Advocacy Director (89770)

HomeFirst • San Jose, CA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role advances HomeFirst’s mission of ending homelessness through leadership and execution of agency advocacy activity. Established in 1980, HomeFirst™ is a nonprofit organization passionately working to end homelessness. We serve the Bay Area community through low-barrier programming and systems leadership – meeting each person where they are by offering support and resources that address immediate and long-term housing needs. With nearly 45 years of experience, we view housing as a fundamental human right and understand that solving homelessness requires a collaborative effort.

Requirements

• Lived experience with homelessness encouraged
• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, or related field. May be substituted by equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in public affairs, public policy, government relations or non-profit advocacy
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a leadership position
• Demonstrated knowledge of the housing and homelessness sector
• Demonstrated knowledge of public policy and legislative development
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Fluent in Microsoft suite and project management software
• Carefully weighs and prioritizes agency engagement in high impact opportunities to address the root causes of homelessness
• Interprets trends and anticipates future risk and opportunities, considering the agency’s position in the broader landscape of our community
• Considers differing points of view with curiosity and humility, collaborative with partners and actively seeks input from stakeholders
• Outcome oriented and drives progress on assigned projects

Responsibilities

• Develop the organization's advocacy strategy, revising on an annual basis
• Ensure alignment between agency advocacy activities, regulatory or compliance standards, and business priorities
• Research, analyze and track relevant legislation and policies
• Contribute to the development of agency policy positions
• Surface policy-based or legislative threats to HomeFirst’s mission and recommend opportunities for action
• Surface opportunities for agency engagement with elected officials on policy initiatives
• Foster effective working relationships with legislative offices and their personnel
• Represent HomeFirst in coalitions, collaborative meeting spaces, and public settings
• Conduct quarterly input sessions with participants of HomeFirst’s services to inform advocacy priorities
• Conduct quarterly input sessions with HomeFirst personnel to inform advocacy priorities
• Provide routine updates and reports to leadership
• Facilitate the "Advocacy in Response" staff working group
• Directly inform the development of two assembly or senate bill pitches per legislative cycle

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Additional wellness options like chiropractic care, mental health support, pet insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k)-retirement plan with generous matching
• Life and disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Commuter benefits
• Workers’ compensation
• 12 holidays
• Sick leave
• PTO starting at 15 days annually, increasing with tenure
• 8 hours of civic engagement leave annually to volunteer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior