POLICY COORDINATOR

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Forefront seeks a Policy Coordinator to join its Illinois policy team, supporting the Policy Manager and Director of Policy & Government Affairs. The role includes scheduling, data management, reporting, and event support, with a focus on alignment with statewide advocacy priorities.

Based in Illinois with a hybrid work arrangement, it may involve travel to Springfield and occasional trips to Washington, D.C. for Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) events.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years of administrative work experience required.
• Experience scheduling meetings, including large groups.
• Very strong attention to detail and ability to meet strict deadlines.
• Strong organization, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity/anti-racism.
• Problem solving skills and resourcefulness in finding necessary information.
• Experience with Illinois General Assembly or government work preferred.
• Preference for independent/remotely working candidates.
• Experience with Microsoft Teams, WordPress, Eventbrite, Zoom, or SurveyMonkey preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary scheduler for the policy team.
• Represent the policy team at staff meetings in absence of Manager.
• Pay routine invoices incurred by policy team and submit expense reports.
• Support federal and state reporting requirements.
• Help prepare policy-related reports for internal and external purposes.
• Update constituent records in Salesforce and public affairs software.
• Routinely update the policy team dashboard to support program evaluation.
• Routinely log government relations actions in public affairs software.
• Attend Forefront events and provide logistical support as needed.

Skills

Administrative experience

Meeting scheduling

Attention to detail

Organization & writing

Interpersonal skills

Racial equity knowledge

Problem solving

Government familiarity

Tools

Microsoft Teams

WordPress

Eventbrite

Zoom

SurveyMonkey

Job description

Organizational Context

Forefront is one of few statewide associations in the US whose membership includes grantmakers, operating nonprofits, and their advisors. Members are its primary customers. Within the context of the mission, Forefront programs are designed to provide opportunities for networking, education, policy engagement, leadership development, and collaboration among members.

General Job Description

The Policy Coordinator supports the Policy Manager and collaborates closely with the Director of Policy & Government Affairs as a member of Forefront’s policy team to effectively engage Forefront stakeholders and advance Forefront’s mission and vision. In collaboration with the Director, Policy Manager, and other members of the Forefront team, the Coordinator is responsible for scheduling, planning, payment processing, routine reporting, data management and staying abreast of current events. The Coordinator backs up the Policy Manager in Springfield as needed and supports the success of Forefront’s participation in events in Washington DC.

Under the direction of the Director and in close coordination with the Policy Manager:

Project Coordination

Policy Analysis

• Track priority legislation in public affairs software
• In the absence of the Director and Manager, represent Forefront at policy-focused meetings hosted by National and State partners/coalitions
• Proactively brief Director on state policy issues, opportunities, and potential hazards in coordination with the Policy Manager
• Stay abreast of federal and state news pertaining to the nonprofit sector and communities we serve
• Schedule virtual and in-person meetings with elected officials, public and constitutional offices, and staff at all levels of government as requested by the Director and Policy Manager
• Manage calendar holds and send meeting materials in advance
• Register with the Secretary of State as an exclusive lobbyist for Forefront and comply with all related reporting requirements
• As a backup to, or in the absence of, the Director and Policy Manager, support Forefront’s engagement with elected officials at all levels of government and their staff, including in Springfield
• Regularly and promptly log government relations actions public affairs software, including on behalf of the Director, in conjunction with the Policy Manager
• Submit routine lobbying reports on behalf of the Policy Manager
• As directed, schedule and support other planning andadministrative tasks related to the meetings in Washington DC; attend Foundations on the Hill (FOTH) annually to support the Director and Illinois delegation members

Communications

• Serve as a backup to the Policy Manager as a liaison with Forefront’s communications team
• Help draft policy-related updates for Forefront’s bi-weekly newsletter, weekly social media, and public affairs software broadcasts/calls to action
• Make routine updates to federal and state fact sheets, policy-related WordPress website pages, and other collateral related to policy priorities
• Maintain accurate contact information in Forefront’s policy-related contact lists in Voter Voice and Salesforce
• Support recruiting and onboarding of new members of the Policy Committee, including related meeting scheduling and document preparation
• In coordination with the CEO’s Executive Assistant, support scheduling and other meeting planning logistics for the policy committee
• Maintain accurate records of policy committee membership in Salesforce and other internal documents

Programming & Evaluation

• In collaboration with the Policy Manager, support membership orientations on behalf of the policy team by making updates to presentation content, providing links and resources in chat, or presenting in the absence of the Manager
• Provide backup and support to the Policy Manager for policy educational events by brainstorming content, accomplishing tasks on the program-planning checklist, and appropriately delegating to/partnering with other staff;
• Support Member Briefings by contributing relevant information for staff-led news summaries
• Coordinate scheduling, equipment, registration, catering, security clearance, and room and technology set up for relevant Policy events, meetings, and webinars
• Screen requests for Members-only policy services and gather relevant background information in preparation for meetings with stakeholders; schedule and attend stakeholder meetings as directed
• Make updates to Forefront’s policy surveys as directed; support survey data analysis
• Support annual member focus group planning and execution
• Help with outreach for events, FOTH, Surveys, and focus groups to drive participation
• Help identify, refer, and/or cultivate prospective new members
• Ensure exceptional customer experience at all points of contact and effective customer relationship management for all Forefront constituents
• Attend Forefront programs and partner events as directed; relay relevant learnings and information to Policy Manager and Director

Administrative & Internal

Serve as the primary scheduler for the policy team

Present on behalf of the policy team at staff meetings in absence of Manager

Pay routine invoices incurred by policy team and submit related expense reports

Support federal and state reporting requirements

Help prepare relevant reports showing the success of the policy team for internal and external purposes

Update constituent records in Salesforce and public affairs software as needed

Routinely update the policy team dashboard to support program evaluation and funder cultivation

Process payments to vendors/consultants and issue speaker/FOTH stipends on behalf of policy team

Position Qualifications

At least 1-2 years of work experience in administrative role required

Experience scheduling meetings, including with large groups required

Very strong attention to detail and ability to adhere to strict deadlines required

Strong organization, writing, and interpersonal skills required

Demonstrated commitment to, knowledge of, and/or lived experiencewithracial equity/anti-racism

Problem solving skills, resourcefulness, and demonstrated ability to find necessary information

Experience working with the Illinois General Assembly or some form of government is preferred

Prior success working independently/remotely preferred

Experience withMicrosoft/Teams, WordPress, Eventbrite, Zoom, and/or Survey Monkey preferred

Location

Must be based in Illinois. Hybrid work environment. This role will be fully remote if the candidate resides more than 50 miles from downtown Chicago.

Special Conditions

Ability to travel periodically around the state of Illinois, especially to Springfield during the months of January-May, is required. Additional travel to Washington, D.C. 1-2 times per year is required.

Position Classification

Full-time, non-exempt