2025 Legislative Affairs Intern

About the State Innovation Exchange 

The State Innovation Exchange is fighting for a governance system that reimagines how elected officials, their constituents and civil society leaders build, shape and sustain shared power in service of racial, gender, social and economic justice within a multi-racial society.

The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) makes collaborative governance the norm among values-aligned state legislators in their partnership with issue advocates and grassroots leaders. Through this practice, we commit to centering the people most impacted by systemic and structural oppression to transform the conditions of power at the state level. When we do this, we will secure and sustain meaningful racial, gender, social and economic justice outcomes that are fully realized in the lived experience of these communities. 

Collaborative governance is a governing model and practice in which the people most impacted by governing decisions have real agency, through collaboration with their elected decision makers, to pursue racial, gender, social, and economic justice by shaping the rules, processes, and structures that govern their lives.

About this Position 

SiX’s Legislative Affairs Intern supports the work of the Legislative Affairs team to meet the needs of state legislators and movement partners around the country, which may include supporting state directors, cross-state organizing projects such as the Economic Power Project, and providing administrative and technical assistance to staff. The Legislative Affairs Intern will primarily support the Senior Director of Legislative Affairs, and work closely with State Directors and other program staff, to bolster Legislative Affairs team capacity and projects. This position contributes to SiX’s efforts to advance racial, gender, economic, and social justice through the practice of collaborative governance within and beyond state legislatures.

At SiX, we commit to equal pay for equal work. To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, we use a nonnegotiable starting salary system, while benchmarking our pay to highly competitive markets in the nonprofit sector. The rate for this position is $20/hr, and interns are eligible for paid sick time. The position is remote and open to anyone living in the United States. Interns are expected to work up to approximately 15-20 hours per week, but weekly hours are flexible and can be adjusted based on school schedules or other work commitments. This internship is anticipated to start in July 2025 and end in January 2026. 

Note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Role Responsibilities 

The Legislative Affairs Intern will report to the Senior Director of Legislative Affairs and will be tasked with the following: 

• Provide administrative support to the Senior Director of Legislative Affairs and team (ex: schedule meetings with external partners, take notes during meetings, send deadline reminders);
• Support cross-state projects, including the Economic Power Project and LGBTQ+ resource bank, such as editing blogs, running tech support on webinars, data management, editing policy toolkits, and fielding legislator research requests;
• Update internal databases and trackers for the Legislative Affairs Team.

Based on these expectations, the following qualifications are desired: 

• Desire to grow in justice-oriented work, including racial, gender, social, and economic; 
• Interest in gaining experience in state policy, including but not limited to economic justice; 
• Ability to communicate effectively with varying stakeholders i.e. senior staff, state legislators, and coalition partners;
• Comfort building relationships in a remote office setting;
• Familiarity with Google workspace products;
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to self-motivate, manage up, and drive projects to completion; 
• Strong writing and data management skills;
• Outstanding attention to detail. 

Core Competencies 

All staff roles at SiX are grounded in a set of core competencies that are standardized across the organization based on the type of role you hold. As a Legislative Affairs Intern, you will be expected to demonstrate the following core competency expectations in your day-to-day work: 

1. Equity and Inclusion. You have a demonstrated understanding of the role that racial, gender, economic, and other inequities play in our society and in movement-building and demonstrate an ability to effectively collaborate across lines of difference. 
2. Program Implementation. You successfully execute the activities of your program/issue area(s) and contribute to the success of your team and the organization overall. 
3. External Communication and Brand Management. You are able to advance the organization’s reputation, profile and brand with key stakeholders. You possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
4. Knowledge Management. You are detail oriented and able to support the collection, synthesis and dissemination of information about your team’s work, internally and externally. 
5. Compliance. You comply with relevant nonprofit laws and adhere to internal policies, practices, and protocols. 
6. Organizational Culture and Values. You are able to practice and uphold organizational values in your day-to-day and long-term work. You participate in creating a team culture that is productive, collaborative, and equitable. [See below for more on organizational values.] 

Organizational Values 

All staff at SiX are responsible for upholding our organizational values, which were developed collaboratively by all staff. These describe the way we strive to do our work together and the kind of organizational culture we want to build. As a Legislative Affairs Intern, you will be responsible for demonstrating the following behaviors in carrying out your day-to-day work: 

1. Adaptability and Imagination. We embrace learning from our past, present, and future, remaining open to new perspectives and innovative approaches. Change is necessary, and we actively cultivate the courage to envision and pursue possibilities beyond the status quo. We are committed to shifting our perspectives and processes when needed, embracing transformation within ourselves, our communities, and our organization.
2. Connection, Relationship, and Collaboration. Authentic relationships and principled partnerships are the foundation for building people-centered power. Trust, respect, and accountability guide how we work together, ensuring that the quality of our work is just as important as the path we take to achieve it. We approach challenges with honesty and integrity, valuing principled tension as necessary for progress.
3. Wholeness, Consideration, and Care. We recognize and honor the full humanity of ourselves and those around us. Everyone deserves joy, rest, safety, and respect, and we create flexible, caring work environments that uphold these values. We take responsibility for our emotions and actions, ensuring our engagement with others is grounded in thoughtfulness and care.
4. Belonging and Difference. We are committed to upholding the inherent value of all people across identities, experiences, and perspectives. We actively work against systems of oppression that harm the communities we are a part of and collaborate with, striving to build a world where equity and justice are the norm. We are intentional in addressing racism and continuously learning to shift behaviors, beliefs, and policies that reinforce injustice.
5. Sustainability and Perseverance. We prioritize the long-term sustainability of ourselves, our communities, and our organization by pacing our work, reducing harm, and fostering an environment of shared knowledge and abundance. We recognize that systemic change requires deep investment and generational commitment, and we are dedicated to doing the work necessary to build a thriving future..

How to Apply 

Interested applicants should submit a compelling cover letter and resume to jobs@stateinnovation.org. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of the email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by May 23, 2025.

State Innovation Exchange is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ folks, and immigrants to apply for open positions. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, martial, and/or veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected by federal, state, or local law.