Advancing Community-Driven Social Change

Description

Social Good Solutions (SGS) is a Black woman-owned and operated boutique consulting firm that works with philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and institutions of higher education to design, operationalize and manage racial justice initiatives from concept to implementation.

Our core values are grounded in dignity and justice for all, community-centered solutions, and excellence at every turn. Using a participatory framework and co-design approach, we support our clients in their journey to operationalize racial equity and social justice in organizational culture and in programs, services and strategies. Our work is organized across four main domains: Initiative Management, Organizational Culture Transformation, Strategic Advising and Special Projects.

The Senior Leader, Policy and Advocacy is part of SGS’s Initiative Management team and is responsible for developing and implementing the Black Equity Collective’s policy and advocacy framework and agenda. This position reports to the Managing Director, Programs & Operations and requires excellent relationship-building skills, political acumen and legislative experience at the state or local level combined with excellent writing and communication skills, technical acumen and emotional intelligence. The firm (SGS) manages the full operations of The Collective.

This position is well suited for a dynamic self‐starter and collaborative team player who possesses the required skills to work in a close-knit, telework environment; can lead through and provide clarity in an evolving political landscape; and has a track record of advancing racial justice.

Responsibilities

The Senior Leader, Policy and Advocacy will work to advance the Black Equity Collective’s (The Collective) projustice interests. The position will primarily focus on three main domains: Reparations, Public Office Engagement and Long-term Strategy. As a part of the Initiative Management portfolio, the policy and advocacy work must be informed by and reinforced with the networks of BLOs the firm supports across its ecosystems.

Reparations

Build upon The Collective’s 2022 work as an anchor organization for the CA Reparations Taskforce community listening session process.
Work closely with The Collective’s team and strategic institutional partners to advance an inclusive, prodiasporic approach to reparations.
Identify opportunities at the state and local level to engage in reparations processes both through policy changes and institutional culture/practice changes that dismantle systemic racism.
Elevate communications and narratives that reinforce the UN’s core tenets of remedy and repair.
Engage key stakeholders and community leaders to build alliances and bridges across race and ethnicity in support of reparations for Black Californians.

Public Office Engagement

Build and cultivate strategic relationships with elected and appointed officials, their staffs and key circles of influence on behalf of The Collective and its mission to advance the long-term sustainability of Blackled and empowering nonprofit organizations.
Serve as an internal advisor to the Initiatives Management team on political dynamics that might inform and/or impact their efforts.
Identify commissions and/or taskforces to engage in The Collective’s work, including opportunities for members of the Collective’s network to serve in such roles.
Support officials, staff, consultants, and influencers in having a basic understanding of The Collective’s approaches, values, and goals.

Long-term Strategy

Lead The Collective’s efforts in developing its long-term advocacy agenda, aligned with but independent from the issue areas our network members focus on.
Engage in a deep co-design effort with our members to develop The Collective’s agenda and the strategic vision to implement it.
Nurture and strengthen collaborative, supportive relationships with nonprofit organizations, partner organizations, community leaders and funders.
Contribute to the development and refinement of methods and systems to assess the impact of The Collective’s advocacy approach.
Contribute thought partnership that advances greater team cohesion at both the project and organizational levels.

Administration & Operations

Communicate with the firm’s Administrative Coordinator when support is needed for briefings and/or events, both online and in-person.
Organize and upload documents to shared folders regularly.
Follow-up on meeting action items to track and ensure completion.
Prepare, edit & finalize high-quality materials and contribute to funder reports.
Work with the Administrative Coordinator to track and record performance data in the online system.
Track individual project tasks via Asana.

Qualifications

This position is an excellent opportunity for a justice-focused policy enthusiast and an organized self-starter. SGS works with a high degree of professionalism and community care. As such, team members are expected to represent SGS with integrity and excellence. The ability to plan ahead, anticipate needs, document decisions, build trust and camaraderie with peers and elders, and perform responsibilities with limited oversight are all essential skills. We operate as a sacred sisterhood worthy of our own and each other’s dignity and respect.

The ideal candidate will possess the following professional and personal abilities, attributes and experiences:

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred with either 8-10 years (for advanced degree holders) and 12-15 years (for B.A./B.S. degree holders) of relevant policy/advocacy-related experience.
Experience working in a nonprofit, community-based organization in California, a public office staff capacity or government relations capacity is strongly preferred.
Experience leading or significantly contributing to an organization’s policy advocacy agenda.
Experience in cultivating political relationships.
Demonstrated commitment to community organizing and grassroots coalition building with the ability to work effectively with Black-led nonprofit organizations with varying degrees of organizational development.
Excellent advocacy, consensus-building, coalition-building, and leadership skills; demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with other staff and other organizations as well as with groups and individuals across the political spectrum.
Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral with the ability to serve as a public spokesperson and develop the voices of other leaders in the network.
Ability to analyze and articulate legal/legislative concepts and other complex issues and to communicate them to a variety of audiences; a “quick study” on a dynamic array of issues.
Experience analyzing and interpreting legislative and regulatory language; including budget language is a plus.
Cultural intelligence, evidenced by a shared lived experience and background living and/or working in communities served by SGS and the Black Equity Collective.
Deep attention to detail and exceptional organization/project management skills.
Technical command of Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, Zoom, online meeting and project management tools; comfortability with exploring and incorporating new technologies.
Forward and innovative thinking with the ability to observe and anticipate needs.
Ability to self-manage in a virtual environment; manage time effectively and be responsive to various forms of communication.
An exceptionally high work ethic with a sense of pride in one’s work.
A high degree of professionalism combined with an ability to build relationships, trust, and rapport across a spectrum of stakeholders ranging from grassroots community leaders, clients, public officials, funders, peers, and team members.
Open to learning, developing, feedback, and continuous improvement.
Track record of having a deep commitment to racial equity and social justice.
Reliable transportation. The ability to commute to events and in-person meetings is essential.

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position with a starting salary range of $90,000—$105,000 annually plus benefits. This position is remote with frequent local travel across Los Angeles County required.

SGS offers a range of benefits including:

Group health insurance, dental, vision and life insurance for the employee; plus, an additional $2,000 annually for access to counseling/mental health supports
$50 monthly stipend for cell phone and internet reimbursement
Up to $1,250 annually toward individually designed and selected professional development
10 PTO days to be used at the employee’s discretion
Profit-sharing 401K plan with eligibility after one-year
Paid civic duty (voting and/or jury service up to 10 days)
13 paid holidays plus a paid winter holiday break and two-weeks of structured Quiet Time in August
Bereavement and Paid Family Leave

Equal Opportunity Hiring Statement

SGS is an Equal Opportunity company with a strong commitment to gender and racial equity. We welcome applications from all, and strongly encourage individuals underrepresented in the workforce to apply. The firm uses a collaborative, team-based hiring approach. Applicants will not be asked to produce work as part of the interview process but may be asked to provide relevant work samples. References will be required before an employment offer is extended or confirmed. Please note, not every applicant will be contacted for an interview.

How to Apply

To apply: Please submit the following materials to info@socialgoodsolutions.com using Sr. Leader, Policy & Advocacy in the subject line.

Resume
A cover letter that answers the following question: This position is well-suited for me because…
Application deadline: January 31, 2023