Strategic Programming and Event Manager

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position

Location

1825 I (Eye) Street, Suite 800, NW, Washington, DC 20006

Department

Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs

Employment Status

Regular/Full-Time/Exempt (?)

Schedule

Hybrid. 3 days/week per LSC’s Hybrid Work Policy. Moderate travel required.

ABOUT LSC

Established by Congress in 1974 as an independent nonprofit organization, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is the country’s single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC supports a nationwide network of independent nonprofit legal aid organizations that address life-changing matters for clients by providing free, critical civil legal services in every congressional district across the United States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Its mission is to promote equal access to justice and provide grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans.

JOB FUNCTION

The Programming and Events Manager develops substantive content and programming for LSC events and presentations and works directly with LSC grantees to support local events. Working within the Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs (GRPA), the position collaborates with subject matter experts across LSC, grant recipients, senior leadership, Board members, and other partners to develop programs that advance LSC’s communications, congressional outreach and stakeholder engagement objectives.

The position develops events with LSC’s broader communications strategy in mind, identifying strategic opportunities with grantees to engage with local Members of Congress and media, and to capture and repurpose compelling stories, video, photographs, quotes, presentations, and other content across LSC’s communications channels. The position reports to the Communications Director within GRPA and requires moderate travel.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

LSC Events and Convenings

Leads substantive content development for LSC events and programs, including public programs associated with quarterly Board meetings, congressional briefings and events on Capitol Hill, and works with grantees to develop strategic programs in their congressional districts.

Develops event concepts, themes, agendas, and program content in collaboration with subject matter experts across LSC, GRPA colleagues, leadership, grant recipients, and external partners.

Researches and assesses potential political and public affairs risks associated with topics, venues, speakers, and participants, to minimize distraction and maximize messaging and content reach.

Researches timely topics and identifies and vets speakers, moderators, clients, public officials, subject matter experts, and other participants.

Prepares speakers and moderators and develops briefing materials, talking points, discussion questions, scripts, presentations, and other program content.

Works with LSC subject matter experts to translate research, data, policy, emerging issues, and programmatic expertise into accessible and compelling programming for policymakers and other audiences.

Works closely with the Travel and Event Manager throughout the planning process of major LSC events to ensure programming aligns with the event budget, timeline, venue, technology, contractual, and operational requirements.

Works closely with GRPA to ensure that programming and content support LSC’s mission, communications strategy, and stakeholder engagement objectives.

Anticipates issues, manages changing priorities, and makes sound decisions in fast-paced event environments.

Conducts post-event evaluations to assess outcomes, lessons learned, and opportunities for improvement.

Grant Recipient Events and Congressional Engagement

Partners with LSC grant recipients to leverage and develop local events, site visits, and other programs that educate Members of Congress and their staff about civil legal services and the impact of LSC funding in their states and districts.

Helps grant recipients identify opportunities to engage Members of Congress and other key stakeholders and develop programs tailored to their communities and audiences.

Provides hands-on guidance on program design, messaging, storytelling, speaker selection and preparation, and supporting materials.

Works with LSC’s government relations team to ensure local events support LSC’s broader congressional outreach and engagement strategy and reflect the context of individual states and districts.

Helps grant recipients identify compelling client stories, community partnerships, and examples of impact, and develops adaptable resources and tools for programs with varying levels of communications capacity.

Builds strong working relationships with grant recipient leadership and staff and serves as a resource for programs seeking to strengthen event-based congressional and community engagement.

Leadership and Strategic Content

Develops presentations, briefing materials, talking points, remarks, and other substantive content for the LSC President, senior leaders, Board members, and other LSC presenters and for LSC Leaders Council Calls.

Researches and synthesizes information from LSC subject matter experts and external sources to support speeches, presentations, panels, and other public engagements.

Ensures event and leadership content advances LSC’s organizational priorities and government relations and communications objectives.

Collaborates with GRPA colleagues to repurpose event-generated stories, presentations, video, photographs, quotes, and other material across communications channels and identifies opportunities to strengthen future programming.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

General

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and ability to produce polished, audience-appropriate materials requiring minimal editing.
• Excellent editorial judgment and ability to identify compelling topics, speakers, stories, and messages.
• Ability to quickly understand complex legal and policy issues and translate them into accessible and engaging content.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with senior leaders, Board members, congressional offices, grant recipients, clients, subject matter experts, and external partners.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Strong judgment, diplomacy, initiative, attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and a collaborative working style.
• Ability to travel periodically and work outside regular business hours when required by events.

Technical/Specialized

A bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public affairs, government relations, event programming, journalism, public policy, or a related field.

Demonstrated experience developing substantive programming for events, public programs, or executive presentations and producing high-quality written and presentation materials for senior leaders and external audiences.

Experience developing and managing event timelines, run-of-show documents, speaker management processes, and program deliverables.

Experience working with elected officials, nonprofit or community organizations, or other public-interest stakeholders strongly preferred.

Knowledge of the federal government and congressional environment required; knowledge of the legal system, access-to-justice issues, or civil legal services preferred.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and presentation tools; familiarity with CRM systems, event-management platforms, digital communications tools, and generative AI tools desirable.

Demonstrated commitment to public service and LSC’s mission.

Salary: $93,061 (Step 1)

LSC has a competitive market-based salary structure that establishes a specific salary range for this position which has 10 steps. A new hire is typically hired at Step 1 and receives a step increase annually. In special circumstances, LSC may authorize a new hire to start at a higher step based on a special business need or the significantly higher qualifications of the new employee. Employees hired after October 1st of any calendar year will receive their first step increase the January following their first full year of employment.

Application Procedure

A cover letter and résumé must be included. To have your application considered, please answer all application questions and provide all requested information. Note: If you need an accommodation during the application process, please notify OHR at [email protected].

LSC is an equal opportunity employer.