Vice President, Policy and Advocacy

VICE PRESIDENT, POLICY AND ADVOCACY 

WHO WE ARE 

The Children’s Partnership (TCP) is a California advocacy organization whose mission is to advance child health equity through policy, research and community engagement. 

OUR VALUES 

Balance, Equity, Growth, Accountability and Trust 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Vice President of Policy & Advocacy leads TCP’s policy and advocacy work to support the organization’s mission and strategy. Working closely with the President, the Vice President will drive the creation and oversight of TCP’s strategic policy agenda and will oversee TCP’s advocacy strategy, policy campaigns, research efforts and partnership building. 

The Vice President manages and mentors a cross-disciplinary team responsible for developing and executing campaign strategies that advance TCP policy priorities. Team members monitor legislation, analyze public policies, conduct community and policy research, engage a network of community-based organizations and partners, and provide strategic communications, among other activities. The Vice President will provide support, guidance, coaching, and accountability to TCP policy directors, including on effective and equitable team goal setting, professional development, and performance management. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provide thought partnership, proactive communication, and strategic support to the President in ensuring TCP’s advocacy and policy efforts are aligned with and advance organizational strategic goals 
• Develop and coordinate TCP’s policy agenda, working closely with other members of the Policy and Community Engagement teams to ensure policy campaign planning and implementation is grounded in community voice and builds power among community-based partners 
• Ensure that TCP builds the necessary infrastructure and organizational processes to effectively execute our Advocacy Model 
• Oversee TCP’s advocacy strategy and engagement with partner organizations to advance child health and wellbeing 
• Manage critical ad hoc organizational and policy development projects 

Leadership & Organizational Strategy 

• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality and equity
• Set goals and priorities with the leadership team that are in line with the organization’s mission and TCP’s advocacy model 

Advocacy Management 

• Lead development & implementation of TCP’s annual policy agenda 
• Oversee the formulation and prioritization of the organization’s policy advocacy agenda (including but not limited to legislation and budget) and policy campaigns in collaboration with Directors and TCP’s lobbyist 
• Support the development of clear strategy to move TCP’s policy agenda, including coordination of policy analysis, government relations, research, community engagement, coalition management, and working with communications, among other activities 
• Ensure that TCP campaigns and activities advance prioritized outcomes, including a community-driven policy agenda and increased advocacy capacity of community partners. Manage tracking and reporting of metrics. 

Team Development & Management 

• Lead and mentor a team of advocacy professionals, including developing annual shared goals and campaign plans, monitoring workload, encouraging cross-programmatic coordination, and conducting annual performance evaluations. 
• Supervise at least 6 direct reports: 4 Policy Directors; 1 Director of Community Engagement, 1 Director/Manager of Government Affairs 
• Manage work of contract lobbyist and any other relevant consultants. 
• Manage the day to day operation of the team. 
• Work with individual team members to establish challenging performance goals and provide support, direction and feedback as needed. 
• Maintain a culture that values learning and a commitment to quality and attracts, retains and motivates top quality staff. 
• Support hiring of additional Policy and Advocacy staff, if applicable 

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree in public policy, public health, law, or the social sciences preferred. 
• Experience with health policy is a must. 
• At least 12 years of experience, preferably working in different kinds of organizations focused on health policy, civil rights, racial justice, or other relevant fields, with at least five years in a leadership and management role. 
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in developing and implementing a comprehensive campaign strategy to advance causes or policies. (prefer experience advancing policies related to health and health equity) 
• Demonstrated strong cultural humility and commitment to racial equity and anti-racism and involvement in advocating for anti-racist and community-centered policies
• Experience consulting with all levels of team members including senior management, making recommendations, and influencing organizational decision-making. 
• Strong project and people managerial skills, supervisory experience is a must.
• Experience managing expenses and/or full budgets for the organization, specific projects and across projects. 
• Demonstrated success in facilitating cross-system initiatives – being able to think about issues from a variety of lenses and identify who might be untapped allies or leaders 

SALARY & BENEFIT 

The salary for this position will be in the range of $140,000 - $160,000 annually, based on experience and skill set. The Children’s Partnership also offers an excellent benefits package which includes 100% employer paid premiums for health, vision, dental, life insurance, and long-term disability. TCP offers a matching 401K, generous time off policies and dedicated professional development funding that encourages and supports growth opportunities for all full-time team members. 

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Email resume and cover letter summarizing interests & qualifications to 

search@childrenspartnership.org. State “VP, Policy & Advocacy” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. 

TCP is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and will not discriminate against applicants or employees based upon any characteristics that are protected by federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances. 

Research shows that women and individuals from systemically marginalized communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications. While this job description outlines the major responsibilities and requirements to be successful in this role, TCP is committed to considering all applicants who are passionate about our mission and can see themselves excelling in this role – including those with diverse and non-traditional work experience.