Position Description:

Reporting to the Chief External Officer, the Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy (SVP Policy & Advocacy) will serve as a key leader within the Leadership Team at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. The SVP Policy & Advocacy will work closely with the Chief External Officer to develop the organization’s strategic goals, policy positions, and key initiatives, including strategies for advocacy, and lead relationships with partners, coalition members, policy makers, and other stakeholders. The SVP Policy & Advocacy will serve as an important representative of the Partnership in a wide range of external settings. The SVP Policy & Advocacy will also be accountable for the overall strategy, performance and operations of the Partnership’s Policy and Advocacy Team.

This position is based in Los Angeles and requires an ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the LA region. Due to the pandemic, the Partnership is currently working remotely but team members are expected to return to the office and in-person meetings once it’s deemed safe.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Advocacy Vision, Organizational Strategy and Agenda Execution (40%)

• Lead the Policy and Advocacy Team, creating a cohesive vision, short and long-term goals, strategies and associate campaigns in alignment with the Partnership’s strategic plan
• Work with the Policy and Advocacy team to finalize strategic plan and action steps for the next school year
• Manage strategic projects that position the organization to continue to grow our leadership within the local community and state level around educational equity

Relationship Management & Stakeholder Engagement (35%)

• Build and maintain relationships with key actors in Los Angeles education policy including Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) leadership, advocacy partners and school communities
• Engage and partner with grasstop and grassroot leaders, policy organizations and education coalitions to prioritize the issue of improving Los Angeles public education to the front and center of local and state policymaking and investment
• Spearhead alongside other coalition partners to plan local and statewide policy and advocacy campaigns including planning next steps for the successful implementation of the Student Equity Needs Index
• Travel (primarily locally across Los Angeles County) to represent the Partnership in coalitions, media events, meetings and advocacy events
• Play a key role in deepening the organization’s education partnerships through events, relationship building, community partner support and engagement and grassroots mobilization efforts

Team Management & Organizational Thought-Partnership (25%)

• Manage the Policy and Advocacy team which includes 4 team members to execute effectively and efficiently the policy and advocacy goals
• Coach team and evaluate staff performance and develop differentiated professional development plans for team members
• Collaborate with the Communications Team to develop an advocacy communications plan for future policy briefs and publications
• Collaborate with the Family & Community Engagement Teams, Academic, Executive and Operations Teams to impact system-wide change work within the Partnership and also work in collaboration with the Partnership Steering Committee as well as Policy and Advocacy Advisory Board which is comprised of students, parents and educators
• Collaborate across the Partnership network to develop strategy for developing equity champions in our school communities including how to maximize our student engagement work

Qualifications:

Shared beliefs – candidates must have:

• A belief in the Partnership’s mission, approach, and core values and a commitment to improving academic achievement for Partnership and LAUSD students
• Deep belief in the power of our communities, and respect and love for our families in Boyle Heights, South LA and Watts
• Humility and respect for the hard work of school leaders, teachers, parents, students and District staff
• A commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive work environment for all team members

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualities and experiences:

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate years of experience
• 8-10 years of highly relevant professional experience in policy, advocacy and/or public affairs with specific experience developing and executing an advocacy strategy and driving policy results
• 5+ years management experience (managing and leading teams, managing complex projects and cross functional teams)
• Proven track record connecting with individuals and building alliances with LAUSD leaders, advocacy partners, community members and diverse stakeholders to cultivate productive partnerships and alliances
• Experience interfacing with elected officials and navigating political systems at the local, state and/or federal levels
• Knowledge of communities we serve, familiarity with education or other social issue campaigns and political work impacting Los Angeles
• Experience understanding systems and working on issues of equity, especially issue campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to conduct landscape analysis and strategy
• Effective communicator and presenter including an ability to proactively communicate critical messages to stakeholders and a diverse range of audiences
• Strong, demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion
• Flexibility to deal with a changing landscape while driving the work forward
• Ability to work on and manage multiple projects at any given time and pivot among priorities
• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Minimum Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree
• 8-10 years of relevant policy, advocacy and campaign experience creating and executing an education or social justice agenda to support marginalized communities
• 5 years of managing teams through layers to achieve goals
• Experience engaging with elected officials and political systems
• Deep passion for educational equity and belief in Partnership’s mission and theory of change

Compensation & Benefits

The Partnership has recently completed a thorough study of market-competitive salaries, and has applied the learning from that study to salary offers for all home office positions. Our goal is to ensure that pay is fair for all staff members, both considering the market and considering pay equity among staff in similar roles in the organization.

The Partnership offers a robust benefits package including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance and a 403(b) retirement program.

This is a full time, year-round position.

TO APPLY

Please prepare your resume and a cover letter tailored to this position. You will submit your documents using our application system here.

The ideal start date for this position is Sept 2021, please submit your application by Aug 4, 2021 to ensure consideration.

For questions about the role, please email Vanessa Ramirez (vr******@pa***********.org).

An Equal-Opportunity Employer with a Commitment to Diversity 

Partnership for Los Angeles Schools seeks to fill this position with someone who shares our values, including our organizational commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.  We encourage all interested individuals to apply — especially Black, Indigenous and People of Color; women; people from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender or anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. The Partnership is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.