Position Summary

Voices for Vermont’s Children is seeking a dynamic, collaborative policy advocate to advance policies that promote justice and equity for children, youth, and families across Vermont. This role works closely with the Voices team, coalition partners, impacted communities and lawmakers to identify and advance powerful public policy solutions informed by evidence and community voice. The policy advocate will represent Voices at coalition tables, conduct focused outreach to impacted communities via our network of community-based organizational partners, and cultivate relationships with legislators and administration officials. The policy advocate will focus on one or more of the intersecting issue areas of economic justice, health equity, child welfare/family safety, and education equity.

Key Responsibilities

Policy Development & Engagement

• Collaborate with community members, partners, and policymakers to identify policy imperatives to advance equity and improve outcomes for Vermont’s children and youth.

• Conduct policy research, analyze legislation, assess the political context, and contribute to the development of organizational policy positions.

• Assist in the development of policy briefs, fact sheets, and other advocacy materials in support of Voices’ policy agenda. 

Coalition Development

• Represent Voices for Vermont’s Children at coalition meetings, public hearings, workgroups, and community events pertaining to the Advocate’s policy portfolio.

• Develop expertise about the systems impacting outcomes for children and youth in the Advocate’s issue area(s) and identify key contacts, allies, and obstacles.

• Help build, manage, and sustain strong coalitions that catalyze equitable policy change.

• Ensure that the perspectives of impacted communities are centered and elevated in coalition work and policy development.

Community Partnership & Engagement

• Build and share power through reciprocal relationships with impacted communities and organizations across the state. Develop advocacy capacity along the engagement spectrum (inform–consult–involve–collaborate–empower) to improve policy design and advocacy effectiveness.

• Connect community partners to legislative and administrative processes and amplifying their voice via constituent meetings, testimony, storytelling, and media engagement.

Government Relations

• Establish and maintain constructive relationships with legislative members, committees, and administration officials.

• Monitor legislative activities, track bills, and provide strategic input to the policy team on advocacy tactics.

• Represent the organization’s policy positions with legislators through direct outreach, testimony, informal consultation, and briefings.

• Maintain accurate lobbying records and file timely reports to the Sec. of State.

 Organizational Collaboration

• Work closely with the Executive Director and policy team to develop policy positions and coordinate advocacy strategies.

• Contribute regularly to organizational communications, including board reports, grant reports, newsletters, and action alerts.

• Maintain and track work plans and impact using the organization’s chosen platforms.

• Assist with planning advocacy events, including briefings, press events, and community conversations.

• Participate in fundraising campaigns, events, and donor stewardship activities. 

Qualifications

• Commitment to equity and inclusion and a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance.

• Experience and/or education/training in policy advocacy, government relations, community organizing, public policy, or a related field.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex policy issues into clear, accessible information shared with diverse audiences via public speaking and writing. English language proficiency is required; additional languages are a plus.

• Experience with building consensus and navigating disagreements in service to collaboration with coworkers, coalition partners, community members, and policymakers.

• Strong organizational and time management skills: attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet tight deadlines in a dynamic professional environment.

• Valid Vermont driver’s license and access to a reliable, insured vehicle.

• Experience working with most-impacted communities including Black, Brown, Indigenous and other people of the global majority; economically disadvantaged; rural; and people with disabilities is preferred.

• Knowledge of Vermont’s legislative process is preferred.

• Familiarity with one or more of the following is preferred: Vermont’s human service system, public education system, health care and health insurance, or youth justice/foster care system.