Strategic Initiatives Director

ABOUT HOUSING CALIFORNIA

Since 1988 Housing California (Housing CA) has worked to create a California with homes health and prosperity for all in thriving sustainable communities. We bring together a diverse cross-sector network to prevent and end homelessness increase the supply of safe stable affordable homes and reverse the legacy of systemic racial and economic inequities by building power among the people most impacted by housing injustice in partnership with cross-sector partners shaping the narrative and advocating for the passage of transformative statewide policy solutions. Learn more aboutourlong-term policy agendahereand exploreadditional information about Housing CA here.

POSITION SUMARY

The Strategic Initiatives Directorleads the development andimplementation of organization-wide campaigns and initiatives that advance Housing CAs mission and long-term closely with Housing CAs leadership staff consultants the Residents United Network (RUN) and key partners and allies the Directorprovides strategicleadershiptomanage a team thatdesignsand implementscross-programmatic effortsthat drive statewide housing policy and systems change.

This includes leading the implementation of the Roadmap Home campaign and supporting coalition campaigns through the Statewide Housing Advocacy Coalition (SHAC). The role ensuresalignment acrosspolicy budget andsystemschangestrategies and strengthens coordinationamong Housing CA teams and external partners.

The ideal candidate is an impact-orientedstrategic leader who candevelop andmanage complexinitiativesand campaigns guideand coordinatecross-functional teams andidentifyemerging opportunities to strengthen statewide advocacy and advance solutions to Californias housing and homelessness crisis.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Roadmap Home Campaign

Launched earlier this year the Roadmap Homeis a bold long-term plan to create the future we want for California by building affordable homes protecting low-income renters ending homelessness and advancing racial equity and economic inclusion.

• Lead Housing CAs Roadmap Home campaigndrivingstrategy andoverseeingimplementation to build statewide momentum and advance policy andbudgetwins.
• Develop and executeintegratedcampaignplansthat translate the Roadmap Home vision intocoordinatedadvocacynarrative and strategiccommunications some cases support and collaborate on campaigns led by other Housing CA teams.
• Oversee Roadmap Homecampaign implementation coordinating work across Housing CA teams partners and allied institutions.
• Partner with internal teams on Roadmap-aligned legislative and state budget advocacy

• Cultivateand managestrategicrelationships with consultantscoalitionpartners legislative leaders cross-sector partners and otherstakeholders advancingthe Roadmap Home.

• Expandthe campaigns base of supportby securingendorsementsmobilizing partners and advocates andcoordinating legislative andpubliceducation andengagementefforts.

• Partnerwiththenarrative and strategiccommunicationsteamto elevatetheRoadmap Home as a leading statewide approach to solving Californias housing and homelessness crises.

• Monitor campaign progress and impact using data and partner feedback to assess effectiveness refine strategy and adjust tactics to maximize outcomes.
  

Statewide Housing Advocacy Coalition (SHAC)

Co-anchored by Housing CA SHACconvenesadvocates and community leaders to protect critical housing and homelessness resources secure near-term policy wins and build momentum for long-term permanent funding for housing and homelessness in California.

• Provide leadership tosupport coordination and implementation of statewide campaigns through SHAC.

• Partner with SHAC leadership and coalition members to advance shared legislative budget and policy priorities including supporting campaigns led by SHAC partner organizations.

• Ensureeffective coalition planning and coordination includingfacilitatingsuccessfulplanning cycles timelines and shared workplansthat support collective action amongSHACpartners.

• Alignand coordinatework across SHAC working groups strengthening collaborationbetween policy communications organizing and power-building efforts.

• Monitor the political legislative and electorallandscapeidentifyingopportunities risks and strategic entry points for coalition campaigns.

• Cultivate andmaintainstrategic relationships withstateregionaland local partners community-basedorganizations allied advocates values-aligned sectors such as labor health care environmental education etc. and private interest groups that are essential to making big breakthroughs in solving the states housing and homelessness crisis.

• Monitor campaign progress and impact using data and partner feedback to assess effectiveness refine strategy and adjust tactics to maximize outcomes.

OtherStrategic Initiatives

• Identifyemerging policy political and partnership opportunities thatstrengthen Housing Californiasstrategic impact and advance the organizations strategic goals.

• Develop leadandsupportcross- programmatic campaigns and initiatives that advance Housing CAs mission andvision.

• Provide strategicleadership andoversight to ensure successful team planning and implementation of key organizational events including town halls advocacy days and coalition convenings.

• Ensure alignment and coordinationbetween keyHousing CAinitiativesandrelated federalandstate-levelinitiatives.

• Build and deepenstrategicpartnerships with change-makers in affordable housing homelessness economic justice and other sectors that impact and align with our work.

• Identifyandrepresent Housing CAand SHACin multi-sector coalitions and networks elevating the organizations leadership and advancing shared priorities.

• Fostercross-departmental collaborationandassistwith other organizational responsibilities that further the strategic goals of the organization.

Organizational & Team Development

Participate as an organizational leader shaping and ensuring the effective implementation of our mission values and culture including:

• Represent HousingCA atexternal events coalition spacesandmediaengagementsto elevate the organizations leadership and strategic priorities.

