Kids Forward is hiring a Policy Director to lead our promotion of policy and budget decisions that reduce long-standing racial and economic inequities and provide all Wisconsin children and families the ability to thrive. The Kids Forward Policy Director contributes vision and policy expertise to place Kids Forward at the vanguard of racial and economic policy advocacy. The annual salary range is $85K to $95K with a comprehensive benefits package including health and dental coverage, retirement contribution, and paid vacation and sick leave.
We strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities to apply, regardless of location. Kids Forward is a remote first employer designed to support the success of colleagues residing outside of Madison, Wisconsin. To apply, email a resume and cover letter to jobs@kidsforward.org with the subject heading “Policy Director.” Candidate review will begin on May 23rd. Interviews will begin the week of June 6. The position will remain open until we have an accepted offer.
Research shows that some candidates will only apply for a position if they meet 100 percent of the qualifications. Kids Forward looks for talent and passion. We hire team members from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Below are some competencies that will help an individual succeed in this role. We do not expect candidates to be able to demonstrate all of these qualifications. Please apply if this position holds interest for you, even if you do not hold all the qualifications:
- Sincere passion for the mission and values of Kids Forward, and the ability to articulate and share that passion with internal and external audiences.
- Vision, creativity, and leadership to guide the development and execution of a pro-active, antiracist and anti-austerity policy agenda.
- Knowledge of major budget and public policy issues facing low-income individuals and people of color.
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusive outreach and community engagement for diverse and effective coalitions, alliances, and community-based relationships.
- Ability to meet in person with state policymakers and to attend occasional hearings in Madison and present testimony.
- Inclusive, relationship-oriented leadership style with demonstrated experience sharing power and knowledge for team effectiveness.
- Ability to work effectively as a remote first team member in an adaptive, engaged, collaborative work environment.
- At least 5 years of relevant public policy and team leadership experience.
About Kids Forward
Kids Forward is a statewide child and family research, communications, engagement, and policy advocacy organization with a vision for a Wisconsin where every child thrives, notably children of color and those furthest from opportunity. As Kids Forward enters the next stage in its 140-year history, it commits to becoming a multicultural, equitable, inclusive and antiracist policy center.
Kids Forward makes a difference by pursuing an aggressive agenda with the lived experience of marginalized Wisconsinites and justice at its core. Our work advances equitable policy solutions and systemic change. Kids Forward utilizes a multi-pronged approach of engagement, data-driven analysis, communication, and policy advocacy to effect change. Our budget and policy initiative/work contributes to Kids Forward policy advocacy by improving the economic well-being of children and families. Our organizational culture is shaped by:
- Compassion: We seek to understand the life situations of every child and family, and act out of a deep concern for those furthest from opportunity.
- Equity: We aspire to build a Wisconsin where every kid, every family, and every community can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential—notably for children and families of color and those furthest from opportunity.
- Inquiry: We use sound data, listen to diverse voices, respect the expertise that resides within each community, and share what it learns.
- Accountability: We live our values internally as we stand up for every kid and family.
The Position
The Kids Forward Policy Director brings a strategic antiracist approach to Kids Forward’s community-informed research, research and analysis and policy development. The role is a leadership position at Kids Forward reporting to the CEO.
The Policy Director works alongside the Advocacy Director to oversee Kids Forward staff in the development and delivery of policy analyses, recommendations, and advocacy that advances systems change and progress towards a more equitable and just Wisconsin. The role also works closely with the Communications Director to develop communications strategies that support Kids Forward’s policy agenda and expands our reach to build public and political will in alignment with antiracist policies critical to the wellbeing of all Wisconsin children and families. The list of contributions below provides some overall responsibilities for the position. Reflective of our commitment to inclusion and equity, the CEO and Policy Director will re-assess the responsibilities of this role on an annual basis.
Vision and Leadership 20%
- Actively engages in the development of Kids Forward as an antiracist policy center with broad racial, ethnic, and economic justice capability.
- Serves as a strategic partner of the CEO to craft a clear vision of the antiracist and economic justice work of Kids Forward by identifying relevant research, policy solutions, campaigns, and areas of work expansion, with the purpose of advancing the mission and the organization’s strategic plan.
- Assists in growing Kids Forward’s financial resources, capacity, and sustainability through grant development and grant management duties.
- Participates in the hiring of additional policy, research, and analytical staff and supervising their work.
- Works alongside leadership and staff to implement and operationalize the strategic direction of the organization with a focus on impact, effectiveness, and sustainability.
Advocacy 20%
- Advances racial equity and antiracism as an organizational imperative, utilizing a multi-faceted understanding of the evolving racial and economic justice landscape.
- Contributes to a Kids Forward antiracist policy agenda by applying a two-generation, systems approach.
- Tracks the state budget, other legislation and agency rules, and delivers testimony.
- Contributes to the development of strategic advocacy campaigns building support for policies to reduce racial disparity, poverty, and inequality.
- Builds relationships with policymakers, opinion leaders, and others involved in the legislative process and executive branch functioning.
Engagement 15%
- Works collaboratively with rural communities and communities of color to support and amplify the voices of those most marginalized by traditional power structures, approaching all engagement with humility and a racial equity lens.
- Develops strong ties with a diverse set of stakeholders, including coalition partners, grassroots and community groups, other researchers, and policy makers.
Research & Analysis 25%
- Supervises and engages in research & analysis targeting systemic racism and alleviating racial disparity, as well as economic and social inequity.
- Leads the development of Kids Forward’s community-informed policy agenda and advises its messaging through Kids Forward’s communication brands.
- Serves as a trusted source of information and analysis for the news media, coalition partners, legislators and other policy makers.
- Stays current on research, data, and activities related to Kids Forward’s policy areas.
Communications 20%
- Produces timely reports that present sophisticated research in easy-to-understand language.
- Writes persuasive external communications advancing racial equity and supporting a changed narrative, antiracism, and liberation.
- Provides education and training – including briefings and presentations – to policymakers and other stakeholders.
The annual salary range is $85K to $95K with a comprehensive benefits package including health and dental coverage, retirement contribution, and paid vacation and sick leave.
To Apply:
To apply, email a resume and cover letter to jobs@kidsforward.org with the subject heading “Policy Director.” Candidate review will begin on May 23rd. Interviews will begin the week of June 6. The position will remain open until we have an accepted offer.
Kids Forward is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment along with our own professional and personal capacity to advocate on behalf of people of color. We are a remote first employer designed to support the success of colleagues residing outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Kids Forward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability, or any other classification considered discriminatory under applicable law. Kids Forward participates in E-verify and will provide the federal government with Form 1-9 information from each new employee to confirm work authorization.