Policy Fellow

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty•New York, NY

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Met Council seeks an early-career Policy Fellow to join its Policy and Advocacy team. The Fellow will focus primarily on how generative and agentic AI are reshaping work, wages, and economic security for low-income New Yorkers, while contributing to the organization’s broader anti-poverty agenda, including food access, housing stability, public benefits, and social services. The role combines policy research, analysis, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and departmental support, with opportunities to work across city, state, and federal policy processes and engage with government, industry, and civil society in New York City, Albany, and Washington, D.C. The fellowship’s signature deliverable is a year-long original research project examining how AI affects the economic lives of low-income, immigrant, and religiously observant New Yorkers served by Met Council, as well as its direct-service workforce. The project is intended to strengthen Met Council’s role in New York’s AI policy agenda and produce research relevant to worker protections and economic security. This is a temporary position currently funded for 12 months. It is hybrid, with three days on-site and two days remote, and is scheduled for 40 hours per week. Compensation is $28.85 per hour. The position is benefits-eligible.

Requirements

Demonstrated background or interest in technology and AI policy as it relates to workers and low-income communities.
Familiarity with nutrition, benefits, and housing policy across city, state, and federal levels.
Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to conduct sectoral deep-dives and synthesize evidence about AI’s labor-market impact into policy-ready analysis.
Ability to communicate complex policy ideas to community members, clients, elected officials, and technical experts.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience drafting policy documents, memos, coalition materials, legislative testimony, or advocacy materials.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.
Professionalism in engaging government officials, peer organizations, funders, and the public.
Ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously.
Commitment to economic justice and serving low-income communities, and an understanding of the implications of AI and technology policy for those communities.
Eagerness to build expertise across multiple policy domains.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel.
Experience with public presentations and oral testimony.
Strong grant writing and reporting skills.
A master’s degree or equivalent advanced degree in public policy, law, or a related field is preferred; a bachelor’s degree with policy experience and a demonstrated research record may be considered.

Nice To Haves

A focus on technology, labor, or economic justice in an advanced degree program.
Recent graduation, approximately within two years of degree completion.
Familiarity with food and nutrition policy, affordable housing, or public benefits and social services.
Familiarity with AI and labor policy debates at city, state, and federal levels, including relevant legislation and regulatory developments.
Knowledge of New York City and New York State legislative and budget processes.
Experience with data visualization and analytical tools such as ArcGIS, Tableau, Stata, or R.
Related academic backgrounds such as public health, public administration, social work, urban planning, or nutrition.

Responsibilities

Research AI and labor policy and its effects on low-wage workers and low-income communities, alongside other policy priorities including kosher and halal food access, affordable housing, and programs serving seniors and domestic violence survivors.
Work with the Policy Director to develop and implement a public policy agenda centered on AI accountability, worker protections, and transparency requirements.
Analyze local, state, and federal policy processes and identify advocacy opportunities, including through sectoral research and data work that supports legislative priorities.
Draft legislation, testimony, correspondence, talking points, coalition memos, policy briefs, and reports for elected officials, funders, and the public.
Participate in advocacy at City Hall, the State Capitol, and in Washington, D.C., including providing testimony at hearings.
Complete a year-long original research project on AI and economic security for low-income New Yorkers, including Met Council clients and its direct-service workforce.
Convene roundtables with labor, industry, and government on AI accountability, worker protections, and economic displacement.
Engage providers, partner organizations, government agencies, direct-service staff, and community stakeholders, including the NYS Kosher and Halal Food Policy Coalition.
Contribute to grant applications and reports describing Policy Department goals, activities, and outcomes.
Support government relations and food network teams with policy messaging.
Assist with additional responsibilities as assigned by the Policy Director.