Director, Policy and Partnerships

Are you a person who enjoys helping others? Are you currently seeking fulfillment in your professional life?

Hope Services is Silicon Valley’s leading provider of services to people with developmental disabilities and mental health needs. We seek candidates who share our inspirations & aspirations. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging at all levels..

* Compensation:
Starting at $130,000/commensurate with experience and qualifcations

The Director of Policy and Partnerships is a senior leadership role that advances Hope Services’ voice, influence, and reach both in the halls of policy and at the executive tables of the region’s leading employers and academic institutions. Reporting to the CEO and serving as a member of the Executive Team, this position shapes and drives Hope’s policy agenda, staffs the Board of Directors’ Policy Committee, and represents Hope as a visible ambassador within local and statewide disability coalitions and the broader disability inclusion movement.

In parallel, the Director builds and stewards high-level partnerships in Hope’s two priority partnership domains — corporate employment and higher/community education — translating executive relationships into inclusive hiring opportunities, resources, and program growth for the individuals Hope serves. The Director provides strategic direction to Hope’s Employer Programs and TDS Inclusive Education Programs on a dotted-line basis, and directly supervises the Special Projects Manager, who leads client advocacy, client benefits, and community volunteer engagement work.

• Set, own, and advance Hope Services’ policy agenda in alignment with organizational strategy and the needs of the individuals and families Hope serves.
• Staff the Board of Directors’ Policy Committee — preparing agendas, briefing materials, policy positions, and follow-up actions for board members.
• Serve as a visible, credible ambassador for Hope at local and statewide disability coalitions, working groups, and advocacy tables for systems change
• Represent Hope Services and the broader disability inclusion movement to external audiences, including policymakers, funders, regional centers, and peer organizations.
• Develop and support Hope’s positions on state and federal IDD strategy issues, including funding, regulatory, and legislative matters affecting service delivery.
• Track relevant legislation and regulatory activity; craft policy arguments, testimony, letters of support, and advocacy materials; support and help coordinate bill sponsorship and campaign efforts.
• Build and maintain relationships with legislators, legislative staff, regional center leadership, and coalition partners to advance Hope’s policy priorities.
• Work in partnership with the Participant Advocacy Committee (PAC) to elevate their voices in legislative/policy efforts.

• Build and manage relationships with IDD-inclusive employers cross-regionally at the corporate/executive level to expand inclusive hiring pipelines for Hope’s clients.
• Partner with the Development Department on Corporate Volunteer Engagement — overseeing collaboration and execution of employer volunteer events from ideation through delivery.
• Cultivate executive-level champions who can unlock additional hiring commitments, in-kind resources, and funding to support employment programming.

• Build and manage executive-level relationships with Hope’s four-year inclusive higher education partners, including San José State University and Stanford University.
• Build and manage executive-level relationships with local…