Right To The City Alliance

Job Announcement

National Policy Organizer

Deadline to Apply: Open until filled.

Ideal Start Date: Ideal start May 15, 2021.

About The Right To The City Alliance (RTTC)

Right To The City Alliance (RTTC) emerged in 2007 with a strong and powerful vision to 1) halt the displacement of low-income people, people of color, LGBTQ communities, and youth of color, and 2) protect and expand affordable housing in tandem with a broader movement to build democratic and just healthy communities for the 21st century. 

Since its inception, Right To The City has quickly grown to encompass over 90 community-based racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice organizations located in 26 states and 45 cities. Representing true grassroots power and leadership of the most impacted, RTTC’s member organizations weave together local on-the-ground policy advocacy campaigns to build a robust and unstoppable national movement for inclusive, healthy housing and community development. 

Position Summary:

The RTTC National Policy Organizer will support the development and implementation of RTTC policy and campaign goals at the federal, state, and municipal levels to advance RTTC’s vision, principles and our primary campaign to win affordable, dignified and permanent Homes For All. Working closely with RTTC field organizing, united front and campaign strategy teams, this position will be responsible for carrying out a transformative strategy to win systemic and structural change through policy interventions that are accountable to and led by RTTC grassroots base-building organizations and our members.

This position requires experience with member-led grassroots organizing and significant experience with policymaking, analysis, and strategic policy advocacy campaigns. It also requires the ability to develop intersectional strategy, and a commitment to environmental, racial, gender, and economic justice. Candidates should have a strong ability to build relationships, work independently, communicate proactively, and have a strong attention to detail as well as big picture political analysis.

This Position Reports to: The RTTC Director of Programs.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Policy Development and Campaign Strategy (40%)
   1. Serve as RTTC primary policy strategist to guide the development strategic activities to advance RTTC/HFA goals, including developing reports; identifying needed research; power mapping, and helping to identify and address key targets.
   2. Track/analyze translocal and federal policy and regulatory & legislative proposals related to RTTC priority campaigns in order to guide RTTC campaign strategy orientation.
   3. Provide assessments and recommendations about strategic policy interventions to RTTC’s United Front Strategy team, Campaign Strategy team and the Homes For All Executive Organizing Committee.
   4. Develop political and popular education to support RTTC member organizations, leaders and staff’s collective understanding of policy proposals, opportunities and campaigns.
2. Represent RTTC in external policy related partnerships and relationships (30%)
   1. Lead relationships with a variety of stakeholders (researchers, policy experts, elected officials and staff members). Represent RTTC in existing and emerging strategic partnerships with policy, academic and research organizations and institutions.
   2. Represent RTTC in meetings and formations to advance RTTC policy and campaign goals. Specifically this position will involve representing RTTC in the Green New Deal Network policy table, United Frontline Table, the Grassroots Housing Table and the Alliance for Housing Justice.
3. Member Engagement (20%)
   1. Lead the RTTC Policy Translocal Infrastructure Committee to assess opportunities for, and develop, policy interventions to advance RTTC translocal and federal campaign goals.
   2. Work with RTTC staff teams and member leadership committees to support members to understand the implications of policy proposals, and to develop orientation to advance strategic policy interventions across RTTC priority organizing areas.
   3. Support RTTC translocal organizing committees in developing and deciding on priority translocal and federal legislative and regulatory policies to advance RTTC organizing goals.
   4. Provide support and feedback to RTTC member organizations developing municipal, state and translocal policy solutions in their respective cities and regions.
4. Participate in RTTC National Staff Systems (10%)
   1. Utilize RTTC tech platforms and systems to ensure flow of information, accuracy of records, reporting requirements, and usage of systems that support RTTC staff operations and overall functioning (calendaring, work planning, database, reporting)
   2. Active and timely response on all communications
   3. Participate in RTTC staff teams and all-staff meetings, planning-advances and trainings
   4. Participate in RTTC Transformative Justice program and training

Common Expectations for all positions: RTTC intentionally builds collaborative and transformative culture through:

• Organizational participation: (Approx. 10% of time)  team planning, staff meetings, national convenings, collaborative projects across teams, and administrative tasks common to all positions.
• Evolution of the work: Areas of work may change over time based on organization and movement needs, and always in consultation with the organizer.
• Transformative Praxis: Participate in RTTC’s transformative justice program to align our practice with our values and principles. Build staff unity and cohesion, and principled struggle amongst all team/staff members.

Location & Travel: Location is negotiable. RTTC has concentrations of staff in the following areas: Philly, Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn (physical office), and the SF Bay Area. Travel is required; frequency and duration of travel is negotiable. On average, this position will be expected to travel 5-10 days per month, year round. During the pandemic, RTTC staff are not required to travel.

Qualities We Are Looking For:

• Bold Vision. You bring fierce imagination and deep commitment that we can and will create the world our communities need. You can share that vision in ways that inspire and compel.

• Swiss Army Knife. You are resourceful and creative, willing to do what it takes to make a project succeed. You can handle a lot in a fast-paced, multi-faceted work environment.

• Interdependent. You are able to work independently, self-managing your time, while maintaining close communication with remote teams
. You are flexible and know that changing the world doesn’t always happen between 9am and 5pm.
• Low ego, high impact. You are disciplined, rigorous, and more group-centered than self-centered. You have an excellent attention to detail and keep your eyes on the big picture.

Required Experience & Qualifications:

• Alignment with the mission, vision and goals of the Right To The City Alliance. Experience and familiarity with housing justice, gentrification, displacement and anti-eviction work and grassroots base-building organizations and transformative organizing.
• Policy & Campaign Organizing Experience. A minimum of 5 years experience with grassroots policy analysis and campaign development, at either the federal or statewide level, and familiarity with grassroots member-led organizing. Experience with housing, economic and climate justice policy and transformative organizing is a plus.
• Experience working in multi-racial, multicultural settings.

• Common knowledge of standard computer applications. MS Office, Google docs, Dropbox, Mac environment, and Zoom video tele-conferencing systems

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2+ years experience with grassroots community organizing & base-building.
• Ability to write and speak a second language, preferably Spanish

General Requirements

• Support the mission, vision and goals of the Right To The City Alliance
• Experience and familiarity with housing justice, gentrification, displacement and anti-eviction work and/or grassroots base-building organizations and transformative organizing
• Experience in multi-racial, multi-cultural settings
• Knowledge of common computer applications: MS Office, Google docs, Dropbox, Mac environment, and Zoom video tele-conferencing systems
• Access to reliable internet, phone and remote office arrangements. RTTC provides for costs of home offices.
• Drivers license and auto insurance

Salary and Benefits:

This is a full time, non-exempt position.  The salary range for this position is $75,000 (hourly equivalent $36.06). Compensation commensurate with experience and competitive with our sector.  RTTC offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package including 100% medical, dental and life insurance, employee-matched 401k retirement plan, wellness benefits, staff development resources, and ample sick and vacation paid time off (PTO).

How To Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample through our hiring portal at: righttothecity.bamboohr.com/jobs/. References will be asked for candidates who advance in the process.  Applicants for this position will be required to submit to a background check. Candidates will only be contacted if our hiring team chooses to pursue an interview.

Right To The City Alliance is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  Applicants from communities heavily impacted by gentrification, displacement and housing insecurity are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.