Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 17 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 8,300 alumni to and through college and beyond. Our award winning schools are part of the national KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network, dedicated to meeting the needs of all learners and providing the social, emotional and academic support for success in high school, college, and life.

Mission

Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world.

What We Do

At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Because we believe that the purpose of education is for liberation at KIPP SoCal, on our external impact team:

We partner with families, communities, students, team & family, and other stakeholders to realize our promise of joyful, academically excellent schools and ongoing alumni support.

We are active anti-racists who advocate for educational equity, and amplify the voices of our students, families, alumni, and communities in our pursuit of a more just world.

We embody KIPP SoCal’s mission, celebrate our values and impact, fulfill our regulatory commitments, and share our story.

The Advocacy & Community Engagement (ACE) Manager serves as the subject matter expert in advocacy and community engagement efforts for KIPP SoCal schools. 

This role drives region-wide initiatives across five focus areas : Civic Engagement, Charter Renewal, Family Leadership, Community Engagement, and Region-wide Partnerships.

The ACE Manager will also take primary ownership and accountability for two of the following areas: Charter Renewal and Family Leadership. The primary ownership areas are reviewed annually in partnership with the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement and may evolve with the organization's priorities.

Focus Area: Civic Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact  with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to host mobile, flex, and traditional vote centers across our LA County KIPP SoCal school sites.
• Recruit, Train, and manage staff volunteers at vote centers by providing clear guidance and day-of support 
• Lead regional Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts, designing and executing campaigns that educate and mobilize families and staff to participate in local, state, and national elections.
• Plan and execute KIPP SoCal’s annual National Voter Registration Day initiative, driving high levels of school and community participation.
• Design and execute Party at the Poll events to increase vote centers visibility and drive greater community turnout.
• Collaborate with partner charter networks and community organizations to co-host candidate forums for school board elections, ensuring families have access to clear, nonpartisan information.

Success Metrics: 

• 1+ vote centers hosted during election years 
• 100+ voter registrations on National Voter Registration Day Event 
• 100+ community attendees at candidate forums

Focus Area: Charter Renewal (Varies by year)

• Regularly attend school board meetings to gather insights of Authorizing Boards and the renewal process 
• Develop and execute charter renewal strategies across school sites in alignment with regional goals 
• Lead the leadership development of Renewal Working Team (RWT) families, building grassroots power during renewal campaigns and cultivating long term KIPP family advocates. 
• Facilitate monthly Renewal Working Team Family Meetings, driving progress toward all quantitative advocacy goals. (Ex: 100+ family letters of support, 300+ online petition signatures, 15+ community organizations signed onto the coalition letter of support, identifying and prepping speakers for key meetings etc.) 

Upcoming Charter Renewals: 2026-27 (1 school), 2027-28 (5 schools)

Success Metrics: 

• School going through renewal has a Renewal Working Team consisting of 5+ families, School Leader, and Community School Manager 
• 100+ letters of support are collected per renewal 
• 300+ online petition signatures from families from that school 
• 15+ community organizations sign onto coalition letter of support 
• 20+ speakers are identified, prepared, and confirmed to share testimony at key meetings

Focus Area: Family Leadership

• Lead and facilitate the Family Ambassador Coalition, building a structured learning community for family advocates around local issues 
• Plan and execute quarterly community-building engagement opportunities for Family Ambassador Coalition
• Drive ongoing trainings in family engagement and community organizing best practices, continuously strengthening advocacy capacity.
• Develop leadership and organizing skills among families, empowering them to advocate for students, schools, and communities.
• Spearhead KIPP SoCal's Spring Federal Advocacy Week (Hill Day) delegation, managing the full participant experience from application and travel logistics to briefing materials and on-the-ground advocacy preparation.
• Spearhead KIPP SoCal’s Day of Action delegation in Sacramento, managing the full participant experience from application and travel logistics to briefing materials and on-the-ground advocacy preparation 
• Research and identify leadership opportunities for family advocates, attending events and convenings alongside families to provide guidance and representation.

