Director, Justice and Mobility, Policy and Advocacy (Apply by: Friday, June 7th)

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.  

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.   

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.  

DEIBW at JFF  

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.  

We seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage all individuals to apply including people of color and people with records to apply. There is no degree or credential requirement for this position.  

About the Position 

The Director, Justice and Mobility, Policy and Advocacy is a newly created position within JFF’s Policy and Advocacy team that will partner closely with JFF’s Center for Justice and Economic Advancement (CJEA) central leadership. The Director will report to the Associate Vice President of Policy & Advocacy and engage in thought partnership with CJEA leadership on policy that centers on economic mobility for people with records of arrest, conviction and incarceration through a multipronged strategy to expand talent development, equip employers to implement fair chance hiring practices, establish and promote state and federal policies to normalize opportunity and create and curate research around this area.  

The Director will lead the execution of CJEA’s Normalizing Opportunity Policy framework as part of JFF’s enterprise-wide North Star goals and the organizational wide No Dead Ends policy strategy to elevate policies that eliminate “dead ends” to economic advancement. The Director will build and implement a comprehensive policy agenda, at the state and federal level, that promotes economic mobility for people with records. The Director will leverage critical trends, produce resources for key stakeholders and lead collaboration with policymakers and external partners, especially partners who are directly impacted by the criminal system.   

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and results-oriented leader and strategic thinker who is eager to transform new ideas into initiatives. This person will have the opportunity to make tremendous impact to advance JFF’s plan to help implement policies that eliminate “dead ends” to economic advancement.   

What you’ll do:  

Establish and lead a policy portfolio that integrates the No Dead Ends and Normalizing Opportunity policy issues  

• Develop and drive JFF’s policy strategy for education and workforce development issues impacting people with records, in alignment with JFF’s strategic priorities   
• Serve as a face of JFF’s change and transformation efforts/agenda through policy work related to corrections reform, education workforce, postsecondary, and poverty alleviation policy work  
• Establish and advance JFF’s policy priorities by representing the organization in external meetings and developing relationships with key external stakeholders, peer organizations, policymakers, leaders, funders, and other advocates   
• Establish relationships with policymakers and advance partnerships and influence through strategic input into JFF’s Executive Branch and Congressional Staff Networks for Economic Advancement and implementation of other national and state-based networks and partnerships in support of CJEA’s and JFF’s policy priorities  
• Act as a thought leader and a go-to resource externally in these key strategic areas for JFF, leading the field through national conversations 

Cultivate partnerships and support collaborative networks to promote the CJEA and JFF policy agendas  

• Foster relationships across the organization to create and sustain alignment between CJEA’s Normalizing Opportunity framework and JFF’s “No Dead Ends’” policy agenda  
• Oversee the execution of deliverables, relationship management and collaboration with internal and external partners around the project deliverables for the policy work under the JFF and CJEA frameworks   
• Establish relationships and build partnerships with organizations and networks to collaborate on strategy and activities to mobilize federal and in CJEA priority states, to amplify the narratives and policies that can advance mobility  
• Develop products and resources to educate the field and key partners on the intersecting Normalizing Opportunity (CJEA) and No Dead Ends (JFF) frameworks to expand understanding of the policy drivers for mobility
• Facilitate and lead all internal collaborations and learning opportunities related to federal and state policy agenda so JFF can promote a consistent external policy position  
• Facilitate and coordinate external partnership engagement and collaborations to advance shared policy agenda in initiatives, presentations and point of view  

Contribute and help build JFF’s policy agenda and strategy centered around criminal system reform 

• Build relationships across Policy & Advocacy teams to help, engage with cross-sector partnership to engage with organization wide priorities.  
• Identify and support a fundraising strategy for the CJEA policy agenda in close collaboration with Policy & Advocacy team 
• Identify and leverage data to help analyze opportunities to influence local and national policy priorities that increase equitable advancement for learners and workers with records and address the racial inequity that contributes to the current disadvantage  
• Foster and advance an entrepreneurial mindset to JFF’s policy work by identifying new opportunities, technologies, and markets to advance our strategic priorities  

Who you are:    

• You bring experience building and managing strategy to impact policy regarding criminal system reform and related policy issues preferably within the intersection of workforce development, postsecondary education, and/or poverty alleviation policy issues.  (New hires at the Director I level at JFF typically bring 12+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions) 
• You have 4+ years working within a Congressional office or the Executive branch to help impact policy within the criminal system reform space 
• You have extensive experience building relationships across multiple internal teams and with key external partners to support policy development and implementation.  
• You have been a thought leader and helped advance and leveraged your knowledge of state and federal policy including Congress and the Executive branch to help impact key strategic priorities for an organization or coalition  
• You have tracked policy and advocated criminal justice reform regarding workforce development, education, and/or poverty alleviation policy 
• You have exceptional organizational skills and a keen attention to detail, with the judgment to manage competing priorities, and an ability to track and drive policy priorities   
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills and can effectively convey information, articulate ideas, facilitate communication to diverse audiences, externally represent your organization, and resolve conflicts to facilitate mutually beneficial consensus 
• You bring experience leveraging data and research to help drive an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset to help inform policy and strategy  
• You bring strong writing skills with the ability to synthesize and communicate complex issues in clear and actionable ways  
• You have experience leveraging business development to help support the financial stability and growth of the policy portfolio
• You thrive in a fast-paced environment and can seamlessly pivot between being an individual contributor and working in close collaboration with others 
• You model inclusive leadership, working effectively with diverse staff, and building and stewarding an organizational culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• You demonstrate a growth mindset and a desire to continuously improve in your work and approach  
• You have experience with modeling open dialogue, receiving and giving feedback, and having difficult conversations that strengthen relationships
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work 
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF  
• You are willing and able to travel 30% percent of the time (The frequency will vary according to mix of projects) 

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers. 

To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.    

The hiring range for this role is $120,000 - $150,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Director II salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.  

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Karishma Merchant, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. We are accepting applications through June 7, 2024. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of June 10, 2024. 

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.