Communications Partnerships & Policy Manager

About Us

The South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing) helps families across the state by creating safe, decent and affordable housing opportunities. Cultivating partnership with a broad range of public and private partners, including legislative and governmental officials, helps us form vital connections to support affordable housing initiatives across the state. We are looking to fill a critical position as Communications Partnerships and Policy Manager in order to support our external relations and affordable housing policy work.

This position may require up to 3 days of travel per month, as determined by community engagements. Occasional evening and weekend work may also be required to participate in outreach events scheduled at optimal times for constituents. Evening work may also be required during the legislative session.

In the role of Communications Partnerships and Policy Manager, you will support the agency’s communication with Federal and State lawmakers, interest groups, advocates, media outlets and constituents. You will work closely with the Strategic Communications Director and our agency leadership to communicate program policy proposals and initiatives to legislative and governmental audiences. You must be comfortable engaging in on-the-spot interviews with media agents about the agency’s involvement in legislative proceedings and activities, as necessary.

As the Communications Partnerships and Policy Manager, you will participate in meetings, forums, policy round tables, panels and other outreach events to share information about agency programs, services and perspective on housing issues. At the same time, you will use these opportunities to gather information about varying housing needs in the state and the potential impact of proposals. You will explore cross-sector partnership opportunities and facilitate discussions with the appropriate program areas.

You will need to identify the appropriate internal stakeholders or subject matter experts (SMEs) to lead these discussions as they move forward into more technical policy planning aspects. Timely information sharing and follow-up on these external opportunities with all involved parties, as well as seeking guidance and direction on key decision points from the Strategic Communications Director, will be key to your success in this role.

Your role will involve a great deal of autonomy yet accountability to ensure that commitments made on behalf of the agency are appropriately vetted with your department and agency leadership. In addition, trust and transparency is a key part of how we engage and establish and maintain credibility with our partners.

Public engagement is another key aspect of your role. As such, you will be responsible for proactively engaging discussions with a broad range of housing partners and stakeholders, advocates, public officials, and the community at large about housing needs, programs and opportunities. You will use multiple communication channels and tools to support these discussions. You will need to work collaboratively with your Communications team members to ensure that content is written in plain language, and that the delivery of this information is easy to find, easy to access and easy to understand by the public.

You will also need to be comfortable with giving interviews on social media platforms and podcasts as the agency plans to leverage all available channels, including digital platforms, to reach a broader audience. You will also be responsible for organizing and managing the agency’s Annual Affordable Housing Summit, which attracts approximately 500 participants from across the state for a two-day event.

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Administration, Public Relations, or a related field of study, and at least 5 years of professional experience in housing policy, economic development or a related field.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, to include public speaking.
• Ability to exercise diplomacy and discretion when working with key…