Governance and Economy Policy Director

SPUR • San Francisco, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

SPUR is a nonprofit public policy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through research, education, and advocacy, SPUR works to create an equitable, sustainable, and prosperous region where all people thrive. We bring people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the big problems facing our region, with a special emphasis on the largest three cities: San Francisco, Oakland, and San José. We are recognized and respected for our independent and holistic approach to urban issues.

SPUR believes that local governments are essential to ensuring the health, safety, and economic prosperity of Bay Area communities. The Governance and Economy policy team works on initiatives to accomplish three goals: 1) improve the local government’s capacity to address pressing challenges; 2) build effective fiscal policies to ensure the equitable distribution of public resources; and 3) support voter education and engagement through rigorous ballot analysis at the local, regional, and state levels. The Governance and Economy Policy Director will lead new and existing SPUR initiatives on charter reform, budget analysis, and procurement in San José, San Francisco, and Oakland that advance SPUR’s public policy goals.

This role is perfect for someone with deep knowledge of urban issues in Bay Area cities and a passion to help the region become more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable through effective government and economic policies that improve prosperity and advance equity. Candidates must have a professional background in public policy research and advocacy, or have held a senior role in state or local government.

Requirements

• The candidate must be knowledgeable about governance and public policy issues in large U.S. cities.
• The candidate must be a strong writer who can make technical policy issues interesting and intelligible to a general audience.
• The candidate must have an appreciation for partnerships and strong meeting facilitation and communication skills.
• The candidate must have experience effectively managing projects, setting deadlines, and meeting milestones.
• The candidate must have both high emotional intelligence and relationship management skills, with experience working in teams and across departments.
• The candidate must have experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and the ability to explain methodologies and express findings through tables, graphs, and charts.
• The candidate must understand how to utilize data and other sources to conduct equity analyses and use policy development to advance equity outcomes.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in public policy, public administration, urban planning, or equivalent combination of experience and education required.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of the San Francisco Bay Area context in the areas of municipal budgets, tax policy, and local government reform is highly desirable.
• Experience managing diverse coalitions to drive change is highly desirable.
• Experience in sourcing grant funding for public policy initiatives is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Sets the agenda and leads a team of staff and contractors to deliver impactful work that advances SPUR’s policy priorities for the region
• Conduct analyses of various functions of local government, including analysis of the government structures and processes necessary to address the region’s most pressing challenges
• Research effective fiscal policies that allocate public resources equitably and promote inclusive prosperity, ensuring that all people can participate in and benefit from economic growth.
• Leverage best practices from other important cities and insights from local experts to provide recommendations for policy change.
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders, elected leaders, and decision-makers to begin building support for reform.
• Leverage media and other forums to bring research findings into the public discourse as we progress.
• Produce high-quality policy analysis and recommendations in the form of articles, briefs, and reports.
• Lead SPUR’s ballot analysis efforts at the local, regional, and state levels.
• Design advocacy campaigns to influence legislation, plans, ballot measures, and policies/regulations.
• Cultivate strong relationships with key partners.
• Participate in and lead coalitions, working groups, and task forces.
• Define project scope and goals, manage consultant support, set and meet deadlines, and design and execute engagement plans.
• As relevant, provide effective staff development and oversight.

Benefits

• health insurance
• dental insurance
• vision care
• basic life insurance
• pre-tax commuter benefits
• work from home stipend
• employee assistance program (EAP)
• retirement plan with twenty-five percent contribution matching
• 6 months of paid maternity or paternity leave to bond with a newborn or adopted child within the first year of birth or adoption.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed