Term: One (1) year with potential for extension
Hours: Minimum of 20 hours per week, maximum of 40 hours per week (full-time). Potential for
contract or full-time benefited position.
Location: Puget Sound Area – Washington State

Front and Centered is a statewide, communities of color coalition working to achieve environmental justice by asserting policy solutions that center equity and racial justice. Our members are the leadership of communities first and worst hit by environmental and climate impacts: communities of color and indigenous communities. Together, we are working to build the power and capacity of a statewide movement for racial, economic, and environmental justice. We do this by growing our members’ leadership and power to change laws, reverse the destruction of the environment and our communities, rebalance the economy and political power, and build healthy communities. Read more about our work at www.frontandcentered.org.
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SCOPE OF WORK

Front and Centered seeks a policy lead to join our team to contribute to one or more issues in our agenda for climate and environmental justice that includes:

• Equitable Governance: Ensuring equity is fundamental to environmental decision-making and self-determination for communities highly impacted by pollution and climate change.
• Communities Connection to Place: Improving environmental health equity through land-use, housing, transportation and climate resilience policy.
• Regenerative Economies: Ensuring we create and support livelihoods and meet needs equitably and sufficiently in a way that restores and respects communities and the environment.
• Renewable Energy & Resources: Transitioning to renewable resources and resource use.

We anticipate the position will have a strong focus on equitable transportation and land-use policy development, coordination, and advocacy and encourage individuals with experience in these issues to apply. We will also consider individuals with experience in other focus areas, such as energy, environmental health and climate resilience, and environmental justice or environmental health broadly and with experience in Washington state legislative and administrative policy-making.
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ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

● Develop elements of the Front and Centered research & policy agenda in collaboration with Front and Centered Steering Committee, member organizations, and staff.
● Work with organizers to understand community concerns and solutions and identify appropriate and effective policy concepts and mechanisms.
● Develop and analyze policy concepts from grassroots input, literature, outreach, and collaboration with partners; applying Front and Centered policy frameworks.
● Refine policies and research projects with community stakeholders, government, and partner organizations.
● Manage projects and programs that respond to key gaps and opportunities to advance climate and environmental justice.
● Represent Front and Centered at coalition spaces, collaborate, communicate our approach, provide accountability to our values and standards of partnership.
● Become a subject matter expert through community listening, data analysis, literature review, consultation with partners and agencies, and participation in meetings and events.
● Advocate for Front and Centered positions in public policy processes, such as hearings, rulemaking, meetings with agency staff, and through writing advocacy materials, including blog posts, analysis memos, comment letters, and communication collateral.
● Maintain relationships with key organizations and individuals, locally and beyond, with information and influence to be able to inform policy proposals.
● Collaborate with Front and Centered organization and staff to effectively use the full capacity of the coalition, including administrative tasks, development, and report progress as needed.

OTHER FUNCTIONS
● Provide clear, transparent communication, that builds trust and accountability toward the interests of Front and Centered groups and communities
● Make presentations about Front & Centered at different external stakeholder meetings and events
● Create and manage data and assessment methods to evaluate progress and outcome to share with members, funders as well as to inform and shape future efforts
● Provide written, monthly progress reports on deliverables completed or, as requested by team/project lead
● Other tasks as identified to ensure Front and Centered meets its obligations and objectives.
● Requires a 3-month evaluation period.
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QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills and Qualifications:
● At least three years of full time or equivalent professional experience in policy development or analysis.
● At least one year of professional or volunteer experience working with community-based organizations
● At least one-year experience and demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity or working directly in and for communities of color
● Strong commitment to the vision, mission, and values of Front and Centered
● Proven ability to take initiative, identify priorities and accomplish tasks, and advance projects
● Service mentality in relationship to coalition, finds personal achievement mission advancement
● Political savvy, ability to negotiate with a positive approach aimed at problem solving
● Team player capable of working both collaboratively and independently
● Highly organized and resourceful with a strong attention to detail
● Knowledge and passion for social movements, environmental justice and racial justice
● Experience working in diverse communities namely with people of color and indigenous peoples as well as disenfranchised communities
● Ability to travel and attend meetings as needed

Desired Skills and Qualifications:
● Experience developing policy concepts or solutions from community defined priorities
● Demonstrated skill in analysis and evaluation of policy concepts, guidelines, rules, legislation for equity, structural, procedural, and distributional justice, and environmental justice
● Professional and/or educational background in social work, environmental, public health, urban planning, public policy, or law and/or a related discipline
● Subject matter expertise in environmental health, social determinants of health, or parallel issue areas in aligned disciplines or in transportation or energy, or in other climate and environmental justice issues
● Excellent collaboration skills, ability to work in diverse groups to develop ideas, find alignment, and build together against competing demands
● Knowledge of state and local politics and the legislative process in Washington State
● Skill in communicating complex information to community and policymakers
● Desire and ability to learn about new issues and areas quickly
● Excellent writing and verbal communication skills
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WORK CULTURE

Front and Centered emerged from a broad coalition of diverse community groups working at the intersection of equity and environmental justice. We strive to create a work culture that is inclusive, collaborative, and adaptive to the diverse and dynamic context of how Front and Centered serves the coalition. To this end, every staff member is expected to work as a partner and within a culture of supportive leadership and lifelong learning and knowledge sharing; understand and engage in teamwork which is characterized by hope, celebration, creativity, collaboration, cultural humility, equity, and respect; exercise the highest level of ethics, professionalism, discretion and confidentiality; demonstrate initiative, organization, and an ability to multitask and manage multiple priorities.
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COMPENSATION

Compensation is highly competitive for well qualified candidates. Flexible on schedule.
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APPLICATION PROCESS

Email a résumé and cover letter describing how you meet the required and desired qualifications to coordinators@frontandcentered.org, put “Policy Lead” and “name” as the subject line of the email. This position is open until filled, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately.
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DIVERSITY | EQUITY | INCLUSION

Front and Centered strives to create an inclusive workplace in which we meaningfully connect as colleagues and community partners, reflective of the people with whom we live, serve, and share in community. As an equal-opportunity employer, we work with people of diverse personal, professional, and regional backgrounds, so that our board, team, community members and advisory council have a collective impact on delivering on our mission. People of color and others from underrepresented groups, especially people with direct experience working within the communities Front and Centered partners with, are encouraged to apply. We invite people to be part of our team, regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, marital status, age, physical abilities, political affiliation, religious beliefs.