develop and maintain relationships with party leadership and political operatives in key states and nationally, in support of legislative goals

• Serve as REFORM's primary point of contact for legislative relationships, ensuring the organization is well-positioned ahead of each legislative session

• Monitor the legislative and political landscape — committee assignments, staff transitions, election outcomes — to keep REFORM's relationships current and strategically relevant

• Identify and engage rising legislators and legislative staff who could be future champions for criminal justice reform

• Oversee and direct outside lobbying firms, ensuring their efforts are aligned with REFORM's legislative priorities and bill strategy

• Serve as the strategic decision-maker on lobbying targets, approach, and messaging in close coordination with the Chief Policy Officer and Vice President, Marketing & Communications

• Represent REFORM Alliance at legislative hearings, markups, and government forums

• Track compliance with all federal and state lobbying registration and disclosure requirements

Legislative Strategy & Direction: (30%)

• Serve as REFORM Alliance's lead legislative strategist across federal, state, and local levels

• Develop and execute a comprehensive legislative roadmap — bill by bill, session by session — aligned with the organization's annual and long-term policy goals

• Track legislative calendars, committee schedules, and session deadlines across priority states to identify windows for action

• Identify and prioritize legislative vehicles (bills, amendments, budget riders) to advance criminal justice reform

• Advise the CEO and REFORM's Board of Directors on legislative risk, viability, and emerging opportunities

Legislative Organizing & Coalition Management: (20%)

• Lead legislative organizing strategy focused on mobilizing stakeholders, advocates, and issue allies around specific bills and legislative targets

• Partner with the Community Engagement team to coordinate grassroots and grasstops organizing in support of active legislation

• Cultivate a broad network of political and legislative allies across the ideological spectrum, including legislators, party leaders, and advocacy organizations

• Serve as REFORM's primary representative in external coalitions organized around legislative campaigns

Team & Organizational Leadership: (5%)

• Set vision, priorities, and performance expectations for the legislative vertical

• Manage department budget and external relationships, including consultants, lobbyists, and political firms

• Collaborate cross-functionally with the Policy, Marketing & Communications, and Community Engagement verticals

Other Duties As Assigned: (10%)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of progressively senior experience in legislative strategy, government relations, or public affairs, with demonstrated success moving legislation at the federal and/or state level
• Deep understanding of the legislative process — including bill drafting mechanics, committee procedure, markups, floor strategy, and whip counts — sufficient to set strategy and direct outside counsel and the Policy team, at the federal and/or state level
• Proven track record building and managing relationships with legislators, committee staff, and legislative counsel across party lines
• Experience tracking and managing legislative sessions and calendars across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously
• Experience overseeing or directing outside lobbying firms and political consultants, with the ability to hold vendors accountable to strategic objectives
• Strong organizational leadership experience, including managing teams, budgets, and cross-functional collaboration
• Exceptional judgment and discretion in navigating politically sensitive legislative situations and high-stakes environments
• Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and boards on legislative risk, opportunity, and strategy

  PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working in or alongside criminal justice, civil rights, or social justice advocacy organizations
• Familiarity with the probation, parole, or broader landscape as a policy and legislative issue
• Existing relationships with legislators and committee staff in REFORM Alliance's priority states
• Experience in both electoral (campaign) and issue advocacy (nonprofit/advocacy org) contexts
• Coalition-building experience across ideologically diverse partners
• Demonstrated comfort engaging with high-profile principals and board members

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.
 

WORK DEMANDS

• Work Location: This position is based in New York City, with an in-office presence required four to five days per week.
• Travel: 10–25% national travel for legislative sessions, strategy meetings, and convenings across priority states.
• Non-Traditional Hours: Some evening or weekend work may be required during active legislative sessions or rapid response moments.
• Physical Requirements: May occasionally be responsible for transporting light materials (under 20 lbs) for team meetings or public events.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• REFORM doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship
• Live within commuting distance of New York City (midtown) and have the ability to work in-person four to five (4-5) days per week

APPLICATION & INTERVIEW PROCESS

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Virtual Interview with Chief of Staff
• Virtual Interview with CEO
• In-Person Interview with ELT Panel
• Virtual Finalist Interview with CEO

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary for this position, which depends on prior work experience and our assessment of your demonstrated fit for the role, will likely be $221,600- $277,000 annually. REFORM offers competitive base salaries based on the 75th percentile of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously.

Our current benefits include:

• Competitive salaries in the market of similar non-profit organizations
• Comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other ancillary options.
• 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) during the first year of employment in addition to org-wide holidays (11), and winter shutdown during the last week of December
• 4% 401(k) match after 30 days of employment 
• Coverage of 100% of health insurance premiums for employees (health, vision & dental)
• $75.00 monthly cell phone reimbursement

*Please note that the organization reserves the right to change benefits at any time. 

At REFORM Alliance, we strive to move hearts and minds to create a more humane criminal justice system. This requires a company culture that values employee individuality and community development. We are committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive, empowering, and globally minded. 

Reform Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor. We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply