Business Planning and Policy Specialist

For over 35 years, Youth Villages has transformed the lives of children and families nationwide through innovative, research-based programs focused on preserving and restoring families.

As a national leader in children's mental and behavioral health, we serve more than 47,000 youth, young people, and their families annually across 29 states and Washington, D.C. Our proven treatment models drive long‑term success in child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. At Youth Villages, we do what works partnering with others to expand our impact and advocate for meaningful, lasting change.

We’re seeking purpose-driven individuals who are passionate about making a difference. With a dedicated team of more than 5,000 staff, Youth Villages is committed to investing in and supporting our employees by offering opportunities to build a fulfilling career through professional growth, personal development, and a mission that matters helping children and families live successfully.

The Business Planning and Policy (BPP) Specialist will be responsible for supporting program leadership by driving business development, strategy, and government relations efforts in their assigned portfolio of states. The BPP Specialist primarily focuses on growth, expansion, and sustainability of Youth Villages programming in addition to public policy and thought leadership initiatives.

• Communicates with state and other Youth Villages leaders about growth opportunities and new startups
• Assists and/or leads the process of responding to Request for Proposals (RFPs) of interest to the organization in order to grow services in assigned states
• Leads and/or contributes to meetings and presentations with key external stakeholders (including potential funders, state/county agencies, and lawmakers)
• Assists state leadership with policy and legislative priorities and action steps
• Supports technical writing (including proposal writing) as well as composing letters and emails, developing Power Points, etc.
• Creates budgets and analyzes financials to support business development decision-making
• Collaborates with internal leadership, including other support departments (such as Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Communications, Finance, etc.)
• Researches growth opportunities, cultivates relationships, and introduces proposals and services to potential funders (in conjunction with state and department leadership)
• Reviews bills, laws, and policies that may impact strategy and engagement with key stakeholders, and/or that will have an impact on child welfare, Medicaid, and other state systems that serve children, families, and young adults

• Researches assigned portfolio of states to support growth, expansion, and strategy development of Youth Villages services by completing shallow dives and utilizing collected information, including analyzing the economy, funding streams (local, state, federal), legislation, government structure, political climate, competitors, new business opportunities, and trends related to transitioning youth/disconnect youth and at-risk children and families
• Identifies and articulates how desk research does or does not support growth or expansion strategies within assigned states
• Completes research related to department priorities, initiatives, and opportunities
• Works closely with state leadership to drive expansion of Youth Villages services in assigned states (create and revise state strategy plans in collaboration with the state leadership, monitor RFP opportunities, lead RFP response efforts, generate new rates/budgets, work in collaboration with the state on a robust relationship management/building process, etc.)
• Identifies and articulates reasons why an opportunity would be of interest or not of interest to Youth Villages
• Carries out identified strategies and tactics for growth, system influence, and/or thought leadership
• Facilitates and contributes to the planning process for assigned states (which occurs annually) and other special projects
• Engages internal leadership in the planning process in a…