Special Assistant, Privacy and Counsel

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Special Assistant in the Administration and Finance Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. The Special Assistant will provide support to both the Privacy & Data Governance (P&DG) unit and the Office of Corporate Counsel (Counsel). This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month.

The Privacy & Data Governance (P&DG) unit works to enable the ACLU to honor individual privacy and choice, protect data in our possession, and be a leader in non-profit privacy and data governance practices. The unit is responsible for a cross-departmental Privacy & Data Governance program that provides centralized governance for organizational data policies and internal controls and works with National and Affiliate staff on an ongoing basis to establish and document consistent practices that meet evolving regulatory and organizational expectations for data protection and privacy.

The Office of Corporate Counsel (Counsel) provides primary support for the ACLU to contract outside vendors and protect the organization’s tax-exempt status and its fundraising, advocacy, and litigation capabilities. Counsel drafts and negotiate contracts that enable the ACLU to leverage third-party resources to supplement the talents of its own staff and maximize its impact. The office also creates compliance programs, trains staff, and provides compliance advice, all with the goal of maintaining the highest standards of professional and business impact.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit. It is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

The deadline to apply to this role is August 12, 2026.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Chief Privacy Officer and the Co-Chief Corporate Counsels, the Special Assistant, Privacy and Counsel will be responsible for providing administrative, logistical, and operational support to the P&DG and Counsel units. The Special Assistant will facilitate the progression of priority projects and initiatives; manage and triage requests from Nationwide colleagues and the public; and create and manage internal resource libraries to enable effective operations across P&DG and Counsel. The role will also help translate complex information into clear guidance, procedures, and other practical resources for staff. Priority projects and initiatives may include supporting the development of a Nationwide Privacy Strategy; researching privacy trends and leading practices; and strengthening the systems, resources, and processes that support the units’ work. This position will handle information that is highly sensitive and confidential.

The ideal candidate is a problem solver and critical thinker with unquestionable integrity and discretion, excellent judgment, and a service-oriented, can-do attitude. They are highly organized, comfortable learning complex subject matter, and able to communicate information clearly to different audiences. They can navigate ambiguity, build strong working relationships, and persistently move work forward, while taking pride in anticipating the needs of others.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Complete a broad variety of administrative and logistical tasks that enable the P&DG and Counsel units to operate effectively and efficiently, including scheduling for the Chief Privacy Officer and Co-Chief Corporate Counsels; designing and producing documents, reports, and presentations; and assisting with special projects.
• Coordinate scheduling and follow-up across National staff, affiliates, consultants, and other partners, adapting to different systems, working styles, and levels of calendar access.
• Plan and handle all logistics for unit-wide meetings and retreats, the Nationwide Privacy Strategy Group, the P&DG Executive and Operational Steering Committees, Privacy Champions, and other large meetings for both units: scheduling; preparing draft agendas and talking points; developing, compiling, and distributing presentation materials; and drafting meeting minutes.
• Work with consultants to schedule meetings/interviews, gather documentation, facilitate systems access, and other tasks required to enable successful projects and programs (e.g. Nationwide Privacy Strategy).
• Support the drafting of ACLU-wide communication(s) from the P&DG unit and help translate complex privacy and legal information into clear, accessible materials for staff and other audiences.
• Support research on privacy regulations, emerging trends, and leading practices, including proposed privacy legislation, de-identification, data minimization, and the delivery of data subject rights.
• Maintain P&DG official records and libraries of internal resources, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and legal analyses.
• Partner with P&DG and Counsel staff to capture institutional knowledge and develop, organize, and maintain internal guidance, templates, standard operating procedures, and other resources that make information easier to find and use.
• Manage and triage requests received through P&DG support queues, including Slack and Zendesk. This includes directing Nationwide staff to existing documentation, providing clear initial responses, appropriately routing and escalating requests, tracking requests, and identifying gaps and trends to improve P&DG operations.
• Monitor recurring questions and issues across support requests and other work, identify patterns, and share insights that can inform new or improved guidance, resources, and processes.
• Support management of P&DG and Counsel vendors by submitting and managing procurement requests. Coordinate, and process, and track invoices and payments, for both units, as necessary.
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Interest in data privacy rights and the ability to learn and work effectively with complex privacy, legal, or regulatory information. Prior experience with privacy and confidentiality policies, regulations, or practices is a strong plus.
• Experience developing, organizing, or maintaining internal resources such as standard operating procedures, guidance documents, templates, knowledge libraries, or process documentation.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly and accurately to different audiences.
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint; ability to design and edit basic graphic presentations and materials using Microsoft Office applications.
• Project management skills, including experience with project management tools, such as, Asana.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment managing strict deadlines and competing priorities.
• Excellent judgement with ability to maintain a high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence with the ability to manage up and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Fast learner with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, work through ambiguity, and switch gears at a moment’s notice.
• Highly organized, with great attention to detail and the ability to track requests and follow through persistently.
• Willingness to conquer the “small tasks” with an understanding of their vital importance in the success of the team
• Ability to complete a high volume of tasks and projects with appropriate independence and initiative.

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please complete the Accommodation Request Form

If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.