Director, Advocacy & Movement Building

About Community Action Marin

COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN’S MISSION: We make it possible for people in Marin to achieve well-being by providing the vital services they need. Together, we break down the barriers that get in the way of fair and lasting change in service to better outcomes for all.

We hold a shared vision for equity: Those who live, work, and visit Marin, including all racial and ethnic groups, experience fair and just inclusion. We act together to rectify historic patterns of racial, class, and gender marginalization, ensuring that all see themselves reflected in decision making and that all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.

Position: Director of Advocacy & Movement Building

Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer

Department: Advocacy

Pay Rate: $130,000- $140,000 yr.

The Director of Advocacy and Movement Building is a pivotal leadership role that guides the agency’s policy and grassroots efforts to address the causes and consequences of poverty. Our aim is to make poverty into history in Marin County, one of the richest communities in the country, by advancing housing, economic, and food justice. This highly collaborative role engages closely with CAM leadership and clients internally as well as external partners, community members, elected officials, and government staff to elevate the lived experiences of community members across Marin and co-create policy solutions. The Director will develop and execute on an array of movement-building activities, leveraging CAM’s service-based expertise, data insights, and trusted relationships to build shared community power, shift narratives about poverty, and advocate for equitable solutions to eliminate poverty.

Essential Functions

Strategy and Movement-Building

• Develop and execute a comprehensive movement-building strategy to eliminate poverty as aligned with community priorities and agency mission and goals.
• Lead and manage CAM, community, and partner activities toward shared goals, fostering effective communication, thought partnership, information sharing, and coordinated action.
• Elevate visibility of the causes and consequences of poverty as well as solutions and build influence among external partners and local decisionmakers.
  
  

Advocacy and Systems Change

• Research systemic barriers driving local poverty utilizing insights from clients and community members with lived experience, data, and direct service expertise.
• Track and analyze policy and budgetary proposals and advise agency leadership and partners on implications for individuals and communities of low-income, poverty alleviation programs, funding streams, and CAM agency priorities.
• Assess emerging trends, policy developments, and political landscapes to inform agency strategy and identify opportunities for action
  
  

Community Engagement

• Cultivate strong relationships with the array of local anti-poverty stakeholders including clients and community members with lived experience, internal CAM partners, organizational partners, coalitions, policymakers, business leaders, and others as a foundation for collective action.
• Participate in coalitions, workgroups, events, and partnerships to influence local actions taken to address poverty and related service and system gaps.
• Design and implement cross-sector campaigns at the grassroots and grasstops to engage diverse stakeholders and build community power.
• Create compelling content for digital narrative change and advocacy campaigns and related CAM communications (social media posts, videos, blogs, e-newsletters, etc.).
  
  

Agency Leadership

Develop cross-agency mechanisms to operationalize CAM’s Levers for Change through data and knowledge sharing, monitoring implementation and key performance indicators, review of system barriers and gaps, engagement of client and community voices, and facilitation of decisions for continuous improvement and advocacy action.

• Serve as a key member of the agency leadership team, working closely with the Chief Strategy Officer as well as CAM’s Learning & Evaluation, Development, and Programs teams to leverage cross-agency expertise and contribute to CAM priorities and strategy, work products, and organizational culture.
• Contribute to resource development, including writing content for grants, presentations, and conference submissions to sustain and grow movement-building efforts.
• Represent CAM as an agency ambassador with community members, policymakers, external partners, donors, and other key stakeholders.
• Design and manage cross-agency projects and working groups to achieve agency priorities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of agency goals and priorities.
  
  

Qualifications

Experience: A minimum of 6 years relevant professional experience in a policy, advocacy, or community partnership role within a nonprofit, government, or social justice organization focused on poverty, housing, or economic justice, including 3 years of management experience. This may include experience working with or for elected officials or government agencies, managing coalitions of diverse partners, and/or leading campaigns focused on social change.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Social Work, Social Sciences, or a related field is required. A master’s degree is preferred.

Skills And Abilities

• Deep understanding of the systemic causes of poverty, relevant anti-poverty public benefit programs, community-led advocacy, and a strong commitment to advancing racial and economic equity.
• Experience with the legislative and budgetary processes and collaborative advocacy campaigns is essential.
• Proven ability to engage agency peers and external partners in a collective advocacy vision while also managing day-to-day activities and effectively moving the work forward.
• Demonstrated success working effectively across differences and building collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders in an aligned campaign. Ability to navigate conflict, leverage strengths, outline solutions, and build consensus.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to listen effectively, build trust, and serve as a compelling spokesperson to communicate complex ideas and policy issues to diverse audiences.
• Proactive planning skills with an ability to anticipate campaign and partner needs while being responsive to changes in context or key circumstances, the need to assess and modify plans, and evolve strategies to maintain vision focus, engagement, and impact.
• A track record of achieving consistent results on projects/tasks, producing high quality work, meeting deadlines, and attending to details.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• A self-motivated, creative, and resilient leader who can thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.
• Experience applying narrative strategy or using data and storytelling in advocacy is preferred.
  
  

Software

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams) required.
• Experience with Asana or another project management software tool preferred.
• Experience with presentation and design tools such as Canva, Adobe Suite, or others preferred.
  
  

Employees in this role may be required to perform the following physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Fine motor skill of typing, writing, filing and visual acuity.
• Sit for extended periods of time while performing work on a computer and phone.
• Ability to speak clearly and understandably.
• Travel to agency sites and local community meetings required periodically with occasional out-of-town travel.
  
  

The Pay Range For This Role Is

130,000 - 140,000 USD per year ([L100] 7665 Redwood)