Policy Analyst

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by and for autistic adults. ASAN is a national grassroots disability rights organization for the autistic community. We fight for disability rights and work to make sure autistic people are included in policy-making, so that laws and policies meet our community’s needs.

ASAN is hiring a Policy Analyst. Consider becoming a part of the team and helping us advance community-driven disability policy! The Policy Analyst will lead ASAN’s policy work in selected issue areas. They will work closely with the Director of Public Policy and other members of the policy team.

The job is a salaried position paying $69,000 annually. For reasons of fairness, we do not negotiate salaries during the hiring process. This position offers a comprehensive health insurance plan and other benefits, including a 32-hour, four-day workweek, retirement plan, dental insurance, commuter benefits for office-based employees, and up to 20 days of paid time off per year.

The Policy Analyst will work out of ASAN’s Washington, DC office and must be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. Hybrid work arrangements are available, but this position does require being located in the Washington, DC metro area. This is a NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America represented position.

Job Responsibilities

Identify and prioritize topics and strategies for policy advocacy:

• Gather information on upcoming or potential legislative and administrative items through coalition meetings and other means. Strategize policy responses to these developments.
• Review upcoming administrative actions, agendas, and legislation. Identify and prioritize relevant responses from ASAN.
• Develop and maintain subject-matter expertise in selected policy areas through attendance and participation in task force meetings, research, and review of policy materials from aligned organizations, attendance to briefings from administrative agencies, and other means.
• Look for and prioritize new opportunities for ASAN to achieve our policy goals.

Effectively influence key policy concerns on a short and long-term basis, ensuring ASAN is a leader in priority policy areas:

• Be consistently engaged with policymakers as they are considering issues within the Policy Analyst’s portfolio that affect us.
• Participate in meetings with coalition partners to strategize, share intelligence, and develop responses to policy concerns; leading meetings and driving strategy as appropriate.
• Communicate the policy priorities of ASAN to policymakers, including Congressional staff and members, administrative agencies, the executive branch, and others.
• Draft public comments, letters to Congressional offices, and public testimony reflecting ASAN’s policy positions.

Educate community members, advocates, and allies about key policy issues within the policy analyst’s portfolio:

• Research, outline, and draft policy toolkits focused on areas of importance to the autistic community for ASAN, in collaboration with other ASAN staff and/or external project partners.
• Participate in webinars, panels, and other public speaking engagements to communicate about important policy issues as needed.
• Coordinate with ASAN’s communications team to carry out public education activities such as statements, action alerts, and webinars.

Internal communication and collaboration:

• Under the supervision of the Senior Policy Advisor, collaborate with the policy team, Director of Public Policy, and Executive Director about proposed policy positions and strategies.
• Ensure that all work undertaken by the policy team regarding selected areas is consistent and well-coordinated.
• Develop skills to organize, coordinate, and manage a project across its lifecycle.
• In coordination with the Policy Coordinator, proactively document policy knowledge in selected areas to support knowledge-sharing and team coordination.

Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Experience Needed

• Familiarity with the disability rights, self-advocacy, and neurodiversity movements broadly, as well as how they pertain to the experience of autistic people.
• Track record of discretion and reliability in work and advocacy environments.
• Previous education or work experience in policy advocacy, disability advocacy, public health or health policy, employment policy, education policy, or similar. (Work experience can include volunteer positions or internships.)
• Comfort exploring and developing familiarity with a variety of policy issues.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to identify emerging policy issues, analyze the components and context of an issue, and evaluate its overall strategic importance.
• Appetite for identifying and developing creative opportunities to advance disability rights through both incremental and large-scale policy change.
• Strong attention to detail which includes an appreciation for how effective policy change often hinges on small details.
• Willingness to think through how to strategically prioritize multiple urgent policy issues within the constraints of limited resources, in partnership with management and other members of the policy team.
• Effective communication with a wide range of stakeholders, including self-advocates and people without a policy background, through writing, presentations, and real-time meetings.
• Experience representing an organizational perspective in external meetings.
• Comfort with constantly managing and monitoring multiple competing perspectives and contexts in communications, in coalitions, in policy development and negotiations, in developing advocacy strategies, etc.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as a team.
• Strong time management skills. Ability to work on multiple complex projects simultaneously and organize a daily workload by both short and long-term priorities.

Skills and Experience Preferred

• 2+ years of work experience in public policy. Volunteer experience with policy advocacy or educational experience are also counted.
• Familiarity with specific areas of disability policy, such as: education, self-advocacy, civil rights, housing, employment, reproductive rights, health care, home and community-based services, supported decision making, etc.
• Previous lobbying experience.
• Comfort with public speaking (public speaking via AAC counts).
• Experience communicating with journalists.
• Experience in coalition building: intentionally building relationships with potential allies; navigating disagreement and conflict constructively; representing an organization’s strategic interests in challenging and nuanced environments; establishing yourself as a trusted partner via consistent follow-through that turns relationships into tangible results.
• Experience using Government Relations Management software (e.g. Quorum, PoliticoPro, Leadership Connect)

How to apply

Step 1: Please submit your application via the linked form with thoughtful, short answers (paragraph-length) to the questions listed below:

1. Why do you think this would be a good job for you? How does it match up with your experience, skills, and interests?
2. What does intersectionality in policy-making mean to you and how does that relate to disability rights, in particular, neurodiversity?
3. Describe your familiarity with ASAN’s policy positions and stances.
4. This job will require you to engage with a range of public officials virtually and in person. If you don’t already live in the DC metro area, are you willing to relocate to the DC metro area?
5. Are you willing to work in person, including meeting with government officials (including members of Congress) in federal government buildings as needed?
6. Do you think autism should be prevented and/or cured?

Step 2: Please send a resume detailing your work experience, volunteer experience and education, highlighting details relevant to this position to Jean Winegardner at [email protected] with “Policy Analyst” in the subject line.

We cannot consider incomplete applications, so please be sure to complete both steps.

We will accept applications until 11:59 PM EDT 8/31/26. We will review all applications that we receive before the closing time, but will not review applications sent in after 8/31/26 unless we announce an extension. We will not accept any application that includes the use of AI.

Job-seekers from oppressed communities, including people of color and women, are more likely not to apply to jobs where they don’t meet every requirement. If you think you would be a good fit for this position but do not meet all the requirements exactly, we encourage you to apply. Please feel free to contact our HR Manager Jean Winegardner at [email protected] if you have any questions about this position and the required and preferred skills and experience.

Depending on how far you progress, the application process may include live interviews with a hiring committee (via Zoom, phone call or text chat), emailed questions, and contacting 2-3 references that you provide. These references do not have to be from a current or previous job, but must be able to assess whether you can do this job. For example, if you volunteer with a local mutual aid group managing food donations, someone who works with you on this would be able to tell us whether you are organized and handle logistics well. There is no need to provide references in your application; we will ask you for them later in the process.

If you have any questions about the application process or need accommodations to apply, please contact Jean at [email protected].