Policy Advocacy Associate

Woodstock Institute; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid vacation

403b retirement plan

Employer covers employee premiums

Job summary

Woodstock Institute is seeking a Policy & Advocacy Associate to represent and promote the organization’s policy positions with policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, nonprofits, and communities served. The role supports local, state, and national advocacy and collaborates with research and fundraising teams.

The position reports to the Director of Policy & Advocacy and requires strong communication, writing, and problem-solving skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience in the field; three years or more preferred.
• Ability to work under multiple tight deadlines and budgetary constraints.
• Collaborative mindset and creativity to leverage opportunities and uncertainty.
• Excellent written and spoken English communications, very detail-oriented.
• Commitment to economic and social justice issues with prior work.
• Curiosity about redlining, CRA, small business finance transparency, and policy issues.
• Ambitious, self-motivated, able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated expertise using Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Assist with policy/advocacy initiatives at local, state, and national levels, including Springfield and Washington visits.
• Facilitate lobbying meetings; manage Woodstock’s mandatory lobbying reporting.
• Monitor, analyze, and help form Woodstock’s position on emerging legislative matters.
• Monitor regulatory developments at local, state, and federal levels.
• Organize coalitions to advance policy agenda and participate in partner coalitions.
• Plan and help with policy-related events, at least 2 per year.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Independent worker

Policy advocacy

Public speaking

Research

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

About the Role:

The Policy & Advocacy Associate will play a key role in representing and promoting Woodstock and Woodstock’s policy positions among policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the communities we strive to serve, especially Black, Brown and lower income communities.

The position reports to the Director of Policy & Advocacy and assists Woodstock’s policy and government relations work at the local, state, and national levels. Recognizing that successful advocacy can depend on effective communication, the Policy & Advocacy Associate also assists with the development and implementation of communications plans. Finally, the Policy & Advocacy Associate serves as a team member in collaborating with the research team and in assisting with fundraising.

Essential qualities for the role include strong interpersonal communication skills, solid writing, and creative problem-solving skills. Also needed is the ability to translate complex ideas into language that is accessible for different stakeholder audiences. The Policy & Advocacy associate will thrive as part of a small team that balances competing and occasionally rapidly changing priorities.

Location: The position is based in our downtown Chicago office. Remote work is permitted on a limited basis.

Key Organizational Relationships:

• Reports to the Director of Policy & Advocacy
• Close collaborative working relationship with the President & CEO, Research Director, and Communications Associate
• Build and maintain good relationships with coalition partners, legislators, regulators, and journalists.

Responsibilities: Policy & Advocacy

• Assist with policy/advocacy initiatives at the local, state, and national levels, including frequent trips to Springfield, IL, and periodic trips to Washington, D.C.
• Facilitate and participate in lobbying meetings with local, state, and federal elected officials; manage Woodstock’s mandatory lobbying reporting (the Policy & Advocacy Associate will register as a lobbyist with the appropriate government offices, including the State of Illinois; Woodstock will manage all necessary payments)
• Monitor, analyze, and help to form Woodstock’s position on emerging legislative matters
• Monitor, analyze, and assist with responding to regulatory developments at the local, state and federal levels
• Help organize and convene coalitions to advance the policy agenda, while also representing Woodstock Institute in partner organizations’ coalitions
• Assist in planning, publicizing, presenting at, and/or handling logistics for policy-related events – at least 2 per year, potentially more depending on the organization’s policy needs

Communications

• Assist with media relations, including pitching stories, drafting talking points, and conducting interviews
• Conduct presentations at meetings and conferences
• Write & review items for submission to media

Other

• Especially when the Illinois General Assembly is in Session, attend work-related events outside regular work hours in some evenings and weekends
• Assist with developing and maintaining relationships with funders and donors
• Assist with annual awards event preparations; help increase turnout and ensure a successful event

Requirements: Required

• Bachelor’s degree and/or relevant experience in the field; three years or more preferred
• Ability to work effectively and independently under the pressure of multiple tight deadlines and budgetary constraints
• Collaborative mindset and creativity to leverage new opportunities and moments of uncertainty to achieve progress
• Excellent written and spoken English language communications skills, very detail-oriented
• Strong commitment to economic and social justice issues, as evidenced by previous professional and/or personal work
• Curiosity about and interest in engaging in discussions surrounding redlining, the Community Reinvestment Act, small business finance transparency, and other complex policy issues
• Ambitious, self-motivated, and able to work independently and effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated expertise using Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred

• Foreign language skills, Spanish-speaking ability a plus but not required
• Candidates with an existing network of relationships with policymakers and nonprofit organizations are preferred.

Salary & Benefits

• $55,000 to $85,000 depending on experience and qualifications.
• 4 weeks paid vacation plus the week between Christmas and New Years; 403b retirement, dollar-for-dollar match up to 6% of salary; health insurance – employer pays 100% for employee premiums, subsidy for additional family members.

About Us:

Woodstock Institute is a leading nonprofit research and policy organization that works to create a safe and equitable financial system, especially for lower-income people and communities of color. Woodstock partners with community and philanthropic groups, financial institutions, and policymakers to effect change at national, state, and local levels. As a leading consumer advocacy organization, Woodstock builds bridges between key policymakers and consumers in underserved areas. The subjects we seek to address from a policy standpoint include predatory lending, bank accountability, home mortgage, and small business lending concerns.

Woodstock Institute is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds and protected classes to apply.