Senior Policy Associate

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Policy Associate

ABOUT US

Founded in 1991, Hope Solutions, formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, is a vibrant and socially responsive non-profit agency that provides permanent housing and vital support services to over 2,000 homeless or at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. Over 40 faith-based communities support our work, although there are no religious requirements or affiliations to receive services.

Are you seeking a new role that fully utilizes your talents and potential—while helping to make the world a better place? If so, please read on!

What are you passionate about?

At Hope Solutions—we envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potential. We strive to be inclusive and responsive to community needs. We are committed to excellence and accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.

Hope Solution's mission is to heal the effects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals.

Could our mission be your mission?

Learn more about us @  hopesolutions.org  

TEAM SNAPSHOT

We're adding to our team of passionate folks—who are on a mission to help make the lives of others better—through services and support that lead to a higher quality of life for our clients. 

We'd like to learn more about you—apply for the role! What's our team like? 

Here's a snapshot of some of the folks at Hope Solutions who help advance our vision to achieve—secure housing and the dignity of self-sufficiency for the homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County.

A FEW OF US...

Deanne—Chief Executive Officer—Resides with her husband and three children. Enjoys hiking, camping, reading, cooking, and cheering at her kids' games.

Alex—Chief Operating Officer—Lives with his wife, son, and dog (and loves when the grandkids visit!). MSW and macro social worker who enjoys reading, baseball (Go Giants!), cooking, hiking, jazz, and family time.

Christina—Chief Financial Officer—Resides with her husband, son, two daughters, and their dog. MPA, Non-Profit Graduate Certificate, and 20+ years in finance; enjoys traveling and family time.

Beth—Director of Clinical and Support Services—Resides with her sister and son. Licensed psychologist with 30+ years working with children and families; enjoys singing, cooking, gardening, and traveling.

Bill—Vice President of Programs—Resides with his partner. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 25+ years’ experience working with underserved populations, specialized training in somatic psychotherapy and end-of-life care; enjoys reading, gardening, and meditation.

Cayla—Director of Evaluation & Learning —Resides with her husband and children. MBA in Business Analytics that thrives on spreadsheet analysis, dashboard creation, and reading.

Debbie—Director of Development & External Relations—Resides with her husband, two teenagers, and a rescue mutt. Leads external relations and development with 20+ years in marketing and communications.

Dominick—Director of Re-Entry Housing & Services—A fourth-generation San Francisco native and father of four, holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.A. in Leadership. In his free time, he enjoys music, travel, nature, cooking, and quarterly wine trips.

Jennifer—Vice President of Strategy & Development—A California native, she spends her time with her loved ones hiking and exploring the region's coffee shops, farmer's markets, and festivals. She likes reading adventure novels and leadership books, as well as playing new board games and video games, and loves a good conversation.  

Kristina—Director of Human Resources—With over 20 years of experience in HR, leadership, people management, and operations, she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and is a SHRM-SCP certified professional. A Bay Area native and proud foodie, she lives with her child and enjoys spending time with her family, cycling, hiking, and keeping life light with laughter and fun.

Mashal—Director of Housing & Support Services—Resides in the Bay Area. Daughter of Afghan refugees; enjoys weekends with her son, concerts, reading, and Sonoma Coast drives; former Program Manager for housing and care for chronically homeless adults with AIDS/HIV; co-chair for Hope Solutions' CARE Committee and board member.

Rena—Director of Finance—Born and raised in Contra Costa County – California CPA with a dual degree in Accounting and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!). Enjoys cooking, hosting dinner parties and hiking with her husband and two daughters.

Tanya—Director of Rapid Re-Housing & Navigation—Resides with her husband, daughter, and two sons. Master's in Counseling Psychology with 15+ years serving underserved populations; enjoys music, comedy, movies, exercising, and basketball.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

The Senior Policy Associate will expand Hope Solutions' efforts to impact local, state, and federal policy advocacy to influence public funding and service systems to increase adequate resources to prevent and end homelessness. A successful candidate for this position will have the proven capacity to engage with resident leaders, staff, government partners, elected officials, and our clients around key advocacy initiatives.  

