The Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF): Policy Advocacy Manager

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JOB DESCRIPTION

The Asian American Advocacy Fund (AAAF), a non-profit 501(c)(4) social welfare organization based in Norcross, Georgia, has an immediate opening for an experienced individual to join its team in the position of Policy Advocacy Manager. The individual selected will report directly to the Deputy Director.

The AAAF seeks a Policy Advocacy Manager to support and advance the organization’s policy and electoral work. Specifically, the Policy Advocacy Manager will play a key role in advancing AAAF's mission by contributing to the development and implementation of advocacy strategies, researching policy issues impacting the Asian American community, and engaging with community partners to promote positive change. This position qualifies as a hybrid role, meaning that the staff person may work remotely but will need to reside in the State of Georgia and be in-person regularly for community meetings and events, legislative advocacy, and AAAF-related meetings and retreats.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the day-to-day responsibilities and professional development of at least one Policy Associate and provide guidance to ensure their tasks align with the organization's objectives, while also managing and mentoring political interns to support their learning and contribute to team initiatives.

• Develop long-, mid-, and short-term strategic political analyses to inform strategy and resource allocation to ensure we effectively respond to opportunities.

• In partnership with the Deputy Director, lead the development and ongoing assessment and adaptation of strategies, campaigns, and tactics of the political team to support our goals. Create and track metrics to evaluate the progress of campaigns and political programs and provide key feedback or interventions to ensure effective execution.

• Develop clear and transparent documentation outlining the issue area campaign’s process, criteria, and decision-making procedures. Ensure that the process is well-documented and easily understandable by staff.

• Lead implementation and execution and implementation of an endorsement process aimed at supporting candidates and policies aligned with the goals of the Asian American Advocacy Fund.

• Collaborate with internal team members to research and define criteria for endorsing candidates and policies. Ensure that these criteria align with AAAF's mission, values, and the interests of the Asian American community.

• Create and execute accountability plans for decision makers, such as endorsement candidates, legislators, school board members, and more, in communities that we work with.

• Facilitate discussions and gather input from community members to understand their priorities and preferences for endorsements. Integrate community insights into the development of endorsement criteria.

• Lead the team to develop effective strategies for influencing policy decisions. Provide input on legislative priorities and contribute to the development of advocacy campaigns.

• Draft, conduct research for, and help to develop content for reports, fact sheets, talking points, issue memos, and other materials to be used to advance AAAF’s goals

• Represent the organization at hearings, public forums, conferences, meetings, and with other external stakeholders.

• Build trusted and effective working relationships with Georgia advocates, legislators, agency decision-makers, staff, and other stakeholders by providing clear, fact-based analysis and resources.

• Identify opportunities for public education and support on AAAF issues

• Attend and participate in policy-related workgroups, coalitions, and meetings

• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Policy Advocacy Expertise, likely gained from 3-5 years of experience implementing successful grassroots and/or legislative advocacy campaigns, with at least two years of staff management experience, and demonstrated through:

• Ability to persuade and influence individuals or groups to gain support and build momentum for ideas, proposals, and initiatives, including with skeptical audiences

• Experience in Identifying and analyzing options for action; making recommendations informed by prior experiences, policy knowledge, and relationships

• Experience in identifying and defining problems; ability to extract insights from different kinds of data, organize information effectively, and use information to develop workable solutions.

• Experience building or working effectively in broad-based coalitions

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal government structures and legislative processes

• Ability to quickly incorporate feedback to produce high-quality written products; conveys ideas clearly and with empathy across different kinds of communication channels.

• Proven Project Management skills, demonstrated through:

• Ability to oversee projects of intermediate complexity, including planning and strategy responsibilities, delegating tasks to partners and team members, engaging vendors, managing project budgets, and overseeing documentation and reporting requirements.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment

• Being a flexible team player and also comfortable with taking initiative

• Interpersonal & relationship building skills

• Equity and Inclusion competencies

• Embraces the values and goals of AAAF's mission and vision

• Willingness to travel around Georgia and work overtime or irregular hours, including some weekends.

• Access to reliable transportation for travel to and from work locations and off-site meetings.

• Bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, or a related field.

• Commitment to social justice and advocacy for the Asian American community.

NICE TO HAVES

• Policy advocacy experience within the Georgia Legislative Session is preferred

• Master’s degree and/or advanced degree preferred

• Ability to speak an Asian language, or previous experience working with the Asian American community

• Experience working for a state-based 501(c)4 organization

POSITION SUMMARY

Position: Policy Advocacy Manager, Full-Time (Benefits Eligible)

Salary: $71,500 to $79,500, dependent on experience

Apply By: September 3, 2024

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The AAAF is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. We afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status. All are encouraged to apply.

This search is being run by NRG Consulting Group. Please contact jobs@nrgconsultinggroup.org with any questions.