Manager of Advocacy & Impact

Position Summary

The California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) is seeking a strategic, relationship-oriented professional to serve as its inaugural Manager of Advocacy & Impact.

This role will help CPRS tell the story of parks and recreation in ways that are timely, meaningful, and actionable. Serving as a bridge between policy, profession, and practice, the Manager of Advocacy & Impact translates legislative activity, emerging issues, and member experiences into clear, relatable information that helps members understand not only what is happening, but why it matters.

Working closely with CPRS staff, volunteer leaders, members, and contract lobbyists, this position strengthens CPRS's role as a trusted resource, connector, and thought partner for the profession. The Manager of Advocacy & Impact helps identify emerging opportunities, elevate stories from the field, and advance initiatives that demonstrate the vital role parks and recreation plays in communities throughout California.

Key Responsibilities

Advocacy & Public Affairs

• Serve as primary staff liaison to CPRS advocacy initiatives, related volunteer groups, and advocacy-focused partnerships.
• Work closely with CPRS contract lobbyists to monitor legislative activity, public policy developments, and emerging issues impacting the profession.
• Translate legislative and policy activity into understandable, relevant, and actionable information for members.
• Develop member-facing advocacy resources including legislative updates, action alerts, toolkits, talking points, educational materials, and related communications.
• Support advocacy-related meetings, webinars, presentations, and events.
• Help strengthen grassroots engagement efforts and member participation in advocacy initiatives.

Storytelling & Impact

• Collect, develop, and elevate stories from members, agencies, communities, and partners throughout California.
• Lead and support storytelling initiatives that demonstrate the value and impact of parks and recreation.
• Champion and advance the Parks Make Life Better! (PMLB) initiative through strategic storytelling, partnerships, campaigns, and member engagement efforts.
• Help identify and communicate emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges affecting the profession.
• Support the development of tools and resources that help members tell their own stories of impact, including initiatives such as the Parks Impact Calculator and related resources.
• Collaborate with staff and volunteers to ensure impact stories are incorporated into CPRS programs, events, publications, and campaigns.

Strategic Partnerships & Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with members, districts, sections, volunteer leaders, agencies, and external partners.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration that advance CPRS priorities and initiatives.
• Serve as a connector across CPRS programs and initiatives, helping align efforts and amplify impact.
• Represent CPRS at meetings, events, conferences, and stakeholder gatherings as assigned.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and CPRS leadership team.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure advocacy, storytelling, communications, membership, and professional development efforts align with organizational priorities.
• Support conversations and initiatives that strengthen engagement and connection throughout the organization.
• Support volunteer leaders in advancing CPRS programs, initiatives, and goals.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is not measured solely by bills tracked or reports written. Success looks like:

• Members feeling informed, connected, and engaged.
• Legislative updates becoming understandable, relevant, and useful.
• Stronger stories emerging from the field and being shared throughout the profession.
• Increased participation in advocacy and engagement initiatives.
• Meaningful progress and visibility for the Parks Make Life Better! initiative.
• Strong relationships across CPRS programs, volunteer groups, and external partners.
• A stronger understanding of the impact of parks and recreation throughout California.

Ideal Candidate

We're looking for someone who:

• Enjoys connecting big-picture ideas to real-world impact.
• Can translate complex topics into approachable, engaging language.
• Is naturally curious, collaborative, and relationship-oriented.
• Understands storytelling as a tool for engagement, influence, and advocacy.
• Is comfortable balancing strategic thinking with day-to-day execution.
• Enjoys bringing people together around shared goals and ideas.
• Is passionate about the role parks and recreation plays in building healthy, vibrant, and connected communities.