Supervisory Responsibility: None

WHAT WILL YOU DO:

Essential Job Functions:

• Partner with Hope Solutions CEO, Board of Directors, Vice President of Strategy and Development, and Resident Empowerment Program (REP) leaders to develop, iterate, and implement Hope Solutions’ policy and advocacy strategies. This will include field research, assessments with staff, interviews with our peers and partners, and the on-going monitoring and adjustment to our Advocacy and Policy Plan. 
• Build and maintain relationships with and represent Hope Solutions with local governments, regional agencies, elected officials, and local and regional policy coalitions in support of the Advocacy and Policy plan and other strategic organization priorities.
• Guide and support the Hope Solutions Resident Empowerment Team as they advocate and advance movements for the creation and retention of affordable housing and supportive services. Additionally, provide logistical and organizational support to REP leaders to ensure effective meetings, events, operations, and collaboration.
• Track and communicate potential budget and legislative changes, as well as emerging issues, at the local, regional, and state levels, and identify opportunities for action.
• Support the development of proposal packages for government contracts, through project coordination, drafting written content, and proofreading/quality assurance processes. 
• Support private grant writing and fundraising to develop and expand our local, regional, and statewide policy efforts. 
• Draft stakeholder-facing materials, that may include impact reports, white papers, op eds, and social media content, and collaborate on the annual impact report in partnership with Grants & Communications Manager.
• Track documents and communication related to government and private contracts to support compliance and trust with funders, as needed.
• Build materials for and provide support to Board of Directors’ Policy and External Relations Committee and related bodies.
• Frequently attend and represent Hope Solutions at community, government, and partner events throughout Contra Costa County, periodically in the evening or on weekends.
• Provide support to Hope Solution events intended to enhance organizational visibility. 

Cultural Responsiveness:

• Awareness of and aptitude to understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based differences within group environments appropriately and effectively.
• Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice and housing justice.
• Experience fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, and personal humility.
• Participate in and complete our new employee onboarding process, which includes reading and discussing a short chapter in the book The Color of Law.

Organizational/Administrative Responsibilities:

• Professionally represent Hope Solutions in all circumstances.
• Ensure compliance with policies, procedures, standards of practice, and outcome measures for the programs, as well as consistent with the contracts.
• Comply with all legal/ethical professional guidelines for maintaining consumer confidentiality, adhering to HIPAA guidelines, protecting consumer rights, advocating on consumers' behalf, and assuring consumer safety.
• Comply with all local, state, and federal regulations
• Attend all required meetings, including but not limited to Hope Solutions staff meetings and linkage meetings with other agencies.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Work Location Classification:

• Hybrid: Work is performed through a planned combination of on-site and remote work, based on role requirements, approved schedules, and operational needs.
• Client-facing work may occur on-site or in the field, depending on the role and program needs, and may include appointments, sessions, engagements, support services, client-present coordination of community resources/services, and other direct service activities. 
• This expectation may flex to accommodate operational needs, client availability, safety concerns, or urgent program priorities while still meeting performance expectations.
• Employees must maintain confidentiality, work from a professional/private environment, complete assigned tasks and documentation on time, and track time accurately.

Position Qualifications:

• At least 3 years relevant experience that can include policy development, communications, government relations, real estate development, social justice, or community organizing.
• Pragmatic, strategic thinker with demonstrated experience advancing strategies in sensitive political environments.  
• Demonstrated commitment and experience working with issues affecting vulnerable populations. 
• Must be comfortable speaking in public, facilitating meetings, and have excellent communication and diplomacy skills required for politically sensitive situations.   
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with attention to detail in a demanding environment. 
• Flexibility with work hours, including occasional evening and weekend meetings. 
• Strong proficiency in MS Office and excellent writing and research skills. 
• Bachelor’s degree; preferably in public policy, public administration, political science, etc. may substitute three years of equivalent work experience. Master’s degree preferred. 
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. (Bilingual English and Spanish are a plus.)
• Must have operational vehicle, auto insurance, valid California driver's license, and be willing to drive for work.
• Must pass LiveScan screening and TB test.
• Salary contingent upon skill and experience.

Physical Qualifications:

• Must be able to sit for long hours. Must be able to view and operate a computer. 
• Must be able to work in a desk setting for up to 3 hours at a time to make calls to residents, research resources on the internet, and collaborate with community providers with calls/emails.
• Office setting activities are required, such as typing on a laptop/computer to respond to emails, entering case notes into a database, and copying and faxing forms and documents on a copy machine related to maintaining or obtaining housing.
• Occasionally must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds, including furnishings for new residents, files, holiday gifts, and food donations.
• Ability to drive an automobile and transport oneself, including driving at night.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Flexible, dynamic work environment.
• 100% premium paid for employee Kaiser health and dental care.
• Matched 403b retirement savings.
• 11 paid holidays, plus 3 floating holidays.
• Ability to accrue 2-4 weeks' vacation depending on tenure.
• Life insurance and Employee Assistance Program.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. If you're a good fit, we want to meet you!

* Please be advised that we are unable to provide sponsorship for this position. The nature of the work at Hope Solutions does not qualify us to support sponsorship. Only candidates authorized to work in the USA without the need for sponsorship will be considered.