The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) is an environmental justice organization with deep roots in California’s Asian immigrant and refugee communities. Since 1993, APEN has built a membership base of Laotian refugees in Richmond and Chinese immigrants in Oakland, and more recently, Asian Americans in South Bay LA. Together, we have fought and won campaigns to make our communities healthier and just places where all people have the resources we need to live full, dignified lives. We are growing our local roots and building power to make decisions at the state level that have real local impact. By building an organized movement, we’re leading a transition away from an extractive economy based on profit and pollution and toward local, healthy, and life-sustaining economies that benefit everyone.

Position Summary

The Legislative Director builds the power of Asian American immigrants and refugees by advancing APEN’s state policy and legislative agenda. The position requires the ability to develop a multi-pronged strategy across a number of environmental issue areas and working closely with other APEN staff to integrate policy with statewide and local basebuilding, leadership development, electoral engagement, and movement building. The position reports to the State Political Director.. 

Roles and Responsibilities

LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY & ADVOCACY

• Cohere, refine, and coordinate APEN’s state legislative and budget slate to meet overall organizational mission
• Develop and lead legislative strategy of APEN’s state agenda, including strategizing regularly with APEN’s state Political Director, to execute state level campaigns
• Maintain processes to evaluate legislative campaign outcomes and monitor the effectiveness of APEN’s strategies 
• Prepare briefs, fact sheets, reports, and presentations as needed

CAMPAIGNS & COALITION LEADERSHIP

• Engage and organize partner organizations across sectors in APEN’s legislative campaigns
• Create and advance campaigns for APEN’s state legislative, budget, and policy agenda, including working with APEN team members and allies to organize key constituencies
• Coordinate regularly with APEN’s Leads Team to align local, state, and regional strategy across component teams
• Hold strategic relationships with elected officials, administration, and legislative staff
• Attend relevant meetings, briefings, conferences, and relationship-building activities
• Represent APEN in key coalitions, stakeholder groups, and external meetings and shape them to center diverse immigrant and multiracial constituencies and alignment with our strategic priorities
• Conduct political assessments of the landscape with internal teams and partners
• Serve as point person with specified funders and coordinate with APEN’s development team to execute grant proposals and renewals

ORGANIZATION-WIDE

• Strategy and Planning: Contribute to overall organizational coordination and planning processes, including strategic planning, yearly workplan and budgeting, annual board + staff meeting, bi-weekly staff meetings and component meetings
• Organizational Culture: Contribute to the APEN culture of team-building, emotional intelligence, feminisms, and leadership development
• Basebuilding and Member Engagement:  Support organizing events with APEN members
• Fund Development: Engage in grassroots and/or foundation fundraising
• Communications:  Act as a spokesperson and engage with communications narrative framework
• Cross Component Support: Support various areas of organizational work, events, or campaigns as identified and participate in organizational committees and teams as needed
• Supervision: Supervise key policy staff, consultants, and/or interns as part of building a cohesive state policy agenda across diverse roles

Qualifications

• Successful track record of at least 5-8 years in policy, legislative, campaign, and/or organizing experience
• Expertise in state legislative advocacy and process
• Self-confidence and the capacity to proactively create and independently move forward a complex agenda and meet deadlines
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) with the ability to facilitate understanding across multiple audiences, including technical experts and policymakers
• Ability to thread strategy across diverse issues
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Familiarity/some experience with campaigning and organizing 
• Familiarity with environmental justice, climate, and/or housing policy
• Co-governing power and social justice organizing orientation: commitment to power-building, anti-racist and grassroots internationalism perspectives, and rooting campaign agenda and priorities from community members
• Supervision and management experience

Preferred Experience

• Values APEN culture of team-building, creative facilitation, feminisms
• Experimental and innovative problem-solving approach
• Strategic orientation to alliance-building
• Collaborative and seeks integration, collaboration, consensus-building
• Fundraising experience
• Skills to support staff leadership development
• Comes in with key relationships for legislative work
• Familiar with a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to work in multilingual membership spaces and values accessibility
• Conflict management skills and ability to move towards resolution

Salary And Benefits

Competitive salary range of $97,200 to $117,200, commensurate with experience. APEN offers a generous benefits package that includes the following:

• Fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage for employee, spouse, and/or dependents
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays
• Fully paid 2 week winter holiday
• 401k with 5% employer match
• Professional development funds
• Commuter benefits
• 3-month paid Sabbatical opportunity 
• APEN is also a family-friendly employer

Accessibility And Working Conditions

This position will require applicants to work on a computer daily for long periods of time, and collaborate with colleagues and coalition partners through Zoom, email, and other digital platforms.  APEN will provide a computer and other equipment needed to fulfill basic job responsibilities.

This position will be a hybrid (remote/in-person) position. Candidates will need to be able to work in-person at one of our offices located in Oakland, Richmond, or Wilmington. This position will follow APEN’s COVID safety policies and protocols regarding in-person work. Masks are required to be worn in APEN offices and indoor events, with the exception of eating and drinking. All employees also are required to be vaccinated as part of our safety policy or be subject to weekly testing.

APEN will continue to closely monitor local and state health officials guidance around COVID and any additional guidelines around safety for people to return to offices and gather in-person as needed. 

This position may occasionally require work during irregular hours including on nights or weekends, and will require regular travel to Sacramento and intermittent travel within California.

This position will not require carrying or moving heavy equipment, regularly ascending or descending a ladder, or standing or sitting for long periods of time. This position will not require working in hazardous or unusual conditions such as outdoors in inclement weather.

We provide reasonable accommodations for the application, interview, or any other aspect of the internship selection process to applicants with disabilities. Please email hiring@apen4ej.org to request an accommodation.

Application Process

This position was posted in April 2025 and will be open until filled. Applications are due electronically by clicking “Apply Now” on the APEN website. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The application must include the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter describing interest in the position and qualifications

APEN is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law. APEN conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. Queer, transgender, intersex, gender non-conforming, disabled, black and indigenous people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

*For more information about Just Transition, please reference:  

https://climatejusticealliance.org/just-transition/