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Careers Deputy Director of Advocacy & Policy Counsel

Deputy Director of Advocacy & Policy Counsel

The Student Borrower Protection Center is seeking a full-time Deputy Director of Advocacy & Policy Counsel, joining a team of attorneys, policy experts, and consumer advocates offering litigation strategy, policy development, and research focused on halting industry abuses, expanding borrower protections, and reforming the student loan system.

Founded in November 2018 by a team of former senior-level financial regulators and enforcement officials, SBPC is an advocacy and policy nonprofit focused solely on student debt. Together, our team works to: 1) expose harmful and illegal practices in the student loan industry, 2) drive impact litigation, 3) advise policymakers regarding issues that affect student loan borrowers in Washington and in state capitals, and 4) promote progressive policy change.  

The Deputy Director of Advocacy & Policy Counsel will manage the organization’s state legislative function including relationships with state and local legislators, advocates, and lobbyists, and contribute to all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the organization. This position reports to the Director of Advocacy. 

This a full-time position and duties include:

  • Drafting model state legislation, amendments, and legislative analysis.
  • Monitoring state legislative activity on student loan and related consumer protection issues and keeping the rest of the organization aware of state legislative schedules and agendas.
  • Testifying at state legislative hearings and other relevant panels and events. 
  • Managing SBPC’s organizational relationship with state legislators, state-based consumer advocates, lobbyists, state attorneys general, state financial regulators, and other state-based stakeholders. 
  • Generating original analysis of consumer protection challenges facing student loan borrowers and collaborating with organization staff and partners to generate new proposals for policy change.
  • Advancing SBPC’s commitment to the pursuit of racial and economic justice across all organizational initiatives, including by applying this lens to the development of new and ongoing legislation and through day-to-day engagement with partners. 
  • Contributing to other key organizational initiatives including federal policy advocacy and national coalition building, groundbreaking investigations into abuses by private-sector firms, impact litigation to protect borrowers’ rights and reshape the law, and cutting-edge research into the causes and consequences of the student debt crisis. 
  • Assisting in the planning and execution of conferences and roundtables focused on student debt and consumer protection, as well as other organization-sponsored events in state capitals and in Washington, D.C.
  • Other duties as assigned.

To succeed in this role, a candidate must be a self-starter, eager to work in a fast-paced environment, and be comfortable with shifting deadlines and responsibilities.  Candidates should demonstrate experience (whether through internships, volunteer experiences, or paid work) with the following skills, and abilities; however, we are looking for a well-rounded candidate who is eager to grow in the role and limited experience in one or two of these areas should not preclude a candidate from applying.

  • A law degree (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
  • A license to practice law in any state or in the District of Columbia.
  • At least 3 years of experience working on student loan issues.
  • At least 1 year of experience working on state-level policy and legislation.
  • Demonstrated experience drafting state-level legislative language.
  • Exceptional composition skills. Ability to synthesize extensive information from multiple sources into a lucid, cohesive written product. With an understanding of tone and style, compose written information that effectively communicates the desired message to the intended audience(s).
  • Outstanding editing skills. Critical eye for grammar, punctuation, and syntax. Commitment to the highest quality written product.
  • Flexibility in working style, marked by an ability to work closely with a wide range of personality and organization types and teams.
  • Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage extensive documentation and written information.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills to ensure full-circle communication with program staff and external stakeholders and thorough dissemination of important tasks, projects, and meetings. 
  • Ability to resolve conflicts professionally and maintain patience, grace, and humor under pressure.
  • Ability to adhere to numerous deadlines, conflicting priorities, and handle multiple tasks efficiently. Ability to receive, balance, and handle direction and input from multiple colleagues.
  • Technological abilities to ensure compliance with confidentiality policies and procedures necessary for the protection of sensitive data, and to efficiently complete tasks.
  • Capacity to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing priorities, objectives, and situations; self-starter with sense of initiative and good judgment.
  • Ability to perform tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, as well as anticipate informational needs as situations and projects develop.

The salary for this position is commensurate with experience. 

The Student Borrower Protection Center is headquartered in Washington, DC.  Preference will be given to candidates who are based in or who are able to relocate to Washington DC, but SBPC will consider applicants from any location in the continental United States and may be able to accommodate a remote work arrangement on a case-by-case basis.  

Applications from persons of color, LGBTQI persons, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged.

 To apply, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to careers@protectborrowers.org


The Student Borrower Protection Center is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status, or to other non-work related factors.

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