Living Streets Alliance is seeking a transportation professional to join LSA’s team as a Director of Advocacy & Policy. As a Senior Member of the LSA leadership team, reporting to the Executive Director, this position will build upon the organization’s history of advancing and garnering support for policies and infrastructure projects focused on multi-modal mobility and will spearhead advocacy initiatives at the intersection of transportation, land use, environment, climate, and social justice. They will develop and drive effective strategies to influence decision-making at both the grassroots and grass-tops levels and mobilize people to act on transportation issues in the Tucson community.
About Living Streets Alliance
Living Streets Alliance (LSA), is a nonprofit organization that advocates for a thriving Tucson by creating great streets for all of us. Working at the intersection of social justice, climate change, public health, and community development, we utilize streets to foster a just, sustainable, and vibrant city. We envision streets as living public spaces that connect people to places and to each other, and work to bring this vision to life through programs like Cyclovia Tucson and Safe Routes to School, advocating for policies like Complete Streets, partnering with neighborhoods and communities to transform streets and intersections into colorful, inviting, and traffic-calmed spaces for all ages to enjoy, and more.
LSA’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access
Living Streets Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive and welcoming for diverse board and staff members with different backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. By welcoming “diversity,” we mean that our organization embraces differences in gender expression and identity, age, culture, ancestry, ethnicity, race, color, sexual orientation, physical ability, learning style, religion, familial status, marital status, occupation, veteran status, nationality, citizenship, socio-economic status, and the many forms of composite subjectivity and life experiences. LSA acknowledges the role transportation planning has played in creating and exacerbating racial and socioeconomic inequities and recognizes the need for centering and elevating voices that are traditionally underrepresented in transportation planning and decision-making spaces. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, people from working class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQIA2S+ people.
What You Will Do:
This is a dynamic position that requires putting your various skillsets into use regularly. On any given day you might be facilitating a coalition meeting, testifying at a Mayor and Council meeting, speaking to the media about an urgent policy issue, and working on a policy brief. As part of a small and dynamic team, a typical day might also include supporting the organization by speaking with a donor about a current campaign, attending a key LSA event to talk with participants about an advocacy topic, and meeting with a team member to brainstorm about adding a layer of advocacy into an outreach event.
Advocacy, Strategy, Research & Communications (60%)
- Lead, develop, and implement advocacy activities including advocacy campaigns, advocacy strategy and tactics, and organizing
- Monitor the political landscape for strategic opportunities to advance LSA’s advocacy priorities and advocacy goals identified in the strategic plan
- Organize advocacy-related actions and events, and mobilize community members to take action on advocacy issues via petitions, action alerts, and other more creative means
- Maintain substantial knowledge of transportation policy at the city, county, state & federal levels of government and track legislative processes, including local, regional, and [occasionally] state-wide policy agendas
- Attend all Tucson Mayor & Council meetings, with an eye toward our strategic plan and objectives and synthesize meeting discussions in relation to our advocacy efforts
- Conduct research and analysis, as needed, to support the advocacy work and craft compelling written content including fact sheets, policy briefs, position statements, reports, and memos
- Oversee the development of LSA’s formal response on local and regional policies, plans, and transportation infrastructure projects, and provide written or oral testimony before boards, commissions, committees, and elected bodies, as needed
- Track the implementation of key local and regional policies and plans that intersect with LSA’s work and develop strategies for advocacy intervention if needed
- Collaborate with the Communications and Development Manager on strategic communications and messaging including action alerts, blogs, and social media posts
- Represent LSA at conferences, panels, public meetings, and in the press, as needed
- In the runup to key elections, conduct candidate questionnaires or other means of informing the electorate about candidate views on transportation and mobility
- Ensure Living Streets Alliance’s compliance with lobbying laws, as well as activity tracking and reporting requirements required at the state and federal level; Track and report advocacy and lobbying activity as required to comply with 501(c)(3) regulations
Coalition Building & Partnership Development (25%)
- Build, grow, and maintain strong working relationships with elected officials and their staff as well as government agency leaders and staff to inform, collaborate, and garner support for LSA’s policy advocacy efforts
