Manager, Policy Change, Community Impact - Hybrid (Chicago, IL)

 Position Summary:

The Program Manager, Policy Change reports to the Director, Policy Change and is a key member of the Trust’s Policy Team. The Team is responsible for developing and implementing the policy and advocacy agenda that aligns with the strategic priorities and organizational interest of the Trust, including policies related to donor advised funds and other charitable funds. The agenda will include a range of social and economic policies at the city, county, state and federal level that advance the Trust’s goals to build household and community wealth and address critical needs. The Policy Change team is responsible for building and cultivating relationships with public and elected officials and managing the Trust’s lobbying activity.

The Manager provides support in the areas of public policy research and analysis, project management, and government engagement. The Manager will be a key contributor to the development of the Trust’s knowledge base and policy expertise, to the formation of the policy agenda, and to managing relationships with external stakeholders. In addition, the Manager will ensure and facilitate internal collaboration and close communication with peers across the organization including the Community Impact, Strategic Communications, Learning and Impact, and Philanthropic Services teams.

Position Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and execution of the Trust’s policy agenda

• Work with Director to research and identify policy opportunities, recommend Trust policy positions, develop communication tools, and execute policy action plans

• Compose issue-focused background memos to inform decision-making.

• Write talking points, position statements and background memos;

• Help plan convenings and connect grant recipients and other partners working together on the Trust’s strategic goals and policy priorities.

• Conducts landscape scans and builds awareness of grant recipient and partner policy efforts and priorities as it relates to the Trust’s policy agenda and strategic goals.

• Writes for policy maker and decisionmaker audiences and to compel partners and the general public through calls to action.

• Supports the policy team and Trust leadership in developing and cultivating relationships between public and elected officials at the city, county, state and federal levels by gathering and summarizing key background in preparation for meetings.

• Collaborates with CI colleagues and Strategic Communications to draft issue briefs, one-pagers, leave behinds, testimony, comment letters, talking points and calls to action on Trust policy priorities.

• Works with CI colleagues to conduct policy analysis and make recommendations for policy strategy and action

• Plan and execute policy-related convenings, including advisory groups or panels to generate ideas and inform the Trust’s policy position and strategy

• Builds relationships with community organizing entities and leaders, policy advocates, civic actors and donors to advance the Trust’s policy strategy

• Represents the Trust at coalition meetings, as requested.

• Support engagement and education of Trust leadership, donors, and stakeholders on priority policy issues

 

Experience and Skills

Position Qualifications:

• A master's degree in public policy, public affairs, or public administration or is preferred

• Five to seven years of experience working as a legislative assistant or advisor; policy manager or communications staff for an elected official or government agency;

• Experience working in government in a legislative or executive office at the city, county or state level is strongly preferred

• Understanding of budgeting process for city, county, state, or federal government

• Some experience with the state of Illinois’ legislative and budget process is preferred

• Expertise and experience working in one or more of the following policy areas is required: economic mobility, housing/homeownership, community economic development, workforce or higher education

• Familiarity with the network of local, state, and national actors, agencies, and organizations focusing on social and economic policies

• Ability to foster effective collaboration among diverse groups with a demonstrated commitment to racial, social and economic diversity, and inclusion

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong project management, relationship management, and collaboration skills, required

• Technical skills in Microsoft Office 360 (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Access, One Note), required

• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM tool preferred.

Learn more/APPLY here!

Director, Community Impact, World Business Chicago

Who: Word Business Chicago. WBC supports Chicago communities and neighborhoods and works to drive inclusive economic growth with impact and investment in all Chicago’s neighborhoods. The Community Impact team supports equitable economic growth and strives to implement the recommendations of Chicago’s Recovery Task Force (RTF) including INVEST South/West (ISW). INVEST South/West is one of the existing strategies that the RTF recommends for acceleration and scalability within Chicago’s disinvested neighborhoods. ISW is a community improvement initiative to marshal the resources of multiple City departments, community organizations, and corporate partners toward 10 initial neighborhoods and 12 targeted commercial corridors on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

Responsibilities include but not limited to the following:

·         Assist in moving forward the strategy for the Community Impact team

·         Collaborate across all WBC units (Innovation and Venture Strategy, Workforce, Business Development, Global Strategic Initiatives, Marketing and Communications, WBC Research Center, Human Resources) to ensure that WBC’s mission of diversity and inclusion is embedded in all aspects of WBC’s work

·         Use or develop Chicago neighborhood relationships and partnerships to implement scalable initiatives that increase economic growth and vitality for the residents of Chicago

·         Identify and manage private-public partnerships, particularly with the financial incentives team

·         Responsible for developing, engaging, and maintaining key relationships on investable opportunities with Chicago’s neighborhood leaders, community organizations, nonprofits, investors, philanthropy, and businesses within the 10 ISW neighborhoods and 12 commercial corridors

·         Create and manage neighborhood roundtables to convene key community organizations, aldermen, city departments, local residents, and business owners with the objectives of providing input on public investment and creating visibility on neighborhood plans and priorities and ongoing development and investable opportunities

·         Assist in aligning City resources across departments and sister agencies to target public dollars toward meaningful investments in the 10 neighborhoods and to create better collaboration and more efficient use of resources across departments

·         Design, facilitate, and support the development of projects in alignment with RTF and ISW

·         Responsible for tracking, analyzing, and communicating key metrics for suggested solutions to senior management on ISW projects

·         Support and collaborate with the WBC Business Development Team on attraction, retention, and expansion of companies using an equitable lens

·         Work with WBC’s Talent and Workforce Strategy team to help identify partners to assist with training and job placement

Skills and Experience

·         Advanced project management skills and ability to develop a strategy to drive progress against goals;

·         Deep understanding of Chicago’s neighborhoods with established relationships in the South and West sides of Chicago preferred;

·         Experience in public communication, analysis driven strategies, leadership skills;

·         Demonstrated experience building effective private, public, civic partnerships; especially within local economic development partners and low-to-moderate income neighborhoods;

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills to address all levels of management;

·         Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize workload to meet changing or tight deadlines;

·         Familiarity with how local and regional economies function

·         A good sense of diplomacy in dealing with confidential information

 

Qualifications

·         The ideal candidate has a minimum of 5 years of experience in community and neighborhood economic development or similar work experience

·         Bachelor’s degree required with a focus on social sciences, public administration, or urban planning and development

Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to HR@WorldBusinessChicago.com