Director of Policy
Director of Policy
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$ 105000 - 125000
1 Vacancy
Job Description
Washington DC Full-Time
Key things to know about this role
The Director of Policy will lead and strengthen a focused policy operation to advance the mission of a high impact growing nonprofit.
Policy is one leg of a three-legged stool model for how Compass pursues its mission with the other legs being: (1) direct implementation of programs and (2) field-building training and technical assistance to other practitioners. These three areas of work mutually support and strengthen one another in pursuit of the organizations mission and goals. No leg is primary.
Compass has engaged in policy advocacy for many years. In 2022 the organization formally launched a dedicated policy team as part of its seven-year strategic scaling plan to expand internal capacity for policy change work and advance the organizations mission.
Directors at Compass serve as functional leaders and are actively engaged in the day-to-day work that they lead. They are senior leaders reporting to members of the Executive Team.
This role combines frontline work as the organizations primary representative on matters of federal policy with duties as the internal leader of all policy-related work such as setting overall policy strategy and sequencing annual work plans ensuring the policy department is adequately resourced with paid staff and external contractors to carry out its work managing a budget and so on.
About Compass
Compass is an innovative mission-driven organization that supports families with low incomes to save for their future and access greater economic opportunity. We believe in our clients and in their ability to achieve their goals and dreams. We operate high-quality financial coaching and savings programs and pursue opportunities to shape the national approach to poverty through practice and policy change. Compass is also an emerging leader in a national effort to leverage housing assistance as a platform for economic mobility. We are looking for people who want to be part of taking our programs and our impact to the next level.
Our mission is to partner with families with low incomes to build assets as a pathway out of poverty. We focus on reaching families led by Black and/or Latinx women.
To achieve our mission we operate client-centered savings and financial coaching programs deliver training and technical assistance to other practitioners and shape policy solutions that dismantle barriers to asset building.
For more information please visit our website or click here to learn more about our strategic plan.
About The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program
Congress created the FSS program in 1990 as an employment and savings program for families in federally subsidized housing. The program combines a powerful savings incentive with service delivery to support residents in reaching their goals. It is the nations largest asset-building program for families with low incomes.
Since 2010 Compass has partnered with public housing agencies and other affordable housing providers to operate an asset-building model for the FSS program the first nonprofit organization in the country to do so.
About the Job
Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) and in collaboration with the CEO and other senior leadership the Director will drive Compass ambitious policy objectives in our new strategic plan while working to strengthen and elevate the policy function at Compass.This is a hybrid position.
All Compass staff embody the following core competencies:
Ownership: Steps up and follows through to consistently deliver high-quality work.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion: Champions the value of diversity and the creation of inclusive spaces.
Growth Mindset: Embraces challenges and setbacks as the fuel for learning and development.
Teamwork: Contributes actively and collaboratively with colleagues to achieve shared goals.
Primary Responsibilities
Elevate and strengthen Compass reputation as a national thought-leader among members of Congress the administration and current and potential allies in our field within these areas of focus:
- HUDs Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program
- Asset-building and economic mobility particularly within the context of affordable housing and
- Racial equity and the racial and gender wealth divides.
Advance and expand relationships with HUD staff federal elected officials and current and potential allies in our field such as housing trade groups and other aligned special interest groups.
Drive progress on a campaign to secure Congressional authority to test a new approach to delivering HUDs FSS program through the Helping More Families Save Act (S.970) a key aspect of Compass current strategic plan.
Identify and coordinate internal and external resources needed to achieve Compass policy goals such as paid staff external contractors and partnerships. Supervise a Policy Manager and manage or reposition currently contracted work with a team of external lobbyists.
Effectively leverage the CEOs time and expertise to engage in federal policy work in collaboration with the CEAO.
Lead organizational focus and decision making on when to accelerate or deprioritize work on various policy objectives in response to evolving conditions and emerging opportunities on the ground.
Lead an informal coalition of housing policy and related organizations with a shared interest in expanding the scope and impact of the FSS program. This coalition first came together in 2014 to advocate for multifamily owners eligibility to offer FSS and has continued to work together to expand federal funding for the program among other priorities. The coalition currently meets monthly on Zoom and is actively seeking new organizational partners to strengthen its advocacy efforts.
