Senior Public Policy Officer

Join to apply for the Senior Public Policy Officer role at Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Reports to:

Chief People & Public Affairs Officer

Full‑time | Exempt | In‑Person/Hybrid | Pay Grade: $71,200 – $89,000 | Posting Dates:
November 10, 2025 – November 28, 2025

About KZCF: Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF), established in 1925, envisions Kalamazoo County as the most equitable place to live. Its mission is to create a thriving community by mobilizing people, resources, and expertise to advance racial, social, and economic justice.

Core Values: Center Anti‑Racism, Nurture Healing & Love, Cultivate Transformative Relationships, Serve the Greater Good, Learn and Grow, Embrace Joy

The Senior Public Policy Officer advances KZCF’s systems change priorities through strategic leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. The role partners closely with the Chief People & Public Affairs Officer (CPPAO) to align internal goals and strategies while engaging community partners and stakeholders to inform KZCF’s civic health agenda.

• Collaborate with the CPPAO to develop and implement a strategic civic health agenda aligned with KZCF’s W.H.E.N. priority areas.
• Advise the CPPAO on advocacy strategy consistent with community foundation guidelines, identifying opportunities to advance systems change through relationships with policymakers and civic leaders.
• Monitor local, state, and federal policy developments; coordinate appropriate actions within the scope allowable for community foundations; and connect this work to KZCF’s strategic priorities.
• Co‑develop and implement strategies for KZCF’s nonpartisan education and engagement with policymakers and elected officials at all levels of government.
• Partner with the grantmaking team to understand current funding approaches, identify gaps, and inform strategies that build long‑term community capacity and structural change centered on the priorities of those most impacted.
• Build and sustain partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders to integrate research, nonpartisan analysis, and advocacy efforts that strengthen civic participation in Kalamazoo County.
• Strengthen relationships with advocacy and organizing groups driving local systems change and support the design and implementation of new strategic initiatives in collaboration with partners.
• Promote the use of public education tools—such as briefings, meetings, social media, trainings, and other innovative approaches—to share information and advance equity across the community.
• Lead resident and partner engagement efforts, including convenings, events, and participation on committees, task forces, and boards relevant to KZCF’s policy and systems change priorities.
• Provide direction and oversight to interns, fellows, staff, and consultants supporting assigned initiatives, public policy, and advocacy efforts.

• Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Apply an equitable and anti‑racist lens to all aspects of your work, advancing our mission to create a thriving community grounded in racial, social, and economic justice.
• Embrace and integrate Kalamazoo Community Foundation's commitment to anti‑racism, inclusion, and healing, acknowledging and addressing all forms of bias with humility and accountability.
• Demonstrate the ability and willingness to examine personal and systemic bias, including around race, gender, age, ability, and identity, fostering a workplace rooted in love, learning, and growth.
• Engage with emotional intelligence and resilience in conversations about power, privilege, and oppression, cultivating transformative relationships that support healing and justice.
• Lead and collaborate with joy, authenticity, and a deep dedication to serving the greater good, contributing meaningfully to our vision of a more equitable Kalamazoo County.

• Support the…