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PARTNER POSTING | Policy Analyst & Legislative Director, Emerald Cities Collaborative

Maggie Heiser, January 7, 2022

Emerald Cities Collaborative Background

The Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national non-profit organization comprised of labor unions, community organizations, social justice advocates, development intermediaries, research and technical assistance providers, and socially responsible businesses. ECC partners are united around the goal of building high road – sustainable, just and inclusive – regional economies. The Collaborative envisions a future in which American cities are the greenest and most equitable in the world, leading the way to head off global climate change while creating a vital new economic sector with low-income and communities of color as central actors and beneficiaries in this new economy. Visit our website for more information: http://www.emeraldcities.org/

Overview of Position
The policy analyst and legislative director is a mid-management level position that is remote with responsibilities in major metropolitan areas throughout the country. The candidate is part of ECC’s national team reporting to the National Director for Policy and Civic Engagement and supporting the work of the Chief Strategy Officer, regional offices and local communities on local, state and federal environmental, climate and economic justice policies. This position strengthens the civic infrastructure of ECC’s existing coalitions, as well as emerging community-based coalitions to advance energy democracy and water equity policies, and the Biden Harris Justice 40 Initiative(s). While the portfolio of work entails supporting fairly advanced communitybased policy environments, the primary targets include under-resourced and underdeveloped policy environments.

The candidate helps: 1) build the capacity of local coalitions to engage in the Justice 40 initiative and utilize relevant community-designed scorecards (e.g. – energy democracy and energy justice scorecards) to assess local policy environments relative to the communities’ environmental and climate justice goals and priorities; 2) design policies and develop legislative language to support local, regional and national advocacy efforts; 3 ) analyze relevant city, state and federal statute, funding streams and regulations to support local decision-making, 4) leverage local initiatives and policy priorities to influence federal and state policies; 5) establish a communication infrastructure to provide local coalitions and frontline organizations with consistent and timely information on federal and state climate and economic policies and community actions; 6) document and evaluate justice-based policy initiatives for broad-based dissemination.

The anticipated outcomes in the first two years include: a) increased capacities within frontline organizations to implement high road climate policies, b) the development of community energy democracy scorecards and policy initiatives, and c) Justice40 community benefit plans in targeted communities.

Major Responsibilities
Policy, Legislative and Regulatory Capacity Building:

  • Collaborate with regional policy and community engagement managers to build more awareness and capacity to advance BIPOC and frontline community voices and choices in the context of the Justice 40 initiative.
  • Provide relevant and timely information and resources about Justice 40 opportunities to our local sites and help track funding streams and agency contacts to ensure 40% of Federal infrastructure and stimulus funds are invested in and benefit low-income, communities of color
  • Provide expertise and technical assistance to our regional and national tables, coalitions, networks where needed.
  • Provide regular webinars with updates on federal, state and local policies
  • Assist in the development of policy-related information, research and development resource center, including:
    • Identify and collect sample policies, agreements related to energy, water, economic and climate justice
    • Identify and write policy briefs or white papers geared towards frontline constituencies in collaboration with ECC content experts
    • Gather feedback from ECC staff and constituents regarding lessons learned and best practices related to multi-stakeholder collaborations, policy campaigns wins and loses, strategies for justice-centered policy initiatives policy
    • Contribute regularly to the deployment of new information -to ECC staff and outside constituents – as part of ECC’s Center of Excellence.

Local, State and Federal Policy Development: Collaborate with strategic partners to monitor, educate and inform policymakers on high road policy platforms relevant to our regional sites and partnerships.

Program Support:

  • Support organizational leadership in implementing effective community engagement tools and strategies for advancing values-based, community driven clean energy economies within their city-regions
  • Support ECC’s strategic communication goals, including conference attendance, presentations, blogging, etc
  • Support the recruitment, orientation, and deployment of subject matter experts (SMEs)/consultants in local markets to advance our Justice 40 work.
  • Promote cross-site learning and exposure.
  • On-going fund development and grant report writing

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate has direct experience in the range of workforce, energy and environmental and climate justice policy development as well as legislative and regulatory analysis.

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in policy and legislative analysis, with an emphasis on workforce, energy and environment/climate
  • BA required, JD preferred
  • Experience working with multi-stakeholder collaboratives and grassroots organizations
  • Strong writing, verbal communication, and analytical skills.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work as a self-starting member of a team.
  • Entrepreneurial
  • Ability to multi-task – organized and flexible
  • Commitment to the goal of advancing equity and inclusion in America.
  • Ability to travel (one day soon)

Emerald Cities is committed to hiring and advancing personnel with an explicit regard to advance women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and other people from communities traditionally underrepresented in the policy, environmental and energy sectors.

Salary Range, Depending on Experience: $90,000-$102,000 plus benefits

To apply, please submit cover letter and resume to skikeri@emeraldcities.org. Candidates are encouraged to ask questions and, whenever one does, the question (made anonymous) and answer will be posted on this linked document for all candidates to access and view.