Represent the organization at industry conferences policy forums and stakeholder meetings to advance FSS program goals and build strategic partnerships with travel expectations of 1-2 times per month during peak seasons of February-May and September-October.
Refine and ensure proper implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for policy advocacy activities coalition management processes and stakeholder engagement protocols including lobbying disclosure reporting requirements and comprehensive tracking systems to ensure regulatory compliance and effective program implementation.
Cultivate opportunities for Compass clients including members of our Program Committee and Compass Ambassadors to shape our policy agenda and engage directly in policy advocacy such as by coordinating state or federal briefings Hill visits site visits etc.
Develop tools to effectively communicate about Compass and our policy objectives with various stakeholders and increase Compass visibility as a respected voice on policy within our field.
Play a leading role in longer-term planning and goal-setting for Compass policy work including:
- Potential further expansion of the policy team; with support from HR manage recruitment onboarding and supervision of any additional hires to the policy team
- A long-term scope and objectives for state-level work in Compass major markets (currently Boston Philadelphia and Chicago with potential additional major cities) which is currently led by the CEAO
Build strong relationships with and leverage the talents of colleagues such as program development strategy communications and administrative team members to strengthen awareness of and support for policy work throughout the organization.
Inform ongoing reporting on the progress of our policy work to the Executive Team Board funders and other stakeholders.
Qualifications and Skills
5-7 years relevant experience such as in a policy or legislative affairs role at a mission-driven organization government housing agency (HUD state or local) elected officials office multifamily property owner affordable housing finance company or real estate policy/advocacy organization.
Experience (professional and/or lived) in one or more of the following policy domains: asset building racial equity affordable housing and/or community development
Experience working with HUD policy and budget processes
Familiarity with federal appropriations process
Existing relationships with policymakers advocates and other asset-building housing and/or anti-poverty organizations
Strong interpersonal communications writing public speaking skills
Ability to organize complex groups of stakeholders to focus on and advance policy goals
Strong alignment with Compass mission andvalues
Cultural humility; openness to and respect for others cultures identities and lived experiences
Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to creatively problem solve prioritize create actionable plans manage and deliver tangible outcomes in a growing organization
Benefits
The salary range for this role is $105000-$125000 commensurate with experience with a $5000 sign-on bonus. Well promote your professional growth and development by providing access to a competitive salary and benefits package and additional employee benefits that include but are not limited to:
Healthcare: medical dental vision: Compass covers up to 80% of employee premiums and 80% for dependents. There is no waiting period to enroll in health insurance.
- Retirement plan 401(k) & 3% match
- Parental Leave: Employees who have been employed for at least three (3) months are eligible to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. *Employee must be with the organization for six (6) months to receive up to six (6) weeks of full pay from the organization.
- Life insurance & disability Insurance
- Paid time off: Employees receive up to 21 vacation days 10 sick days 3 personal days and 8 holidays per calendar year plus the final week of the calendar year off as an organizational wide holiday. All employees enjoy a two-hour early closure starting the Friday after Memorial Day through the week of Labor Day.
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- Professional development & certification
- Pre-tax commuter benefits
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Office closed the final week of calendar year
- Equipment: $200 one-time stipend for work from home expenses
- Internet Reimbursement: Up to $40 per month for personal internet expenses.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Compass Working Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider applications for all positions without regard to age race color ethnicity national origin ancestry creed religion gender gender identity or expression sexual orientation citizenship physical or mental disability medical condition genetic information marital status veteran status military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Compass Working Capital is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities receive the accommodations required for them to interview for a position on our team. Should you require accommodations please contact
As a contractor of Boston Housing Authority Compass also provides hiring preference to Section 3 residents. Section 3 Residency is defined as being an authorized resident of Boston Housing Authority or a low-income resident of the Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes Suffolk Norfolk Middlesex Essex Plymouth Strafford (NH) and Rockingham (NH) Counties.
As a contractor of Philadelphia Housing Authority Compass also provides hiring preference to Section 3 residents. Section 3 Residency is defined as being an authorized resident of Philadelphia Housing Authority or a low-income resident of the area where the HUD-assisted project is located.
For the purposes of Section 3 low-income is defined as 80% of the Area Median Income. To learn more information about Section 3 income eligibility please refer to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Website.
Required Experience:
Director
Employment Type
Full-Time
