JOB DESCRIPTION

Summary

Senior Policy Associates are responsible for advancing ECPCAs anti-poverty policy agenda toward its goals of economic mobility and prosperity, especially for under-resourced and historically excluded BIPOC communities, and abolishing child and family poverty in California. These positions will be responsible for managing ECPCAs: 1) public benefits portfolio, with a particular focus on food justice and the integration of an early childhood equity lens across areas of ECPCA involvement and 2) cradle to career portfolio and supporting the organizations wealth-building efforts, with an emphasis on the intersections of poverty, early childhood, equity, and place-based anti-poverty initiatives.

These roles will require developing and maintaining relationships with diverse advocates, community members, and policymakers in Sacramento and across the state; supporting and facilitating robust coalition partnerships and mobilization; researching, developing, and prioritizing public policies and strategies; and legislative, administrative, and budget advocacy, including public communications tactics and campaigns. In addition, Sr. Policy Associates serve as members of ECPCAs policy team and play active roles in crafting and supporting GRACEs internal operations and culture.

Essential Duties

Policy, Advocacy, & Mobilization

As key members of the ECPCA policy team and liaison with affiliated groups, including but not limited to the End Child Poverty California Coalition, California Cradle to Career Coalition, Bringing Up California, baby bonds coalition(s):

• Support the development of policy and advocacy agendas: inform and align organization/coalition goals, positions, and methods (including budget, legislative, and regulatory as required)
• Track, research, and analyze state, federal, and local legislation; related issues to lead implementation of policy and advocacy efforts
  • Identify needs, effective strategies, and necessary resources; plan and coordinate campaigns and associated activities to achieve policy goals
  • Maintain flexibility to changing demands, shifting political climate, and other challenges and opportunities as they arise
• Assessment of process and results: assist ECPCA and coalition(s) in efforts to align with best practices, evaluate and increase effectiveness, and identify solutions to the barriers to engagement and mobilization within different communities
• Outreach and communications: create, edit, and/or disseminate the range of materials needed to inform and engage diverse audiences on coalition issues and priorities (e.g. policy briefs, reports, and proposals, fact sheets and talking points, support letters, legislative testimony, action alerts, presentations, web and social media content, press releases and statements, editorials and op-eds)

Coalition Management and Relationship Building

• Leadership and support to coalition(s) on configuration and membership, governance and procedures, and long-term goals and objectives
• Raise awareness of coalition(s), issues, and goals through a unified communications strategy, including branding, storytelling, earned media, and other methods/materials
• Advise and communicate with stakeholders and partners on important issues; facilitate information sharing within the coalition and its community
• Build and manage relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders to 1) increase support for policy priorities and advocacy efforts and 2) promote cooperative interactions among stakeholders (e.g. elected officials and staff; government agencies; allied coalitions; community-based and nonprofit organizations; service providers and agencies; impacted populations; academia; press/media)

Organizational Duties

• Development: Assist in developing grant proposals, achieving grant deliverables, and writing grant reports
• Communications: support in content creation for the ECPCA newsletter, social media accounts, website, press/media, as requested
• Operations: participate in efforts to support organizational growth and effectiveness, including contributing to a healthy, cooperative, and inclusive work culture and environment
• Policy: work collaboratively to set ECPCAs internal policy priorities, ensure the organization is a trusted leader and partner, and assist with related policy and advocacy efforts
• Additional duties as requested

Core Competencies

• Understand and support GRACEs mission, vision, and values
• Deep commitment to advancing justice through an intersectional lens and advocating for equity and access for low-income communities, with a focus on communities of color
• A team player: generous and collaborative internally and externally
• A lifelong learner: curious, reflective, and open to new ideas
• A strategic thinker: driven to solve problems and identify solutions
• A servant leader: belief in leading by example and working unselfishly, uplifting the leadership, capacity, and expertise of others
• A committed anti-racist: actively identifying, confronting, and opposing racism and injustice

Education and Experience

Scale: 1) Essential (required for role); 2) Desirable (preferred); 3) Valuable (nice to have)

• Essential: Bachelors degree
  • Desirable: Masters or related post-secondary degree (considered alongside but not as a substitute for work experience)
• Essential: Minimum of 4-6 years work history within an advocacy, publi…