100% FTE
Salary commensurate with experience

This position, available immediately, is an exciting opportunity to join the staff at PolicyLink.

Position Overview

PolicyLink is seeking an enthusiastic, highly motivated professional to join the Housing Team and advance solutions to the growing challenges to housing security across the nation. The ideal candidate will be passionate about improving the lives of residents in low-income communities and communities of color. The Senior Associate will play a leadership role in developing and implementing a growing PolicyLink program area focused on promoting housing justice and affordable housing preservation, production, and protection through focused policy, effective planning, and targeted, thoughtful public investments that advance healthy communities of opportunity—while reversing growing trends of displacement and homelessness. The Senior Associate will report to the Managing Director of California Policy, the VP of Strategic Initiatives, and the Director of the All-In Cities initiative.  The Senior Associate will work closely with other PolicyLink program and communications staff, consultants, and partner organizations and agencies. 

This position will entail a half-time focus on a two-year Bay Area Housing Fellowship program that will recruit and place up to 10 mid-career fellows in local governments across the five-county region to advance housing policies that can support anti-displacement and housing security. The other 50 percent of time will focus on federal-, state-, regional-, and local-level policy issues related to housing policy and healthy communities of opportunity. Because portfolios at PolicyLink shift over time, the Senior Associate may be assigned to other sectors of equitable development work during their tenure. 

Responsibilities

The associate will play a leadership role in developing and implementing a two-year Bay Area Housing Fellowship program that will recruit and place up to 10 mid-career fellows in local governments across the five-county region to advance housing policies that can support anti-displacement and housing security.

This fellowship program will entail:

• recruiting, vetting, and matching mid-career fellows with jurisdictions participating in the initiative;
• crafting meaningful support and coaching for fellows to be effective policy stewards in their jurisdictions;
• monthly convening of the cohort of fellows for shared learning and pursuit of shared housing security results;
• quarterly convening of the involved jurisdictions (anticipated to be six to 10 cities or counties); and
• curriculum development or management to support fellows in data analysis, community partnerships, policy development, and political dynamics management.

The other 50 percent of the associate’s time will focus on building greater public will to advance federal-, state-, regional-, and local-level policy issues related to housing policy and healthy communities of opportunity.

Current PolicyLink program portfolio includes:

• supporting grassroots partners that are building local and state tenant protection policies;
• a national housing narrative change initiative incorporating arts and culture strategies;
• research into community ownership and social housing; fair housing advancement; and
• national housing platform advancement.

The Senior Associate will conduct both quantitative and qualitative research, analyze legislation and other policies, write reports and policy memos, build and maintain strategic alliances with partners in the field and with elected officials and public agency leaders, provide technical assistance to key constituencies, and conduct policy advocacy. Some tasks include:

• Conduct research on key issues related to the intersections between planning, infrastructure investment, housing, health, workforce, and economic development. Key research in the upcoming year will include health and housing, affirmatively furthering fair housing, anti-displacement policy and more.
• Plan and staff convenings, facilitate meetings, and give presentations.
• Conduct housing research to advance policy agendas at the local, state, and federal levels that advance equity, opportunity, and fair housing.
• Work with the Bay Futures Fellowship team to deliver capacity-building activities to fellows and jurisdictional grantees working to advance anti-displacement and tenant protection policy.
• Track and assess trends in housing justice specifically as it relates to racial equity, and work with the PolicyLink housing staff to continue to evolve the PolicyLink work in this field.
• Work to deepen and maintain relationships with key partners, constituencies, coalitions, elected officials, and other systems leaders.
• Work with the team to support a diverse network of equity leaders from across the nation.
• Work with the team to identify and manage technical assistance needs and requests among key partners and constituencies.
• Work with team members to develop, advance, and analyze policy proposals at the regional, state, and federal level with a specific focus on advancing policies and practices that support equitable outcomes for low-income communities and communities of color.

Qualifications

• Commitment to racial equity issues and experience working with low-income communities of color.
• Seven (7) years of experience in equitable development, sustainable communities, infrastructure policy/finance, land-use planning, or other closely related field.
• Experience working inside of government or in close partnership with elected leaders and public sector agencies.
• Master’s degree in city and regional planning, public policy, or other related field.
• Demonstrated capacity for critical, independent, and creative thinking while working within and across teams.
• Ability to work within a fast-paced environment and maintain flexibility and a sense of humor while meeting deadlines.
• Strong research and analytical skills (ability to conduct qualitative research is necessary; ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative research is preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good time management skills and ability to effectively work on multiple projects.
• Experience with public policy analysis and advocacy.
• Familiarity with GIS preferred but not required.
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred but not required.

To Apply:

Send Résumé, Cover Letter, and three Professional References to:
PolicyLink – Housing Search Committee – Senior Associate
Email to jobs@policylink.org (please include in subject line: Your Name – Housing). 

Position is open until filled.

Please note: No phone calls please. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Excellent benefits including paid vacation plus paid week of holiday at end of the year, health insurance including vision and dental care, life insurance, and 401(k) retirement plan.

PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse, multicultural working environment.