Policy Counsel
Position Type: Full Time-Remote, Washington DC Based
Travel: Estimated 20% travel, largely CA, flexible
Location: Oakland, CA (PCV has office space in downtown Oakland. This job is largely Remote)
Reports to: Chief Impact Officer, collaborates closely with CEO
Compensation: $75,000 - $90,000, commensurate with experience; with generous benefits
Are you passionate about building a more equitable society through inclusive entrepreneurship? Do you have a superpower of using and improving policy to address racial and gender wealth gaps? Are you skilled at project-managing and coalition-building to achieve equitable policy results? Do you believe in the power of a dignified good quality job for upward mobility in this country, and courage for the systems change it takes to get there? If so, please join Pacific Community Ventures (PCV), a mission-driven community development financial institution (CDFI) and impact investor focused on supporting small business owners closest to their communities, addressing racial and gender wealth gaps, and alleviating poverty through the launch of our new Good Jobs Innovation Lab.
We are seeking a Policy Counsel or Manager to advance PCV’s impact through innovative and equitable policy development and advocacy, coalition-building, and federal and state policy engagement. Since inception, PCV has served as a thought leader in the impact investing and community finance space. PCV’s current CEO and leadership are leading voices in centering racial equity in inclusive entrepreneurship and small business, job quality, conversations on the federal and state level. This new role is a great opportunity for someone to provide both strategic and operational leadership to advance the ways the impact and community investment community, and other key philanthropic and government stakeholders, support entrepreneurs and communities of color to grow their businesses, create good jobs, and address racial and gender wealth gaps that lifts their communities.
Who We Are
PCV is a 24-year-old nonprofit CDFI that engages small businesses, impact investors, and policymakers to build an inclusive economy that works for everyone. Our approach is unique. PCV’s Small Business Lending and Advising teams connect entrepreneurs to the expertise and affordable capital they need to grow their businesses to help local economies thrive while creating good quality jobs that lift people up. PCV’s new Good Jobs Innovation Lab will wrap around these teams by collaborating to design increasingly more effective products, services, and communications to help our small business clients maximize their local economic impact through the power of providing good quality jobs. New and recent tools like collaborative economics strategies, fintech approaches, alternative credit assessments, and other systems thinking approaches are welcomed. The new Good Jobs Innovation Lab team will evaluate, design, and implement these interventions hand in hand with PCV’s Business Advising and Lending Teams, regularly assess and evaluate their impact, and use that feedback to continue to innovate our products and services towards addressing racial wealth gaps.
Policy advocacy, innovative program development, and impact evaluation are critical to PCV’s work in allowing us to tell the stories of those entrepreneurs, workers, and communities who are most marginalized in society. This enables us to dismantle stereotypes that adversely impact the way policymakers and other stakeholders presently view and support historically underestimated entrepreneurs and their communities; and ensure that federal and state policies and programs reach communities they are most meant to serve.
Why You’re Needed
You are a thought leader with a track record of designing and implementing inclusive policies and policy advocacy strategies for racial and economic equity, poverty alleviation, with a firm belief in the power of a good job. You thrive on data-driven interventions that enable more people, especially those of color, build businesses and obtain good job opportunities. You enjoy working with legislators, academics, researchers, and impacted individuals alike to craft policies that serve multiple interests and achieve tangible results. You are thrilled by the prospect of building a new economy to advance racial equity, decolonizing existing oppressive systems and policies, and inspiring others to do the same. Finally, you believe supporting entrepreneurs and good job creation are so critical to addressing racial wealth gaps in our local economies that you are excited about working to make the CDFI community better at using capital and business advising to prove this model out.
Core Responsibilities:
- Spearhead policy and advocacy plan for PCV, in coordination with the Chief Impact Officer, CEO, and Communications and Marketing Director.
- Center PCV's policy and advocacy work on civil rights and increased accountability to BIPOC communities in the CDFI industry, in partnership with the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, the Hispanic Alliance, Native American and AAPI led CDFIs.
- Manage policy coordination with key organizations PCV is a member of - namely Prosperity Now, Opportunity Finance Network, Small Business Majority, and CAMEO (in CA)
- Draft op-eds, articles, policy support letters, regulatory comments, and other similar writing projects to advocate for key policy positions of PCV.
- Coordinate federal fundraising efforts for PCV teams across Department of Treasury (SSBCI, CDFI Fund), Commerce, Labor, SBA.
