Civic Advocacy Manager
About the role
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is expanding its policy, advocacy and community engagement efforts with a Civic Advocacy Manager who will collaborate with senior leadership and clients to engage elected officials, local leaders and other partners around civic issues critical to the community. Reporting to the Director of Institutional and Civic Engagement, the Civic Advocacy Manager will help develop and manage an organizational policy and advocacy agenda focused on creating positive change in systems that directly affect clients and other low-income New Yorkers.
The Civic Advocacy Manager must be committed to Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’s mission and have a passion for advocacy to improve the lives of clients. This role will work across multiple human services disciplines and with diverse populations, including young families, older adults and English language learners, to strengthen and unify organizational policy and advocacy efforts and position the Neighborhood House for long-term change on behalf of the community.
The Civic Advocacy Manager will initially focus on three key issues:
- Healthy aging and strategies to support service and resource expansion for older adults
- Food insecurity and healthy food initiatives to increase nutritious food access, encourage local procurement for government-funded meals and make New York’s food systems more equitable and sustainable
- Government benefits and housing issues to ensure reliable access to essential benefits, housing subsidies and related programs
Responsibilities
- Partner with leadership to develop, manage and implement a growing policy agenda that positively impacts systems affecting clients and other low-income New Yorkers
- Act as an ambassador and representative of the organization, demonstrating its values through thoughtful engagement with community partners, elected officials and policymakers
- Advocate for the policy agenda at state, local and federal levels and support organizational lobbying efforts
- Develop and draft policy publications, reports, testimony and regulatory comments to advance the advocacy agenda
- Translate internal program and services data into high-level messages and visualizations for broad audiences
- Conduct policy research and summarize findings in reports for internal use
- Develop advocacy and campaign materials to educate and mobilize communities and stakeholders
- Identify and pursue improvements, expansions and funding opportunities for the organization
- Complete, submit and track applications for discretionary funding and government grants
- Maintain internal systems tracking outreach to and partnerships with elected officials and government partners
- Cultivate relationships with diverse partners, including advocacy coalitions, community-based organizations and individuals, to maximize impact
- Represent the organization at events such as legislative hearings, lobbying days, conferences and partner organization fundraisers, including events outside regular work hours
- Collaborate with program teams to leverage capacity for social innovation and increase systemic impact
Qualifications
- Minimum of three years’ experience in public policy advocacy, public policy research, community affairs, legislative and local government experience, or community-based advocacy work
- Interest and strong working knowledge of human services programs and commitment to social justice
- Excellent oral and written communication, research, analysis and presentation skills
- Excellent writing and editing skills with proven ability to describe complex policy issues clearly and accurately for different audiences
- Project management skills to work both independently and as part of a team to execute assignments and policy strategy
- Interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work directly with a wide range of stakeholders, including clients, government agencies, elected officials, nonprofit partners, advocates, policy experts and community members
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package
- Extensive paid time off – 25 days’ vacation, 13 holidays and substantial sick time
- Paid parental leave for all staff
- Professional development opportunities: trainings, lectures and more
- Free life insurance: 3× annual salary
- Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical, Dependent Care and Parking/Mass Transit
- Supplemental Insurance Coverage (Accident, Hospital and Critical Illness)
- Staff events and parties including Film & Dinner nights, bowling parties, baseball games, food trucks, holiday parties, parties on the Green Roof, ice cream socials and more
- State-of-the-art fitness center, gym and swimming pool
- Staff fitness classes, swimming lessons and lap swim
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer
Pay
$75,000 annually