Director of Policy and Community Resilience Strategies

Race Forward•Oakland, CA

14d•$98,301 - $109,053•Onsite

About The Position

Race Forward's mission is to advance racial justice by supporting communities and public institutions to build a just, multiracial democratic society where people of color thrive with purpose and power. Rooted in a deep understanding of systemic racism, our work supports stronger, more equitable governance that shifts power and transforms institutions. Race Forward imagines a future where communities of color lead in decision-making, public systems are accountable and just, and movements across sectors come together to create lasting and transformative change. Since 1981, Race Forward has continued to develop innovative strategies that drive impact at the intersection of policy, culture, and institutional practice. In 2017, Race Forward united with the Center for Social Inclusion to become the new Race Forward, strengthening its commitment to advancing systems that truly work for everyone. The Director of Policy and Community Resilience Strategies (CRS) leads a core portfolio of work within Race Forward's Place, Policy, and Power (3P) department that advances community-rooted policy development focused on climate and health justice as the foundation of a multiracial democracy, working to ensure that governing decisions are made with, not for, people of color. CRS's work is grounded in Race Forward's Place, Policy, and Power methodology, pursuing change through four interconnected dimensions: Power in Place – Building Infrastructure for Co-Governance; Power in Policy – Community-Rooted and Accountable Policy Development; Power in Narrative – Building Momentum for a Multiracial Democracy; Power in Transformation – Inside-Outside Organizing for Systems Change. The Director will lead Race Forward's work on building community governing power by advancing strategies that strengthen community-driven racial justice policy with a focus on climate mitigation and resilience, in alignment with a lens of the social determinants of health. The Director will develop partnerships with place-based organizations and coalitions, as well as regional and national networks; support inside-outside strategy to strengthen policy development and advocacy campaigns; and design and manage the project's signature "Policy Innovation Lab" and other cross-departmental policy projects. Reporting to the Vice President of Place, Policy, and Power, the Director ensures CRS's projects, partnerships, and thought leadership are coherent, impactful, and deeply aligned with Race Forward's racial justice values. This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in racial equity policy advocacy and/or grassroots movement-building/organizing/campaigns in the areas of climate resilience with a demonstrated ability to connect community-rooted strategies to policy change.
At least 5 years of experience managing teams, supervising staff, and supporting leadership development.
Demonstrated knowledge of the systemic causes of racial inequity and their intersections with other forms of oppression (political, economic, cultural, environmental, and more) as they relate to public policy.
Strong understanding of policy systems across local, state, and federal levels, including: How public policy is made and implemented, Public finance mechanisms, Systems of public participation and community engagement, Networks of community-based advocacy, Role of public institutions and national intermediaries.
Proven experience in strategic thinking and planning to foster collaboration, demonstrate impact, and strengthen democratic practice.
Demonstrated success in project and time management across multiple, complex initiatives.
Deep experience designing and facilitating multiracial, cross-sector groups, with a focus on building democratic decision-making and shared values/priorities.
Track record of working in teams and collaborations that actively challenge systems of oppression and model equity-centered practice.
Policy Expertise: Deep understanding of policy development, technical data on climate justice and other relevant issues especially public health policy.
Cross-Scale Analysis: Ability to connect issues and strategies across levels of government and multiple policy domains (e.g., democracy, climate, housing, economic justice).
Facilitation and Convening: Strong facilitation skills and ability to support multi-stakeholder groups toward alignment and shared strategy.
Communications: Ability to communicate policy issues clearly, verbally and written, and support strategic communications plans, including providing content for communications.
Relationship Building: Experience building trust and collaboration with movement leaders, government officials, funders, and peer intermediaries.
Leadership: Ability to mentor staff, foster teamwork, and cultivate an environment rooted in anti-oppressive practice.
Public Engagement: Confidence and skill in presenting to diverse, multiracial audiences, including at national forums.
Strategic Thinking: Strong critical thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, and systems thinking skills.
Operational Skills: Familiarity with grant management, contracts, budgeting, and organizational systems.

Responsibilities

Manage, design, and iterate on CRS's signature project, the Policy Innovation Lab, a cohort capacity-building program that seeks to strengthen the movement infrastructure and organizing capacity of communities of color by fostering community-driven policy development to build long-term governing power.
Partner with local leaders to develop policy solutions that expand fair and just outcomes while growing collective power to govern.
Support nationwide peer learning communities through the organizing of convenings, webinars, and meetings.
Provide technical assistance and support to community-based organizations and multi-sectoral coalitions and collaborations in various stages of policy development, advocacy and implementation.
Facilitate groups towards strategy alignment and scaling of local initiatives.
Provide racial justice, climate resilience policy expertise on national advisory boards and project design committees.
Lead the development of research projects supporting policy development initiatives.
Track, analyze, and synthesize emerging policy issues across multiple sectors (e.g., democracy, governance, climate, public health) to identify cross-cutting opportunities.
Write and edit policy reports and create report distribution plans.
Create racial justice tools for use by advocates, practitioners and local government officials and employees.
Support the design of narrative and messaging strategies that reinforce the intersections of climate justice and public health as foundational to a multiracial democracy.
Represent Race Forward in public speaking engagements and presentations of research and tools.
Support the Vice President of 3P with overall goals, planning and strategies of the 3P department.
Manage multiple projects and partnerships, ensuring deliverables are met on time and aligned with Race Forward's racial justice values.
Maintain relationships with funders; write grant proposals and reports; complete grant deliverables; submit expense reports; execute contracts and MOUs to external partners.
Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration and vertical integration of policy priorities.