Policy, Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager; RCFC

Posted on January 07, 2020

Ensuring Opportunity is a “big-tent” initiative that brings together diverse sectors, stakeholders, and interests to engage in policy advocacy and systems change to address the root causes of poverty and injustice. Our mission will be fulfilled when all Contra Costa residents have the resources they need to support themselves and their loved ones, and have a powerful voice in shaping local political, cultural and economic systems.

We believe that poverty is not inevitable and can be eradicated by our collective actions. We hold that equity and justice must be at the center of our public systems, especially those serving residents who are struggling to make ends meet.

Founded five years ago, Ensuring Opportunity’s strength resides in our proven ability to bring diverse groups together to identify shared interests and create strategies for meaningful change. We work in strong partnership with residents, advocates, service providers, and system leaders to create just and effective policies in the areas of economic security, housing, food security, health, immigrant protections, budget justice, and community safety.

Ensuring Opportunity’s work is guided by a Leadership Team that includes representatives from diverse sectors and organizations, including county departments, businesses, service providers, labor organizations, faith communities, and community-based organizations.

The Policy, Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager will work with a small team at RCF Connects, reporting to the Senior Director for Ensuring Opportunity. The work culture is both autonomous and deeply collaborative, with a strong commitment to building and modeling inclusiveness and belonging. The right candidate will be deeply committed to equity and fairness, and equally comfortable working independently and in partnership with others, and interested in systemic solutions to institutional racism and other unjust social and economic structures.

RCF Connects (formerly Richmond Community Foundation) strives for healthy, thriving communities that are safe and diverse, where families flourish and children are given new hope for a bright and abundant future. RCF Connects partners with the community to inspire leadership and to share the vision for work in five areas: community growth, health, restoring neighborhoods, education, and public safety. Our work is driven by a strong aspiration to work with our communities to strengthen economic, racial, cultural, social, and gender equity.

This aspiration is expressed both in the outcomes we strive for and in the ways in which we do our work. Equity is both our organizational value and our goal. This is reflected in RCF's commitment to achieving equity goals in hiring, and to supporting a workforce with a range of experiences, backgrounds and abilities to serve our diverse communities.

RCF strongly encourages applicants of color to apply. To learn more, please visit http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

• Provide thought leadership/partnership to Ensuring Opportunity’s Senior Director, Leadership Team, key allies and stakeholders in formulating Ensuring Opportunity’s goals, priorities and strategic approach.
• Link policy issues and cross-inform/engage the various issues, sectors, geographic regions, and coalitions in which Ensuring Opportunity participates.
• Coordinate key Ensuring Opportunity housing strategies, including our annual Contra Costa Housing Summit, and development of a countywide housing needs assessment.
• Organize town halls, forums and other community engagement events, often in partnership with coalitions or specific partners.
• Coalitions and community advocacy:
  • Lead or participate in local, county and regional coalitions that advocate for systems/policy changes in one or more of Ensuring Opportunity’s key policy areas, including economic security, housing, health, community safety, food security, immigrant protections, and budget…