Nader Ghorban Zadeh
Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor
About Community Change and Community Change Action:
Community Change builds the power and capacity of low-income people, especially low-income people of color, to lead powerful and dynamic movements for social change. With our community-based partner groups, we bridge the grassroots and the national, supporting outsider strategies to disrupt the status quo while also building pathways to influence the insider conversation.
Our vision of a better world centers the leadership of impacted people of color to move our work on immigrant rights, economic justice, and racial equity, including a focus on jobs and housing, early childhood care and education, income supports, and immigration.
This position also supports Community Change Action , an affiliated 501(c)(4) advocacy organization. While motivated by the same core values – equity, inclusion, and justice – Community Change and Community Change Action operate independently of one another and each organization has its own board of directors.
Position Description:
The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor will play a leadership role in advocacy efforts surrounding Community Change’s mission to build power and capacity in low-income communities and strengthen the progressive movement through effective policy advocacy. This position also supports the research and development of policy and legislative proposals relating to existing and future priority areas identified by Community Change and our local partner organizations.
The Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor is part of the Policy and Advocacy Team, which is responsible for working with other Community Change staff and partner organizations to help develop and advance Community Change’s legislative agenda before Congress and the Administration, as well as supporting Community Change and its partners’ efforts to advance policy initiatives at the state and local levels.
A portion of time may be spent doing work for Community Change’s sister organization, Community Change Action.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Play a key role in representing Community Change at national campaign tables and shaping campaign strategy. Serve as one of the key contacts at Community Change with influential policy makers on key campaigns.
- Represent Community Change positions to partner organizations, key policy makers and their staff, among others as necessary. Develop and disseminate relevant information to national and local partners, policy makers, and the media and communities.
- Present Community Change policy positions at national conferences and conduct trainings on Community Change policy positions with grassroots partners on an as needed basis.
- Lead policy and legislative research in support of Community Change and partner initiatives to impact national, state and local policies.
- Play a key role in providing research and strategic advice around the development of Community Change national policy priorities.
- Work closely with community groups to formulate strategy around policy campaigns at the state or local level.
- Play a key role in translating national campaign efforts to state and local partners.
- Present relevant policy/legislative developments to Community Change field partners.
- Work in close collaboration with Community Change field partners to develop national campaign strategy and accompanying local campaign strategies.
- Equip grassroots leaders on key policy issues and on working with policy makers.
- Help coordinate grassroots policy activities with Community Change’s national policy priorities and strategies.
Qualifications:
- A minimum of seven years of experience in policy analysis, creation and legislative research, which may include experience on Capitol Hill, academic research or community organizing around issues of importance to low-income communities and immigrants.
- Experience working with community organizing groups, unions, or other base-building groups and their constituencies on policy campaigns, specifically related to communicating complex policies to grassroots constituencies and assisting grassroots organizations in developing effective issue campaigns.
- Willingness to accept guidance and direction from grassroots organizations and organizers on priority issues.
- Willingness to travel to meet one-on-one with organizers at partner organizations.
- Deep commitment to Community Change’s mission of supporting low-income people, immigrants and communities of color develop the power and capacity to improve their communities and bring about broader social change.
- A fundamental understanding of federal advocacy levers and the federal and state legislative process
- Experience and comfort working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, able to contribute based on expert knowledge or otherwise, as needed.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills are a must.
- The ability to produce consistent, quality work in a fast-paced environment is essential.
- Commitment to advancing economic, racial and gender justice essential.
This position reports to: Director of Public Policy and Advocacy
Classification: Community Change recognizes a staff bargaining unit affiliated with IFPTE Local 70, a union for non-profit workers. This position is included in Community Change’s bargaining unit and covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Travel Requirements: Moderate
Salary and benefits: $80,000 – $110,000 annual salary. Community Change also offers an excellent benefits package, which includes 4 weeks of annual paid vacation; additional paid holiday leave between December 24 and January 1; 8% employer contribution to retirement account after six months of employment (and 3% employer contribution for the first 6 months); and a choice of generous health insurance plans.
This position is located in Washington, DC.
How to apply: Please click here to submit a cover letter telling us why you are the perfect person for this position as well as salary expectations, a resume, and two writing samples.
Community Change is an Equal Opportunity Employer