RISING COMMUNITIES

DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

ABOUT RISING COMMUNITIES

Rising Communities (RC), formerly known as Community Health Councils, is a non-profit, community-based health education, advocacy, and policy organization established in 1992 in response to the growing health and healthcare crisis. Rising Communities’ mission is to co-develop transformational social equity models and systems in service to BIPOC communities, to help each person thrive.

Historically, Rising Communities has been at the forefront of policy and systems change that improve the well-being of its communities and eliminate health disparities. Their work is wide-ranging covering healthcare, community and economic resiliency, and environmental justice, but always with a health and racial equity lens. Each area represents a unique opportunity to engage members of impacted communities in program and policy development through a wide variety of community interventions and strategies as well as representation and leadership through the coalitions and collaborations convened.

These are Rising Communities’ 2023 Policy Priorities:

Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) (Economic Resiliency)

Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) is a form of financial support for individuals and families that provides recurring direct cash transfers, with no strings attached, to targeted groups of people. In 2023, Rising Communities will launch a GBI pilot for mothers in South LA’s Best Start Region 2 that will mitigate economic barriers and increase wealth-building strategies for mothers of color. Rising Communities is committed to supporting mothers and young children because, based on the Price of Motherhood, a 2020 study conducted by Rising Communities in partnership with UCLA, 85% of mothers reported having a monthly shortage of $443; resulting in 77% of respondents stating that financial stress impacted their mental health and 12% said they had no hope for the future of their children. The goal is to go from pilot to policy by using the findings to inform federal and state policies that help build a more equitable economy.

Reparations (Economic and Community Resiliency)

Reparations are meant to acknowledge and repair the causes and consequences of chattel slavery. Rising Communities will lead efforts to advocate for reparations in California and engage in projects that build awareness and allyship around this issue between Black and other communities of color. Reparations are an opportunity to address the health and economic disparities that affect Black people, specifically descendants of American freedmen in the United States. Reparations will also address harms in other areas like housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and over-policing, and the devaluation of black businesses, in efforts to help close the racial wealth gap.

Inglewood Oil Fields (Environmental Justice)

Building on the momentum of state and local efforts to phase out and ban new oil-drilling, Rising Communities will work with the community and other stakeholders to learn about and advocate for the communities’ needs, priorities, and vision for the Inglewood Oil Fields, brownfields, and other contaminated lands in South LA and Los Angeles County. They will work to center the voices of residents in all policy and community benefits agreements. Their goal is to prioritize the restoration of land and increase access to open spaces in under-resourced communities. Rising Communities will also support other efforts that align with their mission to address the impact that longterm exposure to environmental pollution has on people’s health.

Healthcare (Health Equity)

Rising Communities has focused on eliminating health disparities since its inception and will continue advocating for equitable and affordable healthcare access for all, supporting healthcare workers, and partnering with organizations to coordinate statewide policy efforts.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Director of Policy and Government Affairs is responsible for leading Rising Communities Government Affairs team and developing, leading, and executing legislative strategy for the corporation. Reporting directly to the Deputy CEO, the Director of Policy and Government Affairs will act as the leader of the policy team as well as the advisor to the Deputy CEO on all matters of legislative consequence. 

The ideal candidate is passionate about representing South Los Angeles and has experience creating strategies for policies specific to this community in the areas of Health Systems, Environmental Justice, and Community and Economic Resiliency. As a leader both internally and externally, the Director must be able to think critically, communicate skillfully, act independently, and manage multiple projects at once. The incoming Director of Policy and Government Affairs will have a valuable strategic voice that can enact change for those participating in Rising Communities’ programs.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership

• Manages an internal advocacy team and external policy resources/relationships, including trade associations, coalitions, consultants, think tanks, and third-party allies.
• Serves as a member of the RC Management Team.
• Generates reports for the CEO and leadership team
• Supervisory responsibilities for the following positions:
  • Policy Administrative Coordinator
  • Policy Analyst
  • Policy Analyst
  • Community Engagement Specialist

Public Policy, Community Affairs, and Advocacy

• Establishes and promote Rising Communities policy initiatives with key policymakers, funders, other nonprofits, and the general community via webinars, policy briefs, conference speaking engagements, and social media.
• Directs government relations strategy, lobbying, and advocacy on issues of strategic importance to RC at the federal and state levels.
• Sets strategic direction and develops proactive, effective, and best-practice-driven approaches to achieving RC’s policy priorities.
• Conducts and coordinates ongoing environmental scanning to ensure that Rising Communities is proactively addressing current and emerging public policy issues that impact the health and wellbeing of BIPOC communities.
• Ensures that RC’s policy initiatives are proactively and consistently communicated through various channels to their stakeholders.
• Serves as a media spokesperson on public policy issues.
• Gives presentations to various groups.
• Leads, manages, develops, and/or participates in various coalitions.
• Coordinates legislative fly-ins, grassroots campaigns, and initiatives.
• Identifies and fosters relationships with third-party allies and community groups who share RC’s vision of financial inclusion and social justice.
• Builds and implements innovative programs to solve problems and strengthen standing with elected officials, policymakers, and communities.
• Serve as an external Rising Communities ambassador to ensure a robust new business pipeline by pursuing opportunities with potential new clients.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 5 years experience in a relevant field such as urban planning, public health, public administration, or public policy at the Senior or Director level. Degree preferred.
• High political acumen with a thorough understanding of the decision-making processes of the executive and legislative branches of government.
• Must have meaningful relationships with elected officials, senior government staff, and access to senior personnel of key government agencies.
• A deep understanding of contemporary advocacy communications strategies and tactics, media relations experience, and expertise in healthcare-related public policy.
• Proven ability to multi-task, with an entrepreneurial spirit, meets deadlines and functions effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Exceptional interpersonal and diplomatic skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to work as a member of a highly functional team.
• An ability to work with a wide range of personalities and interests, including industry colleagues, policymakers, staffers, academics, community leaders, and internal executives.
• Experience working with BIPOC communities, with deep self-awareness of how you show up and how to position research as a tool to drive equitable outcomes for all people.
• Unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a willingness to speak up when Rising Communities or its team members fall short. You firmly believe that diversity of experiences and spaces where those voices are heard and respected leads to better outcomes, and they will have demonstrated a consistent commitment to this belief both personally and professionally.

COMPENSATION

Salary Range is $89,000 - $115,000 depending on experience. Benefits are also included; the totality of these benefits is between 23-25% of a person’s salary. 

Rising Communities is a nonprofit, community-based health advocacy, policy, and educational organization. We offer a competitive salary and generous benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 403b plans, vacation, sick and holiday benefits. Rising Communities is an equal-opportunity employer. Women and persons of color are encouraged to apply.

Envision Consulting was retained by Rising Communities to conduct the search for their incoming Director of Policy & Government Affairs.  

Applicants needing accommodation for any part of the application process may contact Envision Consulting at 626.889.7905 to request and arrange for assistance.