Senior State Policy Strategist, California

SUMMARY

The Senior State Policy Strategist will join UnidosUS’s Policy and Advocacy department as a member of the state advocacy team. The Senior State Policy Strategist is responsible for advancing California policy and advocacy priorities. Responsibilities include building and leveraging issue expertise, co-leading strategy setting and project management, working with and leading coalitions, shaping legislation, and maintaining strong relationships with allies, stakeholders, policymakers, UnidosUS Affiliate leaders. Success in this role requires strategic ability, effective coalition-building, command of policy, advocacy and legislative processes, and excellent written, verbal and analytical skill.

The Senior State Policy Strategist is a hybrid position based in Sacramento, CA. Some statewide and out of state travel is required.

Only those applicants who submit a cover letter along with a resume will be considered for this opportunity.

Salary: $93,190 – $102,711

Essential Functions

• Develop, lead, and carry out strategic and highly aligned issue campaigns, working with multiple teams, and leveraging UnidosUS policy, program, and network assets, to achieve policy outcomes in California and maximize the impact of state and federal efforts.
• Sustain and expand partnerships with elected officials, UnidosUS Affiliate Network, state coalitions, and allies to advance policy priorities, and represent UnidosUS in those settings.
• Track relevant state legislative and agency activity, policy and media developments on key issues, to provide strategic advice in response to threats and opportunities to launch and scale campaigns.
• Collaborate with UnidosUS DC colleagues on issue and communications teams to develop issue analyses, position statements, talking points, to elevate Latino issue priorities, and educate partners and policymakers.
• Enhance the advocacy capacity of the UnidosUS Affiliate Network and allied groups by conceptualizing and organizing policy/advocacy activities, including roundtables, town halls, and legislative visits, and by providing technical leadership and issue support to develop spokespeople.
• Manage the development of materials on UnidosUS issues and campaigns, including talking points, issue baseline analyses, bill analyses, target lists, and similar tools.
• Oversee/perform effective tracking and reporting mechanisms to document progress and outcomes, both of campaign teams and community partners, and communicate progress to senior leadership, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with States Team colleagues on campaigns as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5-7 years of relevant experience executing high-impact issue advocacy campaigns, combining policy, legislative, field and communications strategies and tactics.
• Robust understanding of the Latino community, commitment to social justice and to UnidosUS mission.
• Knowledge of the state legislative and policymaking process state government structures (e.g., legislative/administrative process, budget, state agencies, etc.).
• Excellent writing skills and ability to synthesize information and present it in a variety of formats and styles (e.g., issue one-pagers, position letters, blog posts, op-eds, talking points).
• Excellent verbal communication skills and ability to represent UnidosUS effectively in various settings (e.g., trainings, presentations, press conferences, interviews, and legislative testimony).
• Experience engaging a wide range of stakeholders (coalition partners, legislator and their staff, media, foundations, business, and academics), work in coalition, and build high-impact partnerships.
• Consistently able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities and tight deadlines, working both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to self-start and manage up, as well as communicate effectively across multiple teams and with multiple staff members in various locations around the country.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community.
• Flexibility for occasional travel.

Desired Qualifications

• Graduate degree.
• Education policy experience.
• Experience developing high-impact issue advocacy campaigns.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) ability.

Skills and Abilities

• Steadfast commitment to UnidosUS mission, vision, and values: Excellence, Accountability, Respeto.
• Commitment to U.S. Latino community, Latino non-profit organizations, and the Latino market.
• Demonstrated experience working in non-profits, community-based organizations, and/or diverse communities.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Commitment to excellence and high standards.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of teams and committees.
• Acute attention to detail.

Competencies

• Analytics — Synthesizes complex and diverse information; collects and analyzes data; uses intuition and experience to complement data; and designs effective and efficient workflows and procedures.
• Project Management — Develops project plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget; Manages project team activities.
• Oral Communication — Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Written Communication — Writes clearly and informatively; edits work to develop high-quality written products; varies style and approach to fit audiences and to achieve clear goals; presents numerical information effectively; and interprets written information accurately.
• Leadership — Exhibits confidence in self and others; Inspires and motivates others to perform well; Effectively influences actions and opinions of others; Accepts feedback from others; Gives appropriate recognition to others.
• Strategic Thinking — Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; Understands organization’s strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and competition; Identifies external threats and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Innovation — Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others’ attention.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Accurately complete detailed forms and reports.
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Perform some repetitive motion activities.
• Sit for long periods of time.
• Frequently required to stand.
• Frequently required to walk.
• Frequently required to sit.
• Frequently required to utilize hand and finger dexterity.
• Frequently/Continually required to talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to lift/push light weights up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required for this job include [close vision, distance vision, peripheral, depth, and ability to adjust or focus].
• Utilize visual acuity to operate equipment, read technical information, and/or use a keyboard.
• The noise level in the work environment usually is quiet to moderately loud.

COVID-19 Considerations

• All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

ABOUT US

UnidosUS, previously known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through its unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels. For more than 50 years, UnidosUS has united communities and different groups seeking common ground through collaboration, and that share a desire to make our community stronger. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Employment with UnidosUS is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screen.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.

Learn more here