Senior Policy & Research Analyst Strategic Initiatives

Who We Are:

At Catalyst California, formerly Advancement Project California, we transform racial injustice and redesign systems for access and equity. We do this by shifting and building power with movement leaders in communities of color who are making real change. With the collective impact of community, data, and policy, we make the California Dream inclusive and available to all.

Position Summary:

Senior Analyst

The Senior Analyst will report directly to the Associate Director of Strategic initiatives. The Senior Analyst will work in partnership with community-based organizations to support advocacy campaigns that advance racial and economic equity and reflect community priorities, with a particular focus on L.A. city. Strategic Initiatives is a program team within Catalyst California, which works on projects that cut across multiple issue areas. A key project of the Strategic Initiatives team is Race Counts, which is an online tool that tracks racial disparities data in California across seven issue areas (Crime & Justice, Democracy, Economic Opportunity, Education, Health Care Access, Healthy Built Environment, and Housing), and a strategic platform that centers racial equity in policy campaigns to reinvent public systems.

While the Senior Analyst will be within the Strategic Initiatives team, they will work closely with other Catalyst California programmatic teams (i.e., Political Voice, Equity in Community Investments, Reimagine Justice & Safety, and Educational Equity). As a member of Strategic Initiatives, the Senior Analyst will work on a variety of issue areas including, but not limited to, housing and houselessness, economic justice, democracy and good governance reform, budget advocacy, and criminal legal system reform.

The Senior Analyst’s work will include:

• Participating and managing coalitions to collaboratively develop campaign strategies and tactics and recognizing political opportunities;
• Building relationships with key stakeholders including partner community-based organizations and government officials and staff;
• Conducting extensive research and analysis on public policies and administrative practices that relate to racial and economic equity;
• Making a case for change by identifying persuasive facts and crafting compelling messages and delivering them to target audiences;
• A strong focus on L.A. City policy and systems change campaigns;

The successful applicant must have a strong, demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice, documented project management skills and experience overseeing multiple streams of work at the same time, a record of involvement in racial justice/systems change campaigns, an ability to engage with local government decision-making processes, and be self-motivated, flexible, and skilled at fostering creative and collaborative spaces.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Support strategic development of policy campaigns and initiatives in consultation with Catalyst California leadership team and community partners through research and advocacy;
• Serve as primary liaison and provide support for relationship development and engagement with community partners, elected officials and their staff, and other strategic allies.
• Provide support for the Strategic Initiatives team’s projects including supporting virtual and in-person meetings, webinars, convenings, and presentations; coordinating scheduling; providing technical support; taking notes; conducting policy presentations; preparing materials and reports for meetings; and completing post-event follow-up items;
• Draft and edit presentation and communication (both internal and external) materials including slide decks, memoranda, policy and research briefs, fact sheets, blog posts, substantive emails, and reports;
• Conducting online research and literature reviews to support the development of L.A. city policy and advocacy agendas to advance racial equity;
• Support project implementation and management for current and emerging Strategic Initiatives efforts;
• Participate in organization-wide planning, development, and communications activities, as needed, and ensure adherence to Catalyst California goals and policies within the Strategic Initiatives team;
• Other duties as assigned dependent on organizational needs and employee skills.

Qualifications:

Candidate profile, skills, and abilities:

• Experience managing coalitions and campaigns, including partnerships with residents, community organizations and engaging with senior government leaders;
• Extensive knowledge of and/or experience with the L.A. city landscape as an advocate, practitioner, policymaker, lawyer, researcher, or someone who has been directly impacted.
• Sincere and demonstrated commitment to advancing racial and economic justice for highest-need communities;
• Strong interpersonal, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills – experience translating technical analyses into compelling advocacy messages especially preferred;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to analyze complex information/data for policy and planning;
• Strong writing skills and experience, including for a wide variety of target audiences;
• Self-starter, analytical, and detail-oriented;
• Sound emotional intelligence with ability to work in partnership and in teams; and proven ability to work with diverse communities, leaders and staff;
• Flexibility to adjust and contribute to continually evolving work situation and changing priorities and demonstrated ability to get up to speed in new policy and issue areas;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with demonstrated ability to lead and manage multiple complex projects at same time and execute projects on-time;
• Ability to take on responsibilities independently with minimal supervision;
• Ability to multi-task under deadlines and work well under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills, including strong internet research skills, proficiency with MS Office applications, and Google Docs and Google Drive, and Zoom;
• Ability to travel statewide and/or locally on occasion.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree in public policy, law, or the social sciences preferred. Equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential job duties will also be considered;
• 4-8 years of experience in civil rights and social justice, public policy, community-based policy advocacy, and/or organizing (beyond summer or short-term internships) – experience working on L.A. city policy campaigns and/or within L.A. city government strongly preferred;
• Experience building and managing coalitions and campaigns, including partnerships with community partners (e.g., local residents, community-based organizations), civil rights organizations, and government officials and staff;
• Demonstrated experience conducting public policy research (qualitative and/or quantitative), analysis, and writing on racial and economic justice public policy issues.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Salary:

In the spirit of pay transparency, we are excited to share the base salary range for this position is 77,500-90,000. If you are hired at Catalyst California, your final salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, and/or experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.

Benefits, Perks, & Work Environment:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits with an affordable employee contribution that covers spouses and/or dependents, including registered Domestic Partners.
• 403B retirement plan with employer matching benefits after 90 days.
• Flexible Spending Account for eligible employees to allocate pre-tax money throughout the year.
• 15 vacation days, 6 personal days, 8 sick days, and 2 weeks paid parental leave along with national and office holidays.
• Organizational and team wellness days to help build team cohesion and camaraderie.
• Opportunity to work in a flexible work culture that is sensitive to employee well-being and encourages work-life balance.
• Opportunity to see the meaning and impact of your work at an organization actively building more equitable communities and systems across California.
• Opportunity to work in an organization dedicated to pay equity and diverse work culture.
• Yearly professional development allowance and support of personalized professional development goals.

To Apply:

Please email with subject “SI Application” and cover letter, resume and a policy-related writing sample in one PDF attachment titled last_name_first_name_osi.pdf (e.g., Trujillo_Matt_si.pdf) to: Katrice McCorkle, Human Resources Senior Manager [email protected]

Interview Process:

• Phone interview with hiring manager
• Two panel interviews (via Zoom)
• Reference Checks

Catalyst California is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive staff team. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, women, people with disabilities; and/or formerly incarcerated people.