- Represent CEO/President in meetings, by email, and phone calls with PCV teams and external stakeholders like funders, potential partners, policymakers - including CEO’s roles on the Dept of Treasury Racial Equity Advisory Council; Dept of Commerce and Labor’s Job Quality advisory councils; SBA’s Office of Access to Capital, etc.
- Write persuasive policy briefs for government agencies, elected officials, and other policy makers and stakeholders.
- Coordinate with key stakeholders, including other CDFIs, coalitions, and advocacy organizations, ensuring PCV participates in critical policy conversations about racial and economic equality
- Curate and facilitate policy outreach, engagement, and roundtables and outreach as needed for select topics; draft talking points for CEO for key public speaking events, including policy meetings and conferences.
- Strategize about advocacy and policy influence and identifying key partners to achieve policy objectives, including unconventional coalition partners.
- Regularly communicate with CEO about PCV policy objects and objectives, including specific deliverables and measures of success.
- Ensure compliance with federal and state laws regarding lobbying and advocacy work.
- Manage work of any engaged short-term contractors engaged for specific policy needs.
- Working closely with PCV’s CEO, cultivate and speak with donors, policymakers, and ecosystem partners – primarily other CDFIs and community organizations – to collaborate on a shared research agenda for investing in entrepreneurs of color and low-income/persistent poverty communities for poverty alleviation through the power of a dignified good quality job.
- Support fundraising efforts with CEO and Development team, towards PCV’s new strategy, policy, and research efforts.
- Work with the Marketing Director and CEO/President on talking points and messaging for CEO/President presentations, interviews, and external communications,
- Participate with the CEO/President and senior management team in strategic planning, policy development, fundraising, and decision-making to ensure all our work is aligned to our integrated business model, Good Jobs Agenda, and strategic goals.
Qualifications, Skills & Experience:
We strive hard to be a diverse and inclusive place to work. We value new perspectives, original ideas, and different ways of working. We believe that diverse views and experiences improve the way we do our work. You should have a strong interest in and dedication to creating social and environmental benefit through storytelling and advocacy for historically underestimated people, places, and communities. Additionally, one needs to have strong analytical, communication, emotional awareness, and research skills that you are eager to apply to complex social problems. You should be enthusiastic, flexible, and willing to join a small and innovative team that is unabashedly impact-first investing.
- 5+ years of experience in policy advocacy or related fields, including litigation, research, in house legal advising, or government service.
- A demonstrated commitment to advancing racial and gender equity, civil rights, poverty alleviation.
- Strong interest in, and passion for, creating dignified good jobs that address racial wealth gaps, and build community wealth.
- Background in law, microfinance, poverty alleviation programs, impact investing, social entrepreneurship, public policy, and/or community economic development.
- Proficiency in translating complex policy ideas into plain language talking points and advocacy materials.
- Experience managing large, complex, multi-year projects with multiple stakeholders; Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain research and advocacy network and maintain credibility and visibility with various constituents from senior business executives to academics, policymakers, and funders.
- Excellent people leadership, collaboration, and coaching skills – training staff and influencing stakeholders on effective strategies
- Exceptional evidence-based writing, relationship management, presentation, other communication skills.
- Outstanding quantitative and qualitative research and analytical skills
- Comfort with practicing and teaching innovation design principles – human centered design, lean thinking – customer discovery, segmentation, journey mapping, etc.
- Juris doctor or master’s in public policy or related field.
- Flexibility and comfort with ambiguity, working in a small and growing organization
- Fast-learner and team-player who demonstrates humility, openness, transparency, empathy, as consistent with PCV Values, always open to learning and growth
Location/Travel
This role is a Washington, D.C. based role for PCV, with some travel to conferences as needed, and largely to Oakland, California for staff retreats, and occasional state policy representation.
Compensation
As an organization committed to creating good jobs, we walk the talk. We provide excellent benefits for full-time employees, including full health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings accounts with a generous match annually which is fully vested immediately. Ample paid time off and holidays, as well as meaningful professional development budgets opportunities, leadership coaching for all senior roles, and more. We offer a competitive salary based on experience, with bonus eligibility. We are deeply committed to practicing a good jobs agenda for all our staff and partners.
To Apply
If you are interested, send a résumé, cover letter, and a writing sample via e-mail to [email protected] with the words “Policy Analyst or Counsel” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. Apply now. Please submit by January 30, 2023.
PCV is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental, veteran, or military status, unfavorable military discharge, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. We live our values of openness, transparency, coming from a place of yes, collaboration, and more; and believe that justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental to our success. We are especially interested in candidates who have direct and lived experience with the communities we serve. For more information on Pacific Community Ventures, please visit www.pacificcommunityventures.org.