Policy Director

Status:
Full time, exempt

Location:

We currently work remotely 4 days a week and work together in our Oakland office on a set day each week.

Organization

California Competes:
Higher Education for a Strong Economy is a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on identifying solutions to the state's most critical challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy. Established in 2011, our mission is to help transform the state's higher education system into an engine of economic opportunity that empowers all Californians, particularly those from underserved communities, to achieve their full potential.

California Competes benefits from the expertise of our highly respected, bipartisan Board of Directors, which comprises current and former public officials, business executives, and community leaders from across the state. Our diverse staff brings decades of experience in higher education and public policy. We work statewide and travel across the country to research and advocate for a higher education system that provides opportunities for all Californians.

For more information, please visit californiacompetes.org.

Position

Reporting to our CEO, the Policy Director serves as staff lead on executing our policy agenda and policy-focused research activities. This position supports the CEO and board in setting the organization's policy agenda and helps ensure policy advocacy and research activities align with the organization's goals. A successful candidate holds deep expertise in California state policy, excels at building relationships, thinks analytically and strategically, and is passionate about advancing equity and student success.

Specific duties are described below.

The Policy Director supervises the Senior Policy and Research Analyst, along with overseeing key external consultants and student researchers.

Strategy and Leadership

• Support the CEO and board to develop and advance the organization's policy agenda, including updating policy priorities and developing actionable steps to advance them
• Provide leadership and project oversight on all of the organization's policy activities
• Work closely with the CEO, external policy consultants, and other staff in advancing the policy agenda and policy research activities
• Manage policy staff and consultants, including one full-time policy and research analyst, seasonal part-time graduate students, and external consultants.

Policy Design, Advocacy, Implementation, and Management

• Attend, testify, and support the CEO (or other staff) in testimony for legislative and other governing entities' hearings
• Lead the planning, organization, and implementation of the California Higher Education Policy Institutes that engage legislators and their staff on key higher education policy topics
• Identify and implement new strategies to advance our policy agenda and strengthen our relationships with policymakers and other leaders statewide
• Write commentary, blogs, or other publications to elevate California Competes's policy agenda and policy leadership
• Develop clear and influential policy collateral to advance policy objectives
• Represent California Competes in policy advocacy coalitions
• Provide summaries of policy activity and projects for grant proposals and reporting, updates to our board, and other supporters and partners

Research and Analysis

• Lead policy research related to California Competes's advocacy goals, including but not limited to: adult learners, intersegmental and cross-sector coordination, postsecondary-workforce alignment, innovation and technology in education, statewide longitudinal data systems, streamlining access to public benefits, and student parent success. Research activities may include:
  • Conducting qualitative research, particularly interviews and focus groups
  • Analyzing secondary data
  • Analyzing primary documents and existing research
• Analyze bills, budget proposals, and other policy proposals and laws relevant to California Competes's policy priorities
• Lead development of policy recommendations based on our research analysis
• Work collaboratively with California Competes team members to help manage research projects and communicate findings
• Craft clear, influential written publications, such as reports, briefs, and blogs
• Develop presentations for policy, research, and other stakeholder audiences

Skills and Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented self-starter with the ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously and respond efficiently to unexpected and emerging needs. The successful candidate will know the ins and outs of state policy making and implementation, demonstrating curiosity by asking questions and taking initiative around policy and research responsibilities. This candidate will feel comfortable working in an organization with high standards that centers equity, is fast-paced, and often has unexpected, rapid-response requests.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of managerial experience on top of 5…