Success Metrics: 

• Representation from every KIPP SoCal school in the Family Ambassador Coalition (2+ families per school)
• Quarterly Family Ambassador Coalition Meetings 
• 2+ community building programs executed per school year 
• 15+ new families prepared and representing KIPP SoCal at Spring Federal Advocacy annually 
• 10+ new families prepared and representing KIPP SoCal at Day of Action in Sacramento annually 

Focus Area: Community Engagement

• Manage and cultivate relationships with key community stakeholders and partners, including recruiting new organizations that can support students, families, and schools across the region.
• Monitor community events and priorities across all KIPP SoCal neighborhoods, attending meetings and events to understand local needs and identify partnership opportunities.
• Ensure consistent execution and tracking of all community engagement efforts across the region, maintaining strong stakeholder relationships and alignment with KIPP SoCal's community engagement priorities.
• Share community engagement opportunities with school teams through the monthly ACE bulletin.
• Represent KIPP SoCal at school board, neighborhood, city, and community organization meetings, events, and galas.
• Host community leaders for school tours and on-campus activities.
• When needed, support school sites when local organizations are hosting services such as vaccine, dental, and vision clinics.

Success Metrics: 

• 60+ community events attended or represented annually (minimum 3 per school, per school year)
• 2+ new community organizations engaged per year 
• 2+ school tours or on-campus community leader visits per year

Focus Area: Region-Wide Partnership

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all region-wide partnerships.
• Maintain strong collaboration with existing partners.
• Plan and execute one quarterly region-wide distribution of baby essentials 
• Complete all required partnership reporting accurately and on time. 
• Lead, coordinate, and oversee  all projects/opportunities offered to our students by the partnership 
• Identify and pursue new region-wide partnership opportunities aligned with student and family needs.
• Share community engagement opportunities with school teams through the monthly ACE bulletin

Success Metrics: 

• 100% of required reports submitted on time 
• 4 quarterly baby essentials distributions executed 
• 1+ new region-wide partnerships initiated annually 
• 100% of ACE bulletins are shared with schools on time

Capacity Building & Additional Responsbillities

• Serve as subject matter expert for geographic areas where we have KIPP SoCal Schools 
• Research assigned communities and maintain current knowledge of trends, issues, and opportunities
• Identify and cultivate relationships with  local non-elected leaders and potential community supporters
• Develop and maintain community asset maps and other educational materials for school team use 
• Identify and share community resources with respective school communities via the ACE Bulletin

Additional Responsbillities

• Collaborate with Community School Managers to plan and execute annual Back to School Resource Fairs

• Project manage other ACE team events such as the KIPP is Community Voter Registration Event, Vote Centers at school campuses, etc.

You'll Be Qualified If You Have

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required
• 4 or more years of experience with government, community engagement or advocacy work
• Knowledge of and existing relationships in LA County Communities, including East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, Watts, Huntington Park, South Gate and Compton  — highly preferred
• Spanish fluency (verbal, oral, written) Required 
• Self-starter with demonstrated initiative and leadership skills 
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills; as well as networking &  interpersonal skills
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast paced environment both independently and as part of a team
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to prioritize effectively and manage multiple priorities and deadlines without losing attention to detail.

Joining KIPP SoCal Means the Following

• Working at an organization committed to the hard work necessary to ensure education is for liberation 
• Spending time with students and families in the best communities of LA, Compton, and San Diego
• Support and care from fellow regional team members
• Ongoing professional development and coaching from manager 

Working with Us Means the Following Perks

• The salary for this role ranges from $71,000 - $99,000 per year
• 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of the cost
• Employer-paid KIPP SoCal life insurance
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% match by KIPP SoCal
• Voluntary Benefits (Pet Insurance, Supplemental Life, Accident, Short Term Disability, etc.)
• Generous paid time off program includes 22 holidays, sick leave, and vacation
• Other great benefits (Flexible spending account, EAP, etc.)

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

KIPP SoCal strives to ensure that our careers website is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please contact us. You can find our contact information on our website, Information will be sent to a talent acquisition representative who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the hiring process.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.