The Citizens League is eager to find its next Director of Public Policy and encourage you to spread the word about this opportunity.
Citizens League, Director of Public Policy
Status: Full Time, Salaried
Reports to: Executive Director
Supervises: Policy interns and project subcontractors
Key relationships: This position works collaboratively as part of the Citizens League team, manages the Policy Committee, interacts with the Board of Directors, and works closely with project partners, contractors, and community members.
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Salary: $90,000 – $100,000 annually + benefits
About Us
The Citizens League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers people to engage in civic life and public policy to make Minnesota a better place to live and work for everyone. Leading with a multi-partisan approach, we build awareness of issues, develop leaders in public policy, and create strong and innovative policy solutions.
The Citizens League has a reputation as an unbiased convener whose work generates ideas and solutions representative of a wide range of interests, experiences, and perspectives. For nearly 70 years, the League has been dedicated to finding innovative solutions across parties and ideologies to solve some of the biggest challenges facing Minnesota. We work largely in the Twin Cities metro area, on issues that have statewide reach. Current and recent issue areas include aging and caregiving, education, governance, workforce, public safety, and civic leadership. We use a variety of tools and methods to explore complex policy issues, develop shared understanding, and design well-informed solutions. Our strategy is rooted in the understanding that there is a historical context to all policies, systems and structures; and that those affected by an issue must have a central role in defining the problem and generating solutions. Please read more about our approach and our core principles here.
Our organizational culture is inclusive, adaptable, and learning-oriented. We center values of diversity, inclusion, and equity in our work as a multi-partisan organization bringing together many different perspectives and ideologies; and we continually apply these insights to the work of public policymaking, as well as our own internal team practices.
Read more about our team, our work, and approach at http://www.citizensleague.org.
We are currently searching for our next Director of Public Policy, who will be a key leader at the Citizens League and an integral part of our collaborative and supportive six-member team.
Job Summary
The Director of Public Policy is a key leader within the Citizens League team, responsible for the League’s policy initiatives and strategy, in collaboration with the Executive Director and other colleagues. This includes identifying, developing, and leading deep policy projects with partners and community members; developing and advancing policy initiatives and recommendations; and helping to execute the League’s overall strategy in service to our mission.
Duties and Essential Job Functions
- Develop, set, execute, and evaluate processes and priorities for policy work, along with Citizens League staff and key contractors, the Board of Directors, the Policy Committee, and community partners.
- Conduct meaningful community engagement efforts to develop and advance Citizens League policy recommendations.
- Direct the advancement of Citizens League policy work, including active projects and past policy positions as appropriate.
- Collaborate with Director of Development to identify and secure funding sources to support Citizens League policy work.
- Ensure all policy initiatives align with the Citizens League’s mission, vision, and approach.
- Build effective partnerships to advance the Citizens League’s efforts.
- Engage key stakeholders and community members in focused processes for policy issue area identification and policy development and advancement in particular issue areas.
- Increase capacity and opportunities for members and volunteers to engage with the Citizens League in policy making discussions and decision making.
- Utilize project management techniques to manage complex policy projects.
- Co-create strategic communications about project impact and policy work.
- Supervise policy interns in coordination with colleagues.
- Coordinate agreements for contracted work the Citizens League carries out for other entities, as well as agreements with and supervision of external contractors hired by the League for policy projects. Work with staff to coordinate billing and payments for contracts.
- Collaborate with colleagues and partners to design and implement policy learning events such as the Mind Opener series and EdTalks.
- Represent Citizens League at external events, including coalitions, as needed.
- Represent the Citizens League in the community (speaking opportunities, media, legislature, etc.).
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- Minimum 4-6 years related experience, particularly in public policy.
- Ability to uphold Citizens League principles while confidently and comfortably interacting with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, ideologies, sectors, and levels.
- Demonstrated experience working with people and communities that are diverse in race and ethnicity.
- Demonstrated experience working in a multi-partisan and highly political environment while remaining politically neutral.
- Knowledge of government processes and understanding of the Minnesota legislative process.
- Excellent organizing skills; ability to organize broad groups of participants to identify and achieve common goals.
- Strong facilitation and project management skills.
- Strong communication, writing, listening, research and critical thinking skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate with many stakeholders and meet deadlines with attention to detail.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently while accepting and seeking out direction as appropriate.
- Commitment to values of diversity, inclusion, and equity; ability to apply these principles to the Citizens League’s work; and commitment to continued personal growth in these areas.
- Proficiency with a wide range of software, including Microsoft Office.
- Proficiency and comfort with online communications.
- Reliable daily transportation to a variety of meetings in the Metro Area.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, advocacy and political leadership, or related field.
- Experience with Citizens League history, current work, and civic organizing, including membership in or involvement with the Citizens League.
- Grant writing experience.
- Fundraising experience.
- Experience with project management tools and visual facilitation tools such as Asana, Miro, Mural, etc.
- Experience leading or supporting multi-agency coalitions.
- Event planning experience.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is $90,000 – $100,000 per year, paid electronically every other week.
Benefits include healthcare, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, major holidays, half-days on Fridays in the summer, cell phone stipend of $45/mo., and parking reimbursement up to $95/mo.
Location and Logistics
We are based in the Twin Cities, with office space in downtown Saint Paul. All staff are currently living in or near Minneapolis and Saint Paul and nearby suburbs. We are currently working virtually (from home) for the most part, with occasional in-person meetings and gatherings with the staff team, and more frequent one-on-one in-person meetings with partners and members of our network. Following COVID-19 related guidelines, as soon as it is feasible we anticipate resuming a hybrid model with a mix of in-person and virtual work. All employees must be able to work from a place with reliable cell phone access and high speed internet. Citizens League provides a laptop computer. Generally our work day occurs between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with some evening and weekend work due to our partnerships and community engagement efforts. There is quite a bit of flexibility in scheduling for many, though not all, meetings. We are understanding of parents, guardians, and caregivers on our team who may require flexibility for related commitments.
To Apply
Please send a resume and one-page cover letter to info@citizensleague.org. Please put in the subject line – Director of Public Policy opening.
Deadline
Job applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applicant review will begin on October 11, 2021.
The Citizens League is an equal opportunity employer.