Policy Analyst or Director

About SEACC

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is a small grassroots nonprofi t based out of Juneau, Alaska, surrounded by the Tongass National Forest. Since 1970, SEACC has been a regional conservation watchdog, defending the remaining intact old-growth forests and waters of Southeast Alaska.

We partner with local communities, Tribes, businesses, and visitors to advocate for the conservation and sustainable use of our region’s natural resources, and preserve our uniquely Southeast Alaskan ways of life. We mix policy and technical expertise with grassroots organizing and communication skills to engage the public, advance new policy, and maintain and uphold existing protections, so that we ensure the interconnected whole of Southeast Alaska exists for future generations.
SEACC is committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our commitment to these priorities is being developed and elaborated by both staff and board on an ongoing, sustained basis, and our work towards living these values is interwoven across all our programs and departments, as well as into our day-to-day work practices. Any future team member should share these values and priorities.

Who we’re looking for

Are you someone who cares deeply about the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska? Are you action-oriented and interested in doing something meaningful to create impact for the long term benefi t of our communities? Do you want to apply your legal skills toward protecting this one-of-a-kind place? Are you excited to support a team of campaign staff to strategize on and develop campaign goals? Do you fi nd it satisfying to deep dive into research and help evaluate actionable paths in environmental watchdog work? Are you a strategic thinker; a planner and a doer who loves details and effi ciency? Are you excited to empower the people and hold agencies accountable? Then you might just have what it takes to be our new Legal and Policy Analyst or Director!

Position summary

SEACC is seeking a motivated legal professional to join our team as a Legal and Policy Analyst or Director. The title and scope of this position will be tailored to the experience and qualifi cations of the selected candidate. The salary range for this role is wide to accommodate either an early career (Analyst) or more seasoned professional (Director). At
the analyst level this role will be a critical contributor to our team, while the more senior director level would be a team leader position with the possibility of supervisory responsibilities. The analyst position will be a partner to our existing policy analyst and will share the workload of analysis and technical comments. As a director the position will additionally play a more prominent role in directing strategy and helping determine the organization’s priorities.

Position summary: Legal and Policy Analyst

This position reports to SEACC's Executive Director and works closely with the Policy Analyst and campaign staff. The Analyst will work independently and as part of a team, including with staff, community members, and partner organizations such as Alaska Native Tribes, commercial fishermen, business owners, local government officials, hunters and fishers, and other conservation groups.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a rapid-fire environment with hard-working colleagues. We are looking for someone who is innovative, creative, and passionate about Southeast Alaska, who can serve as our analyst and commenter on a wide array of technical and legal documents and permit applications, and lead our participation in processes with signifi cant regulatory and legal components. This work will entail signifi cant collaboration with outside attorneys, technical experts and others

Who You Are

The strongest candidates will have many, but not all, of the following qualifications:

All candidates should bring:
● Juris Doctorate or LLM in Environmental Law and admitted to the Alaska Bar;
● Familiarity with the federal regulatory process, including NEPA environmental review, notice-and-comment rulemaking, and agency appeals;
● An understanding of Alaska government and politics;
● Genuine commitment to SEACC's conservation mission and the communities of Southeast Alaska;
● Comfort working in a small, fast-paced, and nimble nonprofi t environment;
● A collaborative spirit and ability to work with a team in both a project leadership and individual contributor capacity;
● Excellent legal research, analysis, writing, and speaking skills;
● Knowledge of legal procedures (federal and state).
Other qualifications that would be beneficial
● Demonstrated knowledge of public lands and Indigenous rights (including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent practices);
● Experience working with Tribal governments or on Indigenous rights issues;
● Experience with litigation in Alaska state or federal court;
● Big picture thinking: seeing beyond individual tasks to understand how they fit into the overall campaign strategy/SEACC strategy;
Position summary:

What You’ll Do
In coordination and collaboration with the SEACC team, you’ll work to further SEACC’s mission and vision in these key areas:
● Represent SEACC in agency proceedings, public hearings, and coalition settings;
● Help translate complex legal and regulatory issues into accessible materials for SEACC staff, partners, and the public;
● Conduct legal research and analysis as well as produce written technical comments on proposed state and federal actions;
● Develop technical comments, legal memoranda, FOIA requests, and talking points;
● Review legal mechanisms of proposed state and federal timber sales, mining permits, and other conservation-related actions in Southeast Alaska and fl ag emerging legal issues;
● Track and manage timelines for state and federal action requirements;
● Ensure SEACC builds a strong record to preserve legal standing in case of future litigation; Review and recommend possible cases for litigation;
● Assist with litigation in coordination with outside counsel and partner organizations.

What You’ll Do

In addition to the job duties described above for the Analyst role, the Director level position will also:

● Guide SEACC campaign strategy grounded in statute, regulation, and policy, with the aim of infl uencing outcomes on the Tongass and Inside Passage;
● Oversee and track research, document preparation, and comment submissions to build a strong public record on resource development projects;
● Coordinate and lead litigation efforts in collaboration with outside counsel and partner organizations.
In addition to the qualifications listed for the Analyst role, all Director candidates should bring:
● At least 5 years of experience in environmental law, administrative law, natural resource law, or related public interest practice;
● Experience litigating in federal and/or Alaska state court and/or before administrative agencies;
● Experience creating long-term plans to advance an organization’s mission through political, state, or federal channels.

$78,000 and $105,000 annually