POLICY DIRECTOR
Location: Bay Area or Sacramento, CA preferred
Reports to: CSJ Executive Director
Start Date: ASAP – position open until filled
Position type: Full time
Summary:
Californians for Safety and Justice (Safe and Just) is a nonprofit project of the Tides Center focused on replacing waste in California’s prison and justice system with common sense solutions that increase safety and reduce costs. Through policy advocacy, communications, alliance-building, and direct support for counties, Californians for Safety and Justice works to advance systemic policy reform to reduce our over-reliance on incarceration and advance more effective approaches to public safety. We also work to expand the use of alternatives to incarceration, including community corrections, drug treatment, mental health treatment, community service, workforce development, healing programs for victims of crime and other evidence-based practices. Central to our work is the recognition that survivors deserve a justice system that prioritizes healing, prevention and recovery – and too often these are unmet.
Position Overview
The Policy Director leads the organization’s policy reform advocacy, a central component of the organization’s mission and strategies. The Policy Director will be responsible for engaging in extensive policy research and analysis, tracking criminal justice legislative developments, developing and shepherding a legislative agenda, producing high-quality policy reports and briefings, maintaining relationships with policymakers, staff, and government officials, supporting our crime survivors’ network, and facilitating coalitions with allied organizations. The Policy Director will support overall organizational strategy development and work collaboratively with the Safe and Just team on a daily basis.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Represent Californians for Safety and Justice in the state Capitol and among policymakers and policy advocates across the state of California.
Lead the organization’s development of an annual policy agenda and policy priorities, and facilitate the organization’s analysis of policy developments and trends. Lead and shepherd the organization’s legislative agenda.
Oversee contracts and grants related to the organization’s policy agenda, including but not limited to, lobbying contracts, grants to policy research organizations, and/or grants to allied policy advocacy organizations.
Conduct detailed and ongoing research and analysis of criminal justice policies, data, law, and policy reform proposals, including local and state criminal justice data, local and state public safety budgets, local and state legislation, state ballot measures, and budgetary and administrative reforms moving forward at the state and local level.
Draft briefings and reports and/or coordinate with other policy experts and academics to produce reports on issues relevant for advancing organizational goals, such as best practices in recidivism reduction, the cost of incarceration and alternatives, summaries of criminal justice data and/or budgets, and other related policy matters.
Lead and maintain the organization’s Criminal Justice Network (a network of more than 30 organizations that meet quarterly to and forthcoming Criminal Justice Legislation web portal.
Maintain effective relationships with the offices of state legislators, local criminal justice and elected leaders in key counties, state corrections agencies, the California Governor, and others.
Facilitate the development of the organization’s Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ) policy agenda, train crime survivors in policy advocacy, and partner with the network to engage crime survivors in policy advocacy and legislative advocacy work. Ensure that CSSJ is visible in the State Capitol and participating in policymakers’ understanding of crime survivor issues.
Maintain a deep understanding of the policy landscape in Sacramento and key counties.
Other duties as needed to achieve the success of the Organization.
Qualifications
5+ years of professional policy experience, preferably in a government position or a campaign or social justice advocacy setting.
Expertise in criminal justice policy in California.
Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
Capacity to work effectively in a rapidly changing environment, with a strong commitment to communication and collaboration with other staff and allied organizations.
Desired Skills and Capabilities
A law degree or a Masters in Public Policy or equivalent educational background preferred.
Professional experience working inside California’s criminal justice system preferred.
Existing relationships with legislators, legislative staffers and analysts, policy experts, and/or grassroots advocates preferred.
Goal-driven and results-oriented individual with a strong commitment to social justice.
Well-organized, a self-starter, flexible, creative, able to work under pressure, and be able to work quickly and cooperatively on several efforts at one time.
Organizational Relationships
Reports to the CSJ Executive Director
Physical Demands
Must be able to sit at a computer for extended periods of time. Some travel may be required.
Work Environment
Oakland, CA preferred. Downtown office environment with open seating areas and individual offices. Standard work desks and furniture, fluorescent lighting. There is an elevator in the building. Located close to train station. Work hours, dependent on deadlines, may sometimes be odd and include occasional night or weekend assignments.
Compensation and Benefits:
Salary will be commensurate with experience. The Tides Center offers a competitive benefits package including health insurance, retirement, and annual leave.
To Apply
Applications should be sent to jobs@safeandjust.org with a reference to the job title, “Policy Director” in the subject line.
CALIFORNIANS FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE, A PROJECT OF TIDES CENTER, IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE AND SEEK APPLICATIONS FROM WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, INCLUDING BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES. APPLICANTS WHO WERE FORMERLY INCARCERATED ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. APPLICANTS SHALL NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE OF RACE, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, ETHNICITY, AGE, DISABILITY, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, COLOR, MARITAL STATUS, MEDICAL CONDITION (CANCER-RELATED) OR CONDITIONS ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) AND AIDS-RELATED CONDITIONS (ARC). REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE MADE SO THAT QUALIFIED DISABLED APPLICANTS MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. PLEASE ADVISE IN WRITING OF SPECIAL NEEDS AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION.