Position Title: Policy Manager (full-time)
Location: Pennsylvania
Reports to: Director of External Affairs
Salary Range : $65,000 - $75,000
About the Center for Black Educator Development
The Center for Black Educator Development exists to rebuild a national Black Teacher Pipeline to achieve educational and racial justice by ensuring there is equity in the recruiting, training, hiring, and retention of quality educators that reflect the cultural background and share common socio-political interests of the students they serve. Launched in 2019, the Center for Black Educator Development is revolutionizing education by dramatically increasing the number of Black educators so that low-income Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education. Learn about our key strategies to rebuild a national Black Teacher Pipeline by visiting our website at www.thecenterblacked.org.
About the position
We are seeking a dynamic and motivated leader to join our organization as our Policy Manager. Reporting to the Director of External Affairs, the Policy Manager will also work with the CEO to develop the organization’s policy agenda. The ideal candidate will possess a blend of strategic thinking, research skills, effective communication skills, and project management expertise. This role is pivotal in expanding our organization’s network and impact by contributing to our policy initiatives.
Responsibilities include:
- Develop and manage the organizational policy strategy, aligning it with the broader objectives of the organization.
- Demonstrate credibility and agency as a policy leader in order to both build CBED’s profile and influence as well as to open doors for our educators, both pre-service and in-service, to have impact and authentic audiences for their stories and policy recommendations.
- Conduct comprehensive research on relevant policies and create persuasive talking points for the CEO; facilitating informed decision-making and advocacy.
- Proactively build and maintain relationships with policymakers, district leaders, education organizations, journalists, and other key power brokers across the state and nationally.
- Demonstrate the ability to secure vital resources, as evidenced by securing grants, to support organizational initiatives.
- Serve as an internal resource staying up-to-date on political updates and progress on relevant bills and committees; writing and speaking about policy issues publicly (at press conferences, in op-eds, in reports, in testimony, etc.)
- Utilize deep knowledge and understanding of the political landscape and process to proactively identify windows of opportunity for policy change.
- Contribute to the substantive development of infographics, blogs, and reports as needed.
- Represent the organization at relevant events, meetings, coalitions, and planning sessions, both in-person and virtually.
- Organize and host events to foster collaboration and shared learning among affiliates.
- Collaborate with national staff to engage teachers in national/federal advocacy work.
Background and experience expectations:
- Master’s degree in relevant fields (e.g. education, public policy, economics, sociology).
- Experience and successful track record in policy, government relations, advocacy, and/or community organizing, preferably with specific experience related to education policy or advocacy.
- Expertise in one or more of the following education policy issues is preferred but not required: early childhood education, recruitment and retention of teachers of color, school finance and equitable education funding, teacher preparation, and early literacy.
- Experience with designing and facilitating high-quality, interactive adult learning with a focus on building practical knowledge, skills, and dispositions in an experiential and application-focused way.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with an emphasis on conveying detailed information to policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders.
- Proven experience in project management.
- Demonstrated capability in strategic planning and implementation.
- Familiarity with basic quantitative methods of analysis, demonstrated by proficiency in higher-level Excel functions and at least one statistical analysis software program.
- Familiarity with the policymaking process gained through, for example, prior work or internship experience on the Hill or in state or local government preferred but not required.
- Self-motivated, creative, organized, and deeply committed to personal and organizational excellence.
- Previous teaching experience is a significant plus, but not required.
Other work requirements:
- Must have access to a dedicated workspace, phone, and internet access
What we offer:
We promote professional growth and development by providing access to:
- A competitive salary and benefits package
- Additional employee benefits include: Healthcare: medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Retirement savings program
- Paid time off and holiday schedule
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Flexible work environment
