Head of Public Policy

Braven • Newark, NJ

4h • Hybrid

About The Position

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. They work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, their ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream. To achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Head of Public Policy who will lead their Federal, State, and Local policy work. As a member of the External Affairs Team, this role will design and execute a policy strategy to shape the college-to-career field.

Requirements

• BS/BA or relevant experience
• 7+ years of experience in legislative policy and advocacy
• 2-3 years managing other people
• Authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• MPP, MPA or JD preferred
• Experience in the non-profit industry, higher education, or workforce development policy
• Experience working directly in a state legislature or Governor’s office and/or working in Congress
• Ability to build inspiring visions and strategies that motivate others to action
• Extensive knowledge of legislative and administrative processes
• Ability to pursue ambitious, measurable goals with an action-oriented mindset and perseverance
• Extremely detail-oriented and able to maintain sight of the big picture
• Ability to build strong external and internal relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including elected officials, coalition partners, and others, and significant experience tailoring your approach based on an understanding of others' beliefs, motivations, and contexts
• Excellent public speaking and strategic communication skills
• Enjoys bringing together multiple perspectives to enhance your work and decisions
• Continually reflects to improve, and actively creates space for the receipt of upward feedback from individual contributors and managers
• Exemplifies Braven’s core values
• Experiences have informed your belief in Braven’s mission and have prepared you to work with or for Braven’s student Fellow population

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and steward key relationships for Braven within the Department of Education and relevant federal agencies, the White House, Congress, gubernatorial administrations, and state legislative bodies, as well as with relevant think tanks, coalitions, advocacy orgs, and trade associations
• Proactively monitor, analyze, and influence key policymaker activity and legislation at the federal and regional levels
• Engage and steward governmental affairs professionals who work at Braven's higher education partners
• Utilize strategic storytelling to develop a compelling narrative for policymakers at the local, state, and federal level
• Cultivate Braven alumni interested in representing Braven at public policy events
• Support Braven’s Employer Partnership team and Product teams in thinking through our ‘Government’ employer partnerships and career channels strategy
• Manage several state lobbying contracts in key Braven regions
• Develop and implement federal and regional policy strategy, agenda, and goals
• Draft legislative and policy memoranda, legislator education and communications materials
• Build regional policy strategy and agendas, in conjunction with Executive Directors, contracted lobbyists, and regional staff, with the creation of research, materials, and talking points, and, if needed, represent Braven in key coalitions and coordinated advocacy campaigns
• Track cultivation and stakeholder engagement efforts in Salesforce, spreadsheets, and other project management tools
• Prepare communication and correspondence describing Braven’s policy goals and accomplishments for reporting purposes to the board, funders, and other stakeholders
• With the Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy, run an annual Capitol Hill Policy Fellows program for Braven Post-Accelerator Fellows, bringing students to DC and helping them obtain influential policy internships
• Grow and lead a coalition of organizations in the college-to-career space
• Design and facilitate necessary legislative training and professional development for staff and alumni who engage in public policy opportunities and engagements
• Assist with planning an execution of an annual convening of higher education partners and an annual organization-wide Capitol Hill Advocacy day, securing meetings with elected officials and high-level speakers and panelists
• Project manage and draft federal, state, and local grant applications for public funding with support from regional and central teams
• Effectively coach one full-time associate director of policy to become the strongest version of themselves, aligned to the goals of their role and their professional aspirations, as well as meet organizational philanthropic goals
• Coordinate with regional Executive Directors to understand pain points, brainstorm solutions, navigate differences, set vision and direction, and maintain alignment among all staff who contribute to our policy agenda
• Manage state lobbying contracts
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

What This Job Offers

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