Senior Policy Analyst

Title  - Senior Policy Analyst

Classification - Full time, Salaried

Salary - $65,000 to $90,000 for a Senior Policy Analyst (7-15 years of experience). Salary for the candidate selected will be within the ranges listed here depending on the level of experience.

Location - Washington, DC (working virtually until after the pandemic)

About CSSP and Our Work

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) is a national, public policy, research, and technical assistance organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with a satellite office in Los Angeles.  Our staff of approximately 50 people, works to achieve a racially, socially, and economically just society in which all children, youth, and families thrive.

CSSP strives to accomplish its mission by developing and advancing effective public policy; helping to transform public systems to be more preventive, results-oriented, accountable, and caring; and supporting local leaders to create the community opportunities, supports, services, and environments in which all children, youth, and families can thrive. CSSP works in partnership with other national organizations, foundations, government, community leaders, service providers, parent leaders, and youth advocates to test new ideas and approaches, provide technical assistance and training, generate new evidence, and support networks of innovators. All our work reflects a long-standing organizational commitment to being anti-racist and promoting equity and social justice.

Job Description

CSSP seeks a Senior Policy Analyst in our DC office (working virtually until after the pandemic) to support our public policy work in multiple areas, including refining and advancing our child welfare and upstream/prevention policy agenda, specifically supporting our work providing technical assistance to states and counties implementing legislation, and state/local efforts related to building and enhancing a prevention continuum. The Senior Policy Analyst will also further the priorities of CSSP’s public policy team on a number of other policy efforts, including our economic and health justice policy work. The Senior Policy Analyst will conduct policy and program research, analyze policy, regulations, and administrative data sets, develop policy recommendations, engage with federal partners on policy proposals, work with state and local partners to support policy implementation, and contribute to the design and preparation of technical assistance and related issue briefs and tools.

This position requires a commitment to undoing systemic racism and oppression in public policy and public systems. This role requires both technical expertise and the ability to think creatively in developing policy solutions to advance CSSP’s agenda. We are looking for a highly motivated and collaborative individual to work closely with CSSP’s cross-disciplinary public policy team. Commitment to anti-racist, intersectional policy work focused on better serving families of color, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and immigrant families is a must.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Program Analyst will be responsible for:

• Assisting in developing a range of high-quality written materials, including policy reports and policy memos
• Conducting state and federal policy scans and policy research including literature and policy reviews and interviewing stakeholders
• Working directly with state/local government agencies and community-based organizations to implement federal/state policy and/or initiatives to advance racial justice
• Collaborating with national partners on strategy to advance CSSP’s policy priorities
• Engaging with and responding to requests from federal partners
• Drafting organizational comments and statement for the record responding to federal policy actions
• Tracking and analyzing policy proposals and implementation in assigned content areas
• Helping to prepare and complete deliverables and reports to funders
• Representing CSSP externally by attending policy briefings and meetings
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Analysis of child welfare, public health, early childhood policies and financing
• Facilitating both in-person and webinar discussions on related policy topics
• Carrying out additional duties as needed including project management

If you had been working with us, here are some of the things you would have done in the last month:

• Provided technical assistance to a state/local government agency and community-based organizations to develop strategies to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act
• Engaged in conversations with national partners and Hill staff on policy and advocacy strategies related to the child tax credit
• Researched and analyzed the international evidence on the most effective and efficient way to deliver a regular child benefit
• Facilitated a learning session on strategies to advance anti-racist policy and practice within a child welfare agency
• Organized and facilitated a conversation with national experts on new opportunities to fund community-based services for older youth
• Provided technical assistance to a state around financing for prevention services
• Provided technical assistance to a community working to address racial disparities in their child welfare system
• Drafted comments in response to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making for Identifying Recommendations to Support the Work of the Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families
• Conducted semi-structured interviews of families with children to inform policy recommendations around family income supports
• Developed an outline for a congressional briefing on racial equity in child welfare
• Provided policy research support on Medicaid regulations
• Met with national partners to discuss strategy for enhancing income supports for children and families
• Attended staff meetings and provided updates on upcoming legislation

A Successful Candidate will have:

• Commitment to racial justice and reducing disparities based on race, ethnicity, immigration status, sovereignty, gender, sexual orientation/gender identity, and socioeconomics.
• A graduate degree in public administration, public health, public policy, social work, or related fields with minimum 7 years of relevant experience.
• Expertise in child welfare, public health, anti-poverty policy issues.
• Outstanding written and oral communications skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational, and time management skills.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, monitor responsibilities, and achieve goals.
• Ability to work well autonomously and as a member of a highly collaborative team.
• Ability to present policy, practice and research information to a variety of audiences, including federal, state and local government officials and policymakers. Flexibility and an ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Curiosity and commitment to learning.
• Ability and willingness to travel (when safe to do so).
• Knowledge of computers and technology: proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and audio/visual and conference calling technology; experience with data analysis tools a plus.

Benefits

Excellent benefits provided including health, vision, and dental package with 100% of the employee’s coverage paid by CSSP, an 11% retirement contribution after one full year of employment; a generous vacation and sick leave policy including one full week for winter break during the last week of the year, and hybrid telework/in office (in the DC or LA offices) options including a CSSP provided laptop.

Qualified applicants should send cover letter with salary requirements, resume, and writing sample to jobs@cssp.org (subject: Your Name— Senior Policy Analyst). In your cover letter, please be sure to indicate where you found this position announcement. The interview process may include phone screening, panel style interviews over Zoom video, a writing exercise, and final interviews over Zoom video.

Due to the large number of applications, emails and phone calls to CSSP will not be accepted.

Applications accepted until March 10 or until position is filled.

CSSP is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status or caregiver status.