Think Tank Chicago Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Head of Public Policy 

Team: External Affairs

Location: In-person. Preferred locations: Washington( DC). Additional locations: Chicago (IL), Atlanta (GA), New York  City (NY), and  Newark (NJ)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Exempt 

Start Date: ASAP

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.  

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

To learn more, take a look at Braven's Jobs Report.

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Head of Public Policy who will lead our Federal, State, and Local policy work. As a member of the External Affairs Team, you will design and execute a policy strategy to shape the college-to-career field.

This role is on the External Affairs team and reports directly to the Chief External Affairs Officer. 

Stakeholder Management (40%) 

• Cultivate and steward key relationships for Braven within the Department of Education and relevant federal agencies, the White House, Congress, gubernatorial administrations, and state legislative bodies, as well as with relevant think tanks, coalitions, advocacy orgs, and trade associations
• Proactively monitor, analyze, and influence key policymaker activity and legislation at the federal and regional levels
• Engage and steward governmental affairs professionals who work at Braven's higher education partners
• Utilize strategic storytelling to develop a compelling narrative for policymakers at the local, state, and federal level
• Cultivate Braven alumni interested in representing Braven at public policy events
• Support Braven's Employer Partnership team and Product teams in thinking through our 'Government' employer partnerships and career channels strategy
• Manage several state lobbying contracts in key Braven regions

Strategy & Resource Creation (50%) 

• Develop and implement federal and regional policy strategy, agenda, and goals 
• Draft legislative and policy memoranda, legislator education and communications materials;
• Build regional policy strategy and agendas, in conjunction with Executive Directors, contracted lobbyists, and regional staff, with the creation of research, materials, and talking points, and, if needed, represent Braven in key coalitions and coordinated advocacy campaigns; 
• Track cultivation and stakeholder engagement efforts in Salesforce, spreadsheets, and other project management tools;
• Prepare communication and correspondence describing Braven's policy goals and accomplishments for reporting purposes to the board, funders, and other stakeholders
• With the Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy, run an annual Capitol Hill Policy Fellows program for Braven Post-Accelerator Fellows, bringing students to DC and helping them obtain influential policy internships
• Grow and lead a coalition of organizations in the college-to-career space
• Design and facilitate necessary legislative training and professional development for staff and alumni who engage in public policy opportunities and engagements 
• Assist with planning an execution of an annual convening of higher education partners and an annual organization-wide Capitol Hill Advocacy day, securing meetings with elected officials and high-level speakers and panelists
• Project manage and draft federal, state, and local grant applications for public funding with support from regional and central teams 

People Management (10%) 

• Effectively coach one full-time associate director of policy to become the strongest version of themselves, aligned to the goals of their role and their professional aspirations, as well as meet organizational philanthropic goals.
• Coordinate with regional Executive Directors to understand pain points, brainstorm solutions, navigate differences, set vision and direction, and maintain alignment among all staff who contribute to our policy agenda. 
• Manage state lobbying contracts. 
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• BS/BA or relevant experience
• 7+ years of experience in legislative policy and advocacy
• 2-3 years managing other people 

Preferred Qualifications 

• MPP, MPA or JD preferred
• Experience in the non-profit industry, higher education, or workforce development policy
• Experience working directly in a state legislature or Governor's office and/or working in Congress.
• You build inspiring visions and strategies that motivate others to action. 
• Extensive knowledge of legislative and administrative processes.
• You pursue ambitious, measurable goals with an action-oriented mindset and perseverance.
• You're extremely detail-oriented and sweat the small stuff, while also not losing sight of the big picture. 
• You build strong external and internal relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including elected officials, coalition partners, and others, and have significant experience tailoring your approach based on an understanding of others' beliefs, motivations, and contexts. 
• Excellent public speaking and strategic communication skills 
• You enjoy bringing together multiple perspectives to enhance your work and decisions
• You continually reflect to improve, and actively create space for the receipt of upward feedback from individual contributors and managers
• You exemplify Braven's core values.
• Your experiences have informed your belief in Braven's mission and have prepared you to work with or for Braven's student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Washington (DC), Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), New York (NYC), or Newark (NJ) at least 3 days per week 
• Travel: Ability to travel several times per month for a few days at a time during busy legislative seasons.
• Non-traditional hours: Ability to work after hours ~5-7 nights per semester to support org-wide volunteer events as needed(Mock-Interview Night, etc), regional site visits, or other stakeholder engagement events. 

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, allowing for growth based on performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth as follows: $122,500-$153,100 in Chicago and Washington, D.C.; $116,000-$145,000 in Atlanta; and $134,800-$168,500 in New York and Newark, NJ. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.  

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: 

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Location

We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, New York, or Washington D.C. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.  We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.