Closing Date: 9th January, 2026

Description:

The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is seeking an experienced tech policy advocate to support the ongoing development and implementation of CDT's state-level strategy, helping to coordinate the organization's engagement with state-level policymakers and allied organizations throughout the United States.

The Senior Policy Counsel will be a key member of the State Engagement Team, which works with CDT's program directors and staff to identify, prioritize, and effectuate key advocacy opportunities at the state level. As a member of this team, the Senior Policy Counsel will build and maintain relationships and trust with relevant state policymakers of both parties as well as organizations advocating at the state level, raising awareness of CDT's advocacy and research work and helping our policy teams expand their reach to state-specific audiences. The Senior Policy Counsel will effectively represent CDT's positions and values; help develop resources for state advocacy as needed; and strengthen CDT's relationships with relevant civil society organizations and other allies.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and analytical thinker who is passionate about strengthening the community of public interest voices advocating at the state level for civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. They will be excited to work in partnership with CDT's broad range of policy staff.

This position reports to the Director for State Engagement.

About CDT
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We champion policies, laws, and technical designs that empower people to use technology for good, while protecting against invasive, discriminatory, and exploitative uses. CDT was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and has operated a second office, in Brussels, since 2014.

CDT works to protect people's rights across a range of technology uses and applications, with a focus on privacy and data (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/privacy-data/) (including specific projects on health privacy (https://cdt.org/insights/placing-equity-at-the-center-of-health-care-technology/), workers rights & technology (https://cdt.org/insights/workplace-technology-recent-policy-news-publications-from-across-the-u-s/), and disability rights & technology (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/privacy-data/disability-rights-ai/)), AI policy and governance (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/ai-policy-governance/), free expression/platform governance (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/free-expression/), government surveillance (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/government-surveillance/), elections & democracy (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/cybersecurity-standards/election-security/), civic technology & education (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/equity-in-civic-tech/), and competition. (https://cdt.org/area-of-focus/open-internet/competition/)

We engage policymakers in the U.S. and the European Union, advocate for companies to adopt best practices, represent the public interest in multistakeholder processes and standards bodies, file amicus briefs in court, conduct original research (https://cdt.org/cdtresearch/), and raise public awareness about how technology design and governance impact our democracy and social inequality.

CDT is a leading voice in tech policy conversations. We testify before Congress, advocate to the White House, engage closely with federal agencies – and, increasingly, engage with policymakers in the states. We also collaborate with a wide range of civil society partners and academic researchers. Read more at https://cdt.org.

Responsibilities:
Key responsibilities for this position include:

Support the State Engagement Team's efforts, in partnership with other CDT staff, to track pertinent state-level policy developments, identify key advocacy opportunities at the state level, and coordinate and prioritize areas for CDT's state-level engagement
Map and understand the landscape of stakeholders engaging on CDT's issues at the state level, to inform advocacy strategies
In partnership with other CDT staff, build and maintain relationships with relevant state-level policymakers of both parties and related organizations (e.g., National Conference of State Legislatures) to increase awareness of CDT's work, build trust in our expertise, and create engagement opportunities for CDT.
In partnership with other CDT staff, build and maintain relationships with allied organizations engaging on CDT's priority issues in target regions, including both relevant state-based organizations and national organizations seeking to increase their state-level work.
In partnership with other CDT staff, participate in coalitions and build/lead coalitions as appropriate on particular advocacy opportunities.
Effectively represent CDT's positions, work product, and areas of expertise to a broad range of stakeholders, demonstrating requisite knowledge and passion for CDT's values.
Maintain systems to track CDT's state-level engagement and relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Along with the Director for State Engagement, and in partnership with CDT's General Counsel, ensure CDT's full compliance with its 501(c)(3) obligations and relevant state lobbying laws.

Qualifications:
We encourage anyone with relevant experience or knowledge to apply, but an ideal candidate would have:

At least 5 years of experience in U.S. technology policy, state-level policy work, or a combination of the two
Experience as a legislative or executive branch policy staffer or a tech policy advocate, strongly preferred
A degree in a relevant field (e.g. law, information technology, public policy), JD preferred
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent relational skills and ability to connect with a diverse range of partners and stakeholders, including those with differing political views
An energetic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative working style
A deep commitment to CDT's mission and values.

Compensation and Location
The compensation for this position ranges from $100,000 to $138,000. Compensation is determined on a standardized tiered pay scale based on years of experience and the responsibilities of the role. Candidates may request guidance on where they would fall within the salary range at any time during the interview process. CDT provides a generous benefits package that includes health care and dental coverage for employees and dependents, a retirement plan, paid vacation, sick days, and parental leave.

This position is based in CDT's Washington, D.C. office, which operates on a hybrid schedule with 3 days in office per week (generally Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday). A different hybrid schedule may be considered in exceptional cases, and is available if needed as a disability accommodation. We may also consider exceptional candidates based outside of D.C., particularly in California.

To Apply:
Please send a résumé and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position by clicking the "apply for this position" button below. The cover letter should, at a minimum, explain what skills you have developed in your career so far that would help you be successful in this role. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact hr@cdt.org.

Apply by: Jan. 9, 2026