Senior Policy Campaign Strategist

The Black Futures Lab is a 501(c)3 that transforms Black communities into constituencies that wield independent, political power at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The problems Black communities face are complex; the solutions to those problems require imagination, experimentation, and political power. The Black Futures Lab combines strategies that help us imagine the alternatives we deserve while building political power at the local, state, and national levels to implement those alternatives.   

The Black Futures Lab is hiring a Senior Policy Campaign Strategist. This is a remote and shared position with Black Futures’ Lab sister organization, Black to the Future Action Fund.  

The Senior Policy Campaign Strategist helps to develop and design policies that improve the lives of Black communities, translates those policies into issue campaigns, and works to create opportunities for policy reform in our target states. The Senior Policy Campaign Strategist drives our issue agenda in states and works to maximize our presence and impact. The Senior Policy Campaign Strategist supports developing and implementing our strategy with national, state, and regional allies in service of our agenda.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Strategic Leadership 

• Provides leadership, along with other staff and partner organizations, in the development and implementation of policy priorities and strategy. 

• Ability to translate policy priorities into issue campaigns that build Black political power.  

• Conducts regular power analysis of the political landscape to chart a path for legislative wins that service our agenda.  

 Partnership and Relationship Building 

• Position Black to the Future Action Fund, our partners, and our agenda strategically and powerfully in our target states. 

• Builds and leverages relationships with key policymakers, elected officials, and influencers to serve our agenda. 

• Collaborate with the Black to the Future Public Policy Institute, ensuring that we build the capacity of our communities to write, win, and implement policy in cities and states. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with partner organizations.  

Legislative Engagement and Advocacy 

• Provide reliable, timely analysis and strategic guidance on relevant legislative activities in our CA, NC, LA, WI, and GA priority states.  

• Develop and disseminate materials regarding legislative developments to partners, policymakers, and Black voters. 

• Conduct or commission research as necessary. 

• Assist in providing political education programming to Black to the Future Action Fund volunteers who want to engage in our issue campaign work.  

 Project Management  

• Manages multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and timely completion. 

• Prioritizes tasks and resources effectively to meet project deadlines and deliverables. 

• Adapts plans as needed to address changing project requirements and mitigate risks. 

People Management  

• Provides strong leadership to guide policy specialists towards departmental goals. 

• Offers mentorship and professional growth opportunities to foster team collaboration. 

• Promotes open communication and feedback to maintain a positive work environment. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• At least 5 years of experience in a leadership role in representing an organization on issues of importance to Black communities. 

• Established relationships with state policy makers, and with social change organizations. 

• Extensive knowledge of state legislative and administrative processes. 

• Ability to design, manage, and implement issue campaign strategy. 

• Understanding of and commitment to using grassroots organizing principles to build the capacity and power of low-income and Black people to change their communities and participate directly in changing public policies. 

• Demonstrated commitment to community organizing and ability to work constructively with grassroots partners. 

• Excellent advocacy, consensus-building, coalition-building, and leadership skills; demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with other staff and other organizations; demonstrated ability to work with groups and individuals across the political spectrum. 

• Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral; experience as a public spokesperson and advocate; ability to analyze and articulate legal concepts and other complex issues and to communicate them to a variety of audiences; a “quick study” on a dynamic array of issues. 

• A broad understanding of state policies that pertain to Black communities is required. 

• Experience driving economic issue campaigns is a plus.  

• The ability to produce consistent, quality work in a fast-paced environment is essential. 

• Experience effectively supervising and developing staff. 

• Ability to manage several projects simultaneously and to adjust to frequently changing demands. 

• Experience analyzing and interpreting legislative and regulatory language. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:   

• All staff work remotely. Office hours are 10 am - 6 pm local time. Work hours may be adjusted to accommodate team members in other time zones.   

• Ability to work irregular hours, including evening and weekend events, as necessary.  

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.   

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:   

• The physical demands described here must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.   

• Sitting for extended periods of time.    

• Hearing and speaking to exchange information and to work with staff and external stakeholders. 

• Seeing to read and write, exchange emails, conduct work, and prepare documents and reports.    

• Lifting moderately heavy objects and handling and/or transporting equipment and tools needed for the position.    

• Kneeling, bending at the waist, and reaching overhead, above the shoulders, and horizontally to retrieve and store files and supplies.   

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS    

• Pay for this position is commensurate with experience and responsibilities. The salary range for this position is $100,000-$110,000. This position includes medical and dental benefits, generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays. This position is 40 hours per week, salaried, and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.    

We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please reach out to our team at people@blackfutureslab.org.  

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit your resume and complete the application questions.

The application deadline is July 15, 2024. While we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis, we encourage you to submit yours before the deadline to ensure timely consideration. All applications will be thoroughly evaluated against the requirements of the role. If your qualifications meet our criteria, we will promptly reach out to discuss the next steps in the process. We appreciate your attention to this deadline and look forward to receiving your application.

Black Futures Lab and Black to the Future Action fund contract with Resilient Strategies LLC for backend and operational support, including hiring and employment. Resilient Strategies is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.