Strategic Initiatives Director

Housing California•Sacramento, CA

5d•$120,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Strategic Initiatives Director leads the development and implementation of organization-wide campaigns and initiatives that advance Housing CA’s mission and long-term vision. Working closely with Housing CA’s leadership, staff, consultants, the Residents United Network (RUN), and key partners and allies, the Director provides strategic leadership to manage a team that designs and implements cross-programmatic efforts that drive statewide housing policy and systems change. This includes leading the implementation of the Roadmap Home campaign and supporting coalition campaigns through the Statewide Housing Advocacy Coalition (SHAC). The role ensures alignment across policy, budget, and systems change strategies and strengthens coordination among Housing CA teams and external partners. The ideal candidate is an impact-oriented strategic leader who can develop and manage complex initiatives and campaigns, guide and coordinate cross-functional teams, and identify emerging opportunities to strengthen statewide advocacy and advance solutions to California’s housing and homelessness crisis.

Requirements

Committed to Justice: You demonstrate a deep and ongoing commitment to racial, gender, disability, economic, and housing justice and consistently work to uphold these values in your leadership and practice. You center the needs and experiences of low-income Californians in complex policy and advocacy work.
Mission Aligned: You bring professional experience in housing justice or a closely related field such as community development, urban planning, health equity, criminal justice reform, education, disability justice, food insecurity, climate justice, or labor.
Policy and Systems Experience: You have 7+ years of experience leading coalition-based campaigns or initiatives for complex, multi-year projects in a progressively responsible leadership capacity. Experience with statewide policy advocacy is strongly preferred, particularly in areas such as housing policy, homelessness, equitable development, sustainable communities, infrastructure policy or finance, land-use planning, or other closely related fields.
People-Centered Leader: You have 3+ years of managerial or supervisory experience. You have excellent management and coaching skills to supervise, mentor, and grow the capacity of staff. You have successfully led teams, consultants, and partners in implementing coordinated advocacy or campaign strategies.
Strategic Leaders: You can articulate and implement a strategic vision within a cross-functional organization, aligning efforts to advance mission-driven goals and achieve measurable impact.
Coalition Management: You have experience building and managing diverse coalitions and collaborative spaces. You foster spaces that reflect Housing CA’s values of equity and inclusion and support shared leadership models—particularly centering impacted communities and grassroots partners.
Adaptive and Solutions-Oriented: You are tenacious, flexible, resourceful, and thrive in dynamic environments. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and using creative problem solving to advance change.
Clear and Effective Communicator: You are a strong written and verbal communicator who can engage effectively with policymakers, media, community-based organizations, residents of affordable housing, people experiencing homelessness, advocates, funders, and cross-sector partners.
Collaborative and Inclusive: You have a strong track record of building trust and working across diverse stakeholders with differing perspectives to advance shared goals. You are an experienced facilitator who can guide productive conversations and align partners around shared goals and processes to achieve clear outcomes.
Learning- and Impact-Oriented: You embrace learning and adapting, thriving in an environment where continuous improvement and flexibility are valued. You are tenacious and committed to moving change in complex and evolving environments.
Willingness to Travel: You are willing and able to travel throughout California and attend early morning or evening obligations.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with affordable housing, homelessness, and tenants’ rights programs or policy.
Lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity or experience working with people with lived experience.
Experience using online advocacy, data tracking, software and data platforms for campaigns, and project management tools.
Experience in budget management and fundraising.

Responsibilities

Lead Housing CA’s Roadmap Home campaign, driving strategy and overseeing implementation to build statewide momentum and advance policy and budget wins.
Develop and execute integrated campaign plans that translate the Roadmap Home vision into coordinated advocacy, narrative and strategic communications, and grassroots organizing strategies. In some cases, support and collaborate on campaigns led by other Housing CA teams.
Oversee Roadmap Home campaign implementation, coordinating work across Housing CA teams, partners, and allied institutions.
Partner with internal teams on Roadmap-aligned legislative and state budget advocacy
Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with consultants, coalition partners, legislative leaders, cross-sector partners, and other stakeholders advancing the Roadmap Home.
Expand the campaign’s base of support by securing endorsements, mobilizing partners and advocates, and coordinating legislative and public education and engagement efforts.
Partner with the narrative and strategic communications team to elevate the Roadmap Home as a leading statewide approach to solving California’s housing and homelessness crises.
Monitor campaign progress and impact, using data and partner feedback to assess effectiveness, refine strategy, and adjust tactics to maximize outcomes.
Provide leadership to support coordination and implementation of statewide campaigns through SHAC.
Partner with SHAC leadership and coalition members to advance shared legislative, budget, and policy priorities, including supporting campaigns led by SHAC partner organizations.
Ensure effective coalition planning and coordination, including facilitating successful planning cycles, timelines, and shared workplans that support collective action among SHAC partners.
Align and coordinate work across SHAC working groups, strengthening collaboration between policy, communications, organizing, and power-building efforts.
Monitor the political, legislative, and electoral landscape, identifying opportunities, risks, and strategic entry points for coalition campaigns.
Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with state, regional, and local partners, community-based organizations, allied advocates, values-aligned sectors such as labor, health care, environmental, education, etc., and private interest groups that are essential to making big breakthroughs in solving the state’s housing and homelessness crisis.
Monitor campaign progress and impact, using data and partner feedback to assess effectiveness, refine strategy, and adjust tactics to maximize outcomes.
Identify emerging policy, political, and partnership opportunities that strengthen Housing California’s strategic impact and advance the organization’s strategic goals.
Develop, lead, and support cross- programmatic campaigns and initiatives that advance Housing CA’s mission and vision.
Provide strategic leadership and oversight to ensure successful team planning and implementation of key organizational events, including town halls, advocacy days, and coalition convenings.
Ensure alignment and coordination between key Housing CA initiatives and related federal and state-level initiatives.
Build and deepen strategic partnerships with change-makers in affordable housing, homelessness, economic justice, and other sectors that impact and align with our work.
Identify and represent Housing CA and SHAC in multi-sector coalitions and networks, elevating the organization’s leadership and advancing shared priorities.
Foster cross-departmental collaboration and assist with other organizational responsibilities that further the strategic goals of the organization.
Participate as an organizational leader, shaping and ensuring the effective implementation of our mission, values, and culture
Represent Housing CA at external events, coalition spaces, and media engagements to elevate the organization’s leadership and strategic priorities.
Collaborate with the executive and leadership teams to shape and advance organizational strategy, ensuring that strategic initiatives are integrated into planning, budgeting, and impact tracking.
Propose and monitor an annual program budget and work plan, ensuring effective stewardship of resources and successful implementation of priorities on time, within budget, and with high quality.
Lead a productive and collaborative team by hiring, managing, mentoring, and coaching staff; supporting professional growth; and fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and learning-oriented work environment.
Partner with fellow leadership team members to cultivate a values-driven culture that advances racial equity, promotes transparency, communication and collaboration, disrupts institutional racism, and fosters a strong sense of belonging.
Contribute to fundraising efforts to support and sustain our mission-driven work.

Benefits

fully paid medical, dental, and vision for employee and 25% paid medical, dental and vision for dependents
paid parental leave
long-term disability and group life insurance coverage
commuting subsidy
cell phone/at home internet subsidy
403(b) retirement plan with 3.5% employer contribution
generous vacation (3+ weeks, depending on tenure)
sick leave (8 hours per month + employees start with 8 hours of leave)
12 paid holidays
organization-wide closure during the last week of December and a shortened workweek during the summer legislative break
professional development opportunities
hybrid work environment