Job Description

Title:  Government Affairs Manager

Organization:  Equality Texas Foundation and Equality Texas Action

Reports to:  Deputy Director, Public Affairs

Location:  Texas; Austin preferred

FSLA Status : Exempt

Compensation: $65,000-70,000. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, as well as generous Paid Time Off.

THE POSITION

Equality Texas, the state’s leading LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, is seeking a full-time Government Affairs Manager to provide legislative and technical support to our state-wide efforts to secure full-lived equality for LGBTQIA+ Texans. The Government Affairs Manager provides knowledge and analysis of state LGBTQIA+ legislative issues to our constituents, community partners, and key stakeholders. The Government Affairs Manager also works with staff to facilitate written and verbal communications between EQTX, state leadership, and members of the Legislature. 

The Government Affairs Manager reports to the Deputy Director, Public Affairs and is based in Texas, with a slight preference for proximity to Austin.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop and maintain working relationships with officials in local, state, and federal governments, coordinating with their staff and associations to champion pro-LGBTQIA+ policies, proclamations, and ordinances.
• Monitor and track proposed legislation relevant to LGBTQIA+ Texans; keep the Equality Texas bill tracker up to date in partnership with the Senior Communications Manager.
• Drafting and distributing policy reports and other materials relevant to community and lawmakers in anticipation of legislative hearings, floor debates, and other key inflection points.
• Attend legislative hearings and other key events, reporting out relevant takeaways to staff and other stakeholders.
• Prepare bill summaries, bill analyses, and other written information related to filed bills.
• Closely monitor issues of concern and relevance to community stakeholders and assist in creating solutions; provide strategic support, advice, and positioning.
• Develop materials that effectively communicate policy issues to community stakeholders, including a bi-annual scorecard recording legislative votes on key bills.
• Coordinate briefings and issue education for legislators, facilitate literature drop, and aid lobbyists in ensuring lawmakers can better understand our issues. Respond to legislative staff inquiries regarding LGBTQ+ issues, ensuring that responses are appropriate, accurate, strategic, and timely.
• Provide input in the development of overall political strategy in collaboration with the Deputy Director, Public Affairs and CEO.
• Represent Equality Texas at internal, external, legislative, and non-legislative meetings. Provide guidance to board committees as needed.
• Develop and sustain relationships with key community organizations to build power in and outside of the state legislature, ensuring partners are aligned/informed in overall state strategy and can plug into advocacy as required by the political landscape.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

A successful candidate will possess the majority of these requirements:

• Extensive knowledge of Texas legislative processes.
• Experience working on policy issues during a Texas legislative session.
• Objective independent judgement to synthesize speedy analysis to provide recommendations.
• Skilled at breaking down complex information for a variety of audiences.
• Experience building consensus and buy-in among individuals and coalition partners through relationship building and sound reasoning.
• Skilled in organization and problem solving.
• Skilled at preparing, researching, reviewing, and editing reports, presentations, and other assigned documents.
• Proven, effective oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills necessary to interact with a broad range of constituencies and key stakeholders.
• Possess strong project management skills; results-driven, adaptable with ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to navigate stressful situations in a fast-paced and often changing environment.
• Strong government contacts at local, state, and federal levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good judgment and ability to work independently.
• Availability to work evenings, nights, and/or weekends during the legislative session.

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Equality Texas envisions a Texas where all LGBTQ+ people and their families have full equality in the hearts and minds of their fellow Texans and in all areas of the law. Headquartered in Austin, Equality Texas is dedicated to securing full legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration. With tens of thousands of members across the state, Equality Texas is the state’s leading state-wide organizing and advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ Texans.

Equality Texas is comprised of two nonprofit organizations:

• Equality Texas Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides educational programming on LGBTQ+ issues and conducts campaigns to build public support for equal rights, and
• Equality Texas Action, a 501(c)4 organization that conducts direct lobbying and advocacy efforts to advance pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and candidates and to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Each organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, who represent a cross-section of LGBTQ community, business, and philanthropic leaders and allies.

Equality Texas encourages people of all identities to apply. No applicant will be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit your resume and cover letter detailing how your experience prepares you to assume the responsibilities and expectations of the Government Affairs Manager role at Equality Texas. Only complete applications can be considered. Apply by May 15, 2026.

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