- Build, grow, and maintain partnerships with a variety of individuals and entities including board and commission members, other organizations advancing similar policy issues, transportation-related alliances and coalitions, grassroots groups, and grass tops stakeholders, and bring in allies as coalition partners, as needed
- Represent Living Streets Alliance in meetings with elected officials and associated staff, partners, stakeholders, funders, and the general public as well as on coalitions, advisory committees and other similar bodies
- Advise internal leadership, staff, and organizational partners on relevant policy implications and provide logical, well-informed recommendations that can lead to direct actions
- Ensure advocacy and policy campaigns center the voices and needs of those most often impacted and marginalized
Organizational Support & Integration (15%)
- Provide thought leadership, expertise, and overall direction to the organization to ensure that advocacy is inextricably linked to LSA’s other activities including programs, grant-making, and communications
- Support the team in moving forward program or service specific initiatives; help plan for and staff events as needed
- Follow trends and best practices related to LSA’s mission and vision
- Engage regularly in thought work with the team around intersectional issues and project-/program-specific reflection and problem-solving
- Support fundraising efforts as needed; assist in the development of grant and project proposals as necessary
- Partner and work with LSA’s Board of Directors and leverage LSA’s Advocacy Committee (example: attend board meetings on occasion, act as the primary staff liaison to the board Advocacy Committee working with the Chair to develop agendas and providing regular policy and advocacy updates, etc.)
Essential Skills & Qualifications
LSA does not have minimum requirements for education or professional experience. We encourage all candidates with relevant experiences and professional backgrounds to apply. We expect qualified candidates to have the following skills and qualifications for this position:
- Deep connection to the mission, vision, and values of Living Streets Alliance
- A proven track record and moderate to significant professional experience in providing strategic direction and visioning
- A proven track record and moderate to significant professional experience in direct advocacy, advancing policy priorities, and building and maintaining relationships with elected and appointed officials, local leaders, community organizations, and other stakeholders
- A proven track record and moderate to significant professional experience in community organizing, government affairs, policy, advocacy campaigns, and strategic communications
- A proven track record and moderate to significant experience as a project manager and timely completion of deliverables
- Knowledge of urban transportation policy, urban planning or related fields and a strong grasp on how transportation intersects with related issues like social justice, racism, housing policy, and climate action
- Strong understanding of and commitment to antiracism, transportation equity, mobility justice principles and at least moderate experience in operationalizing these principles through day-to-day work
- A proven track record and moderate to significant professional experience in
- A proven track record and at least moderate experience in managing staff
- Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to distill complex policy issues into accessible language and effectively communicate with broader audiences; experience in strategic messaging development
- Excellent research skills
- Flexibility to work outside of regular business hours
- Being a regular user of different modes of transportation
- Residence in or willingness to relocate to Tucson
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive, and other back-office support systems
Nice to Haves
- Transportation advocacy experience
- Familiarity with managing budgets and financial reporting
- Intermediate Spanish proficiency
- Understanding of 501c3 lobbying compliance
What You Will Get:
- Full-time position at $60,000-$75,000 annual salary
- Creative, collaborative, and mission driven environment within an organization that has tremendous local impact
- Close-knit team who are passionate about the work and dedicated to learning together
- Flexible work schedule, open PTO, and a focus on work-life balance
- Group Health Insurance
Work Schedule
This full-time position typically works a flexible schedule of 40 hours a week. LSA staff meet altogether two to three times per week at the office or on zoom; the rest of the time employees have flexibility with when and where they work, however following normal business hours is highly encouraged. Annually, LSA’s events and activities ramp up in the fall through spring and slowdown in the summer, requiring a flexible work schedule. During those times there are often events on weekends and community meetings to attend in the evening. Because of that the team encourages time off or shorter work weeks in between.
Vaccination Requirements
In accordance with our mission and values, Living Streets Alliance has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and booster policy for all Living Streets Alliance employees and interns. All employees are required to have or obtain all COVID-19 vaccines and, once eligible, booster(s) as a term and condition of employment.
Reports to:
Executive Director
To apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter to Valerie Sipp, Manager of Operations at [email protected]
Deadline to apply:
Applications received by July 16th, 2023 will receive first consideration, though this position is open until filled. We’ll be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply as soon as possible.