• Collaborate with theexecutive andleadership teamsto shape and advanceorganizational strategy ensuring that strategic initiativesare integratedintoplanning budgeting andimpacttracking.

• Propose andmonitoran annual program budget and work planensuring effective stewardship of resources and successful implementation of priorities on time within budget and with high quality.

• Lead a productive and collaborative team by hiring managing mentoring and coaching staff; supporting professional growth; and fostering a collaborative inclusive and learning-oriented work environment.

• Partner with fellow leadership team members to cultivateavalues-drivenculture thatadvances racial equitypromotestransparencycommunicationand collaborationdisrupts institutional racism and fostersa strong senseof belonging.

• Contribute to fundraising efforts to support and sustain our mission-driven work.

WHO YOU ARE

• Committed to Justice:Youdemonstratea deep and ongoing commitment to racial gender disability economic and housing justiceand consistently work to uphold these values in yourleadership and practice. Youcenter theneedsand experiencesof low-income Californiansin complex policy and advocacy work.

• Mission Aligned:You bring professional experience in housing justice or a closely related field such as community development urban planning health equity criminal justice reform education disability justice food insecurity climate justice or labor.

• Policyand Systems Experience:You have7years ofexperience leadingcoalition-basedcampaigns or initiatives for complex multi-yearprojectsin aprogressively responsible with statewide policy advocacy is strongly preferred particularly in areas such as housing policy homelessnessequitabledevelopment sustainable communities infrastructure policy or finance land-use planning or other closely related fields.

• People-Centered Leader:You have3yearsof managerialorsupervisoryexperience. You have excellent management and coaching skills to supervise mentor and grow the capacity of staff. You have successfully led teams consultants and partners in implementing coordinated advocacy or campaign strategies.

• Strategic Leaders:You can articulate and implement a strategic vision within a cross-functional organization aligning efforts toadvancemission-driven goalsand achieve measurable impact.

• Coalition Management:You have experiencebuilding and managingdiversecoalitionsand collaborative thatreflect Housing CAs values ofequity and inclusionand support shared leadership modelsparticularly centering impacted communities and grassroots partners.

• Adaptive and Solutions-Oriented: You are tenacious flexibleresourcefuland thrive in dynamic environments. You are comfortable navigating ambiguityandusing creative problem solvingto advance change.

• Clear and Effective Communicator: You are a strongwritten and verbalcommunicatorwhocan engage effectively with policymakers media community-based organizations residents of affordable housing people experiencing homelessness advocates funders and cross-sector partners.

• Collaborative and Inclusive:You have a strongtrack recordofbuilding trust and working across diverse stakeholders with differing perspectives to advance shared goals. You are an experienced facilitator who can guide productive conversations and align partners aroundshared goals and processes to achieveclear outcomes.

• Learning- andImpact-Oriented:You embracelearning and adapting thriving in an environment where continuous improvement and flexibility are valued. You are tenacious and committed to moving changeincomplexand evolving environments.

• Willingness to Travel:You are willing and able to travelthroughout Californiaand attend early morning or evening obligations.

Additional experience that is welcomed but not required:

• Familiarity with affordable housing homelessness and tenants rights programs or policy.
• Lived experience of homelessness or housing insecurity or experience working with people with lived experience.
• Experience using online advocacy data tracking software and data platforms for campaigns and project management tools.
• Experience in budget management and fundraising.

Our ideal candidates may have experience that does not directly match the qualifications above and we encourage people with similar experience to apply.

COMPENSATION BENEFITS AND LOCATION

This is a full-time exempt position that reports to the Deputy Director of Programs. The Director will provide leadership for a team of three staff and oversee related consultants. The salary range is $120000 - $150000 depending on experience. This is a hybrid position based out of our office in position is expected toparticipatein regular travel (mostly in California).

Benefits package includes fully paid medical dental and vision for employee and 25% paid medical dental and vision for dependents paid parental leave long-term disability and group life insurance coverage; commuting subsidy; cell phone/at home internet subsidy; 403(b) retirement plan with 3.5% employer contribution; generous vacation (3 weeks depending on tenure) sick leave (8 hours per month employees start with 8 hours of leave) 12 paid holidays; organization-wide closure during the last week of December and a shortened workweek during the summer legislative break; professional development opportunities; and a hybrid work environment.

OUR CULTURE

Housing CA is committed to creating a justequitable diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters a culture of belonging ongoinglearning and collaboration and supports stabilizes and incentivizes people to join the Housing CA team and stay for the long game.

We value having staff who come from communities that are mostimpacted by the issues we address. We especially encourage Black Latinx Indigenous and people of color; people from families that have immigrated to the U.S.; people who have been unhoused or experienced housing instability; women; LGBTQIA people; system-impacted people; and people with disabilities to apply for these positions.

We aim for our work to be both effective and sustainable; we balance required travel during some parts of the year and the fast-paced legislative calendar with a commitment to our teams mental and physical health.

HIRING PROCESS

We will accept applications until the position is filled. The interview process will include one screening call followed by up to three interviews and a written/presentation activity.

Required Experience:

Director