Advocacy/Policy Campaign Director for Mental Health Care

**About Children First**
Children First is a leading child advocacy and policy organization dedicated to ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive. Headquartered in Philadelphia and working across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Children First champions policies and programs that expand access to quality health care, education, and family supports for children and youth in the Greater Philadelphia region.

For more than four decades, Children First has been a trusted voice for children by turning data into action, mobilizing communities, and driving systemic change that advances racial and economic equity. Through rigorous research, coalition-building, and strategic advocacy, the organization has helped shape landmark policies in early childhood education, mental and physical health access, and support for vulnerable youth and families.

**Position Summary**
The Campaign Director will lead the groundbreaking Strong Minds Bright Futures Partnership for Child Mental Wellbeing. The Partnership is a broad-based statewide coalition seeking state-level policy reforms that will guarantee low-income children access to a full continuum of mental health services.

We are looking for a visionary leader with strong organizational skills who can motivate policymakers to adopt changes by leading this newly formed coalition forward. The ideal leader will have three key skill sets:
1. Proven capacity to orchestrate partners to persuade elected officials to embrace new policies
2. Tested relationship management skills that guide stakeholders to focus collaboratively to influence public policy
3. A track record of using communication tools to build public will for policy change

The ideal candidate will be a leader who enjoys collaborating and helping coworkers and employees they supervise to do their best and contributes to a respectful workplace that values a commitment to racial diversity, having fun, and making an impact. You must also have the capacity to be a self-starter, work independently, and work with others in a hybrid, dynamic environment.

**Skills and Knowledge We Are Looking For:**
• **Advocacy Experience:** A minimum of five years advocating for a significant policy change via legislation or administrative reforms. This must include a track record of leading a united effort of grassroots and grasstops organizations and passionate individuals and orchestrating their advocacy to achieve a policy win.
• **Strategic and Critical Thinking:** Ability to see the big picture, develop strategy, and align tactics to achieve policy outcomes. Ability to critically assess a situation and recalibrate strategy accordingly.
• **Stakeholder Relationship Management Skills:** Ability to cultivate, manage, and grow relationships with state agency decision makers, organizational leaders, parents/caregivers, and other networks, coalitions, and policymakers.
• **Communication Skills:** Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate policy issues and priorities clearly and persuasively in writing, in meetings, and in media appearances. Ability to prepare reports, briefs, and correspondence with key officials.
• **Data and Analysis Skills:** Strategic and detail-oriented ability to collect, interpret, and simplify large datasets, and analyze laws and regulations in support of policy priorities and advocacy goals.
• **Management/Supervision and Project Management Experience:** Minimum seven years of experience managing and supervising a team with a spirit of collaboration and empowerment to help achieve team goals. Attention to detail is essential so that staff, partners, and policymakers can engage and help move the work forward. This effort requires strong project management and strategy development skills.
• **Proficiency with Technology:** Facility with Excel and Word, web-based research, and social media platforms.
• **Policy Knowledge:** Knowledge of state Medicaid administrative powers, payment systems, and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of the structure of the mental health system is preferred.

**Key Duties:**
• Spearhead the development of a new initiative aimed at improving children’s mental health by developing and implementing advocacy strategies to advance state and local mental health policy priorities, including:
○ Managing relationships with coalition members and state policymakers and recruiting additional key stakeholders
○ Guiding the implementation of communications, mobilization, and government relations strategies to secure policy reforms
○ Supervising campaign staff (three staff members and multiple consultants)
○ Developing messaging documents, official correspondence, testimony, or public speeches, and managing a process to publish, disseminate, and draw attention to compelling reports
○ Drafting grant applications to secure additional resources and ensuring expenditures do not exceed available funds

• Serve as the public face of the Campaign, successfully recruiting and informing community leaders, parents, and youth, engaging them to build support, and regularly communicating with key policymakers about mental health campaign priorities
• Monitor trends and collect and analyze data on Medicaid policy to assess their impact on the campaign

**Other Duties as Assigned:**
• Attend and present information at Children First board and board subcommittee meetings as requested
• Be available to plan, orchestrate, and assist with outreach events occurring in the evening and/or weekends
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and staff committees
• Actively support Children First fundraising efforts

**Additional Information:**
• This is a full-time hybrid position requiring approximately 60 days a year in Harrisburg, in addition to approximately 45 days on the road engaging with leaders across the state, and weekly in-office staff meetings in Philadelphia. Must have a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.

**Reports To:** Executive Director
**Salary:** Salary starts at $150,000 and will be commensurate with experience, plus benefits, including health care for you and your child(ren) and generous paid time off.

**Apply:** Resume and cover letter to [email protected].