Policy Strategy Associate

Policy Strategy Associate 

The Opportunity

The nation’s largest employment-centered reentry organization is growing its team by seeking a policy associate to represent CEO in advocating for access to quality jobs for individuals returning home from incarceration. The Policy Associate will contribute to CEO’s efforts to engage government officials, as well as formerly incarcerated individuals and other leaders in the field, with the goal of increasing government investment in reentry employment services; removing employment barriers for justice-impacted individuals; and generating revenue for CEO. 

The  Policy Associate will report to the Policy Manager and work closely with the broader CEO Policy team, as well as our regional and site program teams, to develop and execute policy strategies. This individual will influence systems within our organization to represent and engage justice-impacted individuals in advocacy, and operationalize the vision that everyone coming home from incarceration has a job and a pathway to social and economic mobility.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people with recent criminal convictions. Across the United States, over 6,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.
What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 25,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996. In 2016, CEO embarked on a 5-year strategic plan to grow to serve 9,000 participants annually.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

These responsibilities are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the responsibilities of this role:

Policy Analysis and Advocacy

• Implement a funding or advocacy strategy to increase the access that justice-impacted people have to federal and state workforce systems , in collaboration with CEO Policy leadership and Program leadership teams;
• Understand policy design and best practices for key federal workforce programs, including SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T), and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and how changes in policy impact CEO’s program; 
• Conduct timely analysis and maintain ongoing monitoring of relevant legislation; 
• Conduct   direct lawmaker education and represent CEO in meetings to advance our policy advocacy strategy; 
• Develop written content, including talking points, policy briefs, factsheets, and media collateral to support CEO’s lawmaker champions and policy agenda; 
• Coordinate with government relations representatives and external consultants to execute policy strategies; 
• Present on behalf of CEO to national, state and local policy stakeholders to advance policy advocacy and contribute to field-building efforts for employment, decarceration and racial justice; and 
• Work with the Policy team to develop project management processes, support state and federal advocacy coordination, and integrate the Policy team’s work with CEO’s program. 

Collaboration and Technical Assistance

• Collaborate with other divisions within CEO to implement program innovation strategies (such as economic opportunity initiatives or participant engagement strategies) 
• Provide technical assistance and internal capacity building to Program team through the development of trainings and/or learning tables related to federal policy 
• Engage national resources in message development and strategy refinement in collaboration with CEO’s Communications team

Administration

• Collect, summarize and analyze federal data and CEO program data to inform CEO’s policy strategy
• Attend trainings, conferences and other meetings that help further inform CEO’s policy strategy
• Offer suggestions around improvements to processes and systems related to CEO’s policy work

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position is $57,600-72,500. In an effort to be both equitable and transparent, CEO's compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, internal equity, and home office location in making a final determination on our salary offer. We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and are happy to provide health, dental, 401k, and professional development opportunities to our staff.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We're a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

The Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our commitment to being an anti-racism organization that is inclusive across all identities and experiences drives us forward every day. We exist to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to personal and professional success, and we’re passionate about being agents of change who promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities for all.

People who are justice involved, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+ , and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.  CEO’s commitment to DEI aligns with the CROWN Act, creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email.

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