POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT POSITION:
Policy Analysts
OPEN:
April 8, 2014 Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation
LOCATION:
Washington, DC
CLOSING:
Until filled
CONTACT:
Darcy Eischens
SALARY:
Commensurate with experience
BACKGROUND
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
—
the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States
—
works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations, NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas
—
assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families. Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, DC, serving all Hispanic subgroups in all regions of the country. It has state and regional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, and San Antonio.
SUMMARY
The
National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
is currently seeking
Policy Analysts
in multiple issue areas (civil rights, economic policy, education, finance, health, housing, immigration, and wealth-building) to join our team of professionals in
Washington, DC
.
NCLR’s highly
respected Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation (ORAL) is one of the most influential, visible, and leading national advocacy voices championing public policy on behalf of Latinos.
2
JOB DESCRIPTION
Policy Analysts will work as members of their respective issue project teams at NCLR, increasing awareness of issues through innovative public policy and program solutions. The Analysts are responsible for providing highly skilled analysis of social, economic, and public
policy trends in support of NCLR’s goals. They identify and make recommendations on
promising new reform ideas, work with colleagues to conduct analysis of data and programs, design and implement research projects, and develop and write compelling policy papers, statistical briefs, reports, and testimonies in a variety of formats for a variety of audiences. These positions work with and represent NCLR before a diverse group of experts, researchers, educators, media, and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels, and they execute strategies that effectively communicate ideas to these key audiences. Policy Analysts work with other NCLR departments to gain insight into new challenges faced by Latinos and incorporate that information into public policy ideas and proposals.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Work with the Project Director to develop a plan for evaluating and analyzing relevant public and social policies that affect the Latino community.
Analyze social policy ideas independently and effectively communicate their impact on the Latino community to the Project Director.
Monitor policy ideas developing at state and regional levels.
Produce internal policy memoranda and make recommendations to the Project Director.
Attend meetings with congressional staff, policymakers, experts, and issue stakeholders to effectively communicate NCLR policy priorities in consultation with the Project Director.
Develop relationships and connections with community leaders and other stakeholders.
Provide support to NCLR leadership.
Engage in policy coalitions and networks.
Perform substantial writing, including completing issue briefs and providing substantive input for testimony, public comments, reports, and journal articles.
Conduct secondary research and publishing.
Serve as an advocate and representative of NCLR in policy forums.
Work with media as appropriate.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree (master’s prefe
rred) plus 4
–
6 years of relevant work experience
Experience publishing and editing articles, studies, or other relevant publicly available documents
Experience thinking creatively to develop policy ideas or solutions
Demonstrated experience communicating policy ideas in public settings such as congressional hearings and major conferences, or through written materials such as reports and issue briefs
Experience supervising policy projects and/or staff
Strong written, analytical, editorial, and oral communication skills