Director of Policy and Advocacy

About the National NeighborWorks Association
The National NeighborWorks Association (NNA) believes that every NeighborWorks organization that NNA represents does incredible work in their neighborhoods and communities with members in every state of the nation, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. That is why NNA advocates on our member’s behalf to both Congress and NeighborWorks America to deliver positive outcomes that allow our members to do what they do best, serve their communities.

NNA is a membership-based national trade association for NeighborWorks chartered organizations and other associated organizations focused on establishing, stabilizing, and improving government programs and regulations that positively affect our members’ neighborhoods and communities. We accomplish this through effective education, advocacy, and communication of our members’ needs. The NNA promotes our members’ missions to essential decision-makers at all levels of government, nonprofit collaborations and associations, industry colleagues, as well as philanthropic and corporate stakeholders. We are the voice of NeighborWorks organizations that make up our Network of Excellence. We support our members as they pursue their neighborhood, community, regional, statewide, and multi-state goals and objectives.

The NNA has been an advocate for diverse, equitable, and inclusive neighborhoods and housing for low-to-moderate-income Americans since 1996. Currently, we represent 235 NeighborWorks organizations in every state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. In FY22, our organizations leveraged federal funding $65 for every $1 of investment, creating over $10 billion of affordable housing and community & economic development. This could not be possible without highly respected bipartisan, bicameral relationships in Congress, the administration, and federal regulators. We establish and grow these relationships through educating our stakeholders, providing forums of exchange between our members and members of Congress, and serving as the conduit of on-the-ground sources of information regarding the needs, issues, success, and challenges of our membership.

We are a lean organization. We believe that home matters; that race, equity, diversity, and inclusion matters; that people matter; that communities matter; and that advocacy matters.

About the Position of Director of Policy and Advocacy
The Director of Policy and Advocacy will help develop and implement the current and future policy and advocacy agendas for NNA. Also, the Director of Policy and Advocacy will serve as the point person for continuing our successful member-advocacy capacity building and engagement, including the NNA Legislative Day, a day of Hill advocacy involving approximately 200 NeighborWorks leaders from across the country. The NNA focuses on federal legislation, regulations, policies, and programs. The Director of Policy and Advocacy will build on that focus, bringing an equity lens to our policy development/support and our engaged advocacy.

Key components include:

• Conducting federal legislative, regulatory, and program analysis, and communicating that analysis to our membership for their communities’ benefit.
• Communicating with and mobilizing members and stakeholders on advocacy efforts including writing policy briefs and support materials for effective advocacy.
• Representing NNA in collaborations, coalitions, and networks made up of housing industry partners while cultivating strategic alignment with like-minded and like-missioned entities to increase NNA’s impact.
• Meeting with Congressional staffers and elected officials, administration officials, and federal agency staff advocating on our members’ behalf.
• Leading and collaborating with NNA’s Manager of Membership Services creating additional success through the facilitation of the annual NNA Legislative Day event.

The Director of Policy and Advocacy reports directly to the Executive Director, is the staff contact for the NNA External Policy Committee - working closely with the committee’s co-chairs and collaborating with the Manager of Membership Services to create a synergistically impactful policy and advocacy organization.

The dynamic position of the Director of Policy and Advocacy promotes deep and effective collaborations, creative independence, innovative strategic thinking and doing. The Director of Policy and Advocacy will have the opportunity to engage stakeholders from the grassroots level to the esteemed halls of Capitol Hill, and everywhere in between. The position of Director of Policy and Advocacy will create amplification opportunities in affordable housing and community/ economic development, successful stakeholder engagement, and communications the relevancy and impact of the NNA Network.

Key Responsibilities

• In collaboration with the Executive Director and the NNA’s External Policy Committee, develop and implement a federal policy agenda with a race, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens to meet our member’s needs.
• Strategically establish and maintain relationships with Congressional offices and committees, federal agencies, and other stakeholders to advance legislation and rule-making that positively impacts and leverages our members’ work.
• Track Congressional activity, provide comments that represent NNA’s position during regulatory comment periods, and stakeholder communications to identify issues to be brought to our membership’s attention for educational purposes and/or to engage advocacy.
• Advocate individually and in coalitions on the affordable housing policy issues to advance shared goals and priorities that enhance affordable housing and community/economic development.
• Staff and facilitate monthly External Policy Committee meetings, in collaboration with the Co-Chairs.
• Create and identify areas of opportunity for engagement and influence to positively impact federal programs, funding, and financing related to affordable housing and community/ economic development for our membership.
• Direct, assist, and educate our members on their federal policy and advocacy needs.
• Continuously evaluate accomplishments and challenges to increase the efficacy and impact of the position of Director of Policy and Advocacy.

Qualifications

• Work experience: 4 or more years in Congressional staffing position, advocacy, government relations, and/or policy.
• Educational requirements: NNA does not have an educational requirement. Show us what you have done.
• Personal commitment to affordable housing and community/ economic development.
• Proven ability to collaborate with individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Proven ability to transform influence into action through written and interpersonal communications.
• Independent, innovative, collaborative, and circumspective.
• Ability to work and communicate with diverse communities.
• Computer proficiency needed, preferably in MS Office. Social media engaged and aware.

Travel
Approximately 2-4 out-of-state travel events per year; transportation, lodging, per diem provided.

Location, Salary, Benefits
National NeighborWorks Association has an office in Chinatown in Washington, DC with locally remote availability. The position requires a presence on the Hill requiring the Director of Policy and Advocacy to be located in the DC metro area.

This is an exempt position. The salary range is $90,000 to $110,000, including full medical, dental and other benefits to the employee and covers 50% of the cost for dependents. Employee receives 4 weeks of paid vacation and 11 federal holidays.

Application Process
Please submit a cover letter with salary requirements, resume, and two previous writing samples related to policy analysis, policy briefs, advocacy communications, or something similar to Opening@nnwa.us. Please no phone calls. The position is open until filled.

The National NeighborWorks Association is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages all candidates, especially those who have been historically under-represented based on race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, citizenship status or religion to apply. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.