The American Heart Association (AHA) has an excellent opportunity for a Community Advocacy Director in Oakland, CA.
The Community Advocacy Director is responsible for coordinating and overseeing strategy and efforts to further the public policy priorities of the American Heart Association (AHA) in the assigned community. You will also be responsible for serving as a lead representative of the AHA to community level public officials and relevant community public agencies to generate awareness and support for the AHA’s public policy agenda. Additional responsibilities include building and managing teams of AHA staff, volunteers, coalitions and partner organizations to build support for and integrate advocacy issues messaging into all other AHA programs/events.
- Strategically coordinates and oversees all elements of successful public policy priority campaigns at the assigned market level under the supervision of the Senior Director of Community Impact, Policy.
- Meets one on one with elected community officials, their staff, and other community government officials to gain support for the AHA’s advocacy issues.
- Monitors and engages on legislative and regulatory issues of concern to the AHA and apprises appropriate AHA volunteers and staff of emerging advocacy issues.
- Provides policy research, development of support materials, recruiting of spokespersons, preparing testimony, and other activities as needed to advance the AHA’s community public policy agenda.
- Participates in coalition efforts and other collaborative partnerships to leverage opportunities that advance the Association’s public policy priorities.
- Recruits membership for and provides staff support to a volunteer community advocacy committee. In collaboration with the committee, and with strategic direction from the Association’s advocacy program develops a community legislative agenda.
- Provides strategic direction on community grassroots and key contact, recruitment, retention and mobilization efforts.
- Collaborates with communications staff partners on development and timing of media advocacy efforts.
- Assurances compliance with lobbying requirements and prepares all necessary reporting.
- Collaborates with the Community Impact Team to contribute to
- (1) achieve the division’s policy, system, and environmental change goals
- (2) conduct community needs assessments
- Provides advocacy presentations and training opportunities to volunteers and staff as needed.
- Attends and participates in relevant AHA meetings throughout the year.
- Minimum of three (3) years of:
- Experience and success in legislative and regulatory lobbying
- Demonstrated experience building and managing issue advocacy coalition(s)
- Experience developing and implementing grassroots and media advocacy tactics
- Experience with community organizing and outreach.
- Policy analysis and technical (legislative and regulatory) writing skills
- Ability to simultaneously manage multiple, complex projects in varying stages of development under time constraints
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of strategic planning, budgeting, and managing work
- Exceptional oral and written communications skills.
- Must be able to travel:
- (1) weekly for meetings within the nine Bay Area counties
- (2) overnight travel approx. 25% of the time
Here are some of the preferred skills we are looking for:
- Non-English language proficiency.
- Knowledge of voluntary health organizations or nonprofit organizations.
- Experience working in public health or health care policy.
- Experience in volunteer recruitment and relationship management.
- Demonstrated understanding and appreciation for the use of technology and information systems.