Job Description
Organization Overview
Our client envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. Our client builds community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. We serve and advocate for the largest, most diverse generation in America: the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25, with particular attention to those living in poverty and communities of color. Our client partners with policymakers, aligned organizations, and funders in this service.
Our client is the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice by wielding the moral authority of programmatic proximity and community organizing to inform public policy.
Position Summary
Our client's Senior Policy Manager is responsible for guiding, developing, implementing, and evaluating their advocacy and research work as it relates to their policy strategy. This position will lead the development of our client’s public policy and legislative strategies, work with external partners to promote their policy agenda, and develop and support communications efforts designed to activate and mobilize their constituents. This position represents the organization at the highest levels and negotiates major consequential policy proposals, with significant impacts on the organization’s reputation and overall effectiveness. This position also leads our client’s KIDS COUNT and data analysis efforts.
The Senior Policy Manager will provide supervision of the Policy Associate position and work closely with the policy team to support outreach, community organizing, and federal policy efforts. This position requires some travel and flexible hours during the legislative session.
Responsibilities
Policy and Legislative Affairs
- Build and lead our client’s public policy strategy, including policy development and bill drafting, meeting and negotiating with legislators, spearheading coalition activities around direct and grassroots advocacy, and representing the organization at speaking engagements, in the media, and with decision-makers.
- Lead and coordinate electoral and voter education work, including voter guide development and dissemination, candidate forum support, and support for their Day of Social Action. Convene, lead, and/or support various coalition work related to legislative and policy priorities.
- Legislative and policy analysis responsibilities include:
- Designing family input processes and incorporating feedback in the development of policy priorities.
- Serving as a content expert on key issue areas at the state and national levels.
- Meeting with legislators, state agency staff, and the community on key issues.
- Leading negotiations on state legislative and administrative priorities.
- Overseeing contractors providing legislative, content, or convening support.
- Writing legislation in collaboration with legislative authors and co-authors and counsel.
- Delivering written and oral testimony at committee hearings.
- Analyzing the impact of proposed budgets and legislation and advocating for our client’s positions.
- Grassroots organizing responsibilities include:
- Organizing media and grassroots activities during the legislative session to educate constituents regarding legislators’ positions on key issues and generate constituent activity surrounding key issues.
- Organizing client-sponsored forums or other community gatherings to provide legislative updates, issue education, and voter education.
- Recruiting authors and drafting op-eds.
- Developing and executing plans to include collaborating organizations in specific policy domains.
- Tracking national policy issues impacting children in Minnesota.
- Conducting interviews with media, speaking at or otherwise participating in press conferences, and writing social media content related to priority issues.
- Speaking at both client and non-client events such as KIDS COUNT Coffees, conferences/conventions, and speaking engagements pertaining to children and families.
- Meeting with other nonprofit stakeholders to form, join, or manage coalitions.
- Ensuring compliance with advocacy and lobbying regulations as a 501(c)(3) organization.
- Participating in meetings on federal policy issues with their national office and other state offices.
Research and Data Analysis
- Oversee the KIDS COUNT project, including supporting the development of the KIDS COUNT data book, content development, editing, outreach, grant writing, and reporting.
- Use KIDS COUNT tools and attend related events as needed.
- Produce KIDS COUNT products designed to educate legislators, including issue briefs or profiles by legislative district, a Legislator Academy focused on working family issues, and Thriving Children, Thriving MN blog posts.
- Provide research and analysis on policy issues and coordinate this work with internal and external content experts.
- Work with other staff to identify research needs, produce research reports, and conduct policy analysis.
- Design and manage processes and contributions from staff and contractors; make final content/design decisions with approval from leadership; draft written sections.
- Serve as the primary contact for the KIDS COUNT Project with funders and support both reporting and grant writing efforts.
- Make final decisions on data and format; develop and implement dissemination plans.
- Develop plans for the vision and components of KIDS COUNT and other research projects with team input.
- Review data and conduct quality control.
- Monitor and recommend national reports most relevant to Minnesota.
- Draft national report press releases with a Minnesota perspective and data.
Leadership and Management
- Provide oversight and management of contractors working on policy and research efforts.
- Work with leadership to support and align the state office’s policy strategy.
- Includes updates to staff and advisory boards, writing newsletter articles, attending staff meetings, and supervising interns.
- Assist in prospecting new donors, drafting grant proposals, participating in site visits, and maintaining relationships with foundations.
- Assist with celebrations and fundraisers.
- Integrate policies and practices for racial equity and lived experience into program portfolios and policy agendas.
Communications
- Write email communications tied to advocacy, action alerts, and press releases.
- Write social media communications for platforms such as the website, Facebook, and Twitter.
- Coordinate with the broader organization on policy issues and campaigns.
- Work with the team to develop and implement communications strategies related to policy and legislative priorities.
- Ensure public policy communications align with overall communications efforts.
Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess:
- A master’s degree.
- Knowledge of and experience working through the legislative process.
- Experience in policy development, analysis, coalition efforts, and managing contractors.
- Research and data analysis expertise.
- Strong relationship-building skills and project coordination experience.
- Familiarity with issues related to racial and economic equity.
- Experience with social media tools and platforms, including content creation.
- Grant writing and reporting experience.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
