About California Walks:
California Walks (Cal Walks) is the statewide voice for pedestrian safety & healthy, walkable communities for people of all ages & abilities. Cal Walks partners with state agencies, organizations, and community members to establish and strengthen policies, practices, and programs that support and advance pedestrian safety and healthy, walkable communities.
Position Title: Central Valley Policy Manager
Reports to: Planning & Policy Manager
Start Date: December 1, 2016 or sooner
Application deadline: October 21, 2016, 5 PM
Compensation:
Salary commensurate with experience. Annual salary range: $40,000-50,000
Work Schedule:
Full-Time, Exempt employee; Must be available to travel up to 20% of the time;
12-month position, with opportunity for extension contingent upon funding.
Location:
Home-based position in Fresno County or Kern County.
Benefits:
Competitive benefits include employer-sponsored health insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and SIMPLE IRA retirement contributions; pre-tax commuter checks, 3 weeks vacation, 10 days sick leave, and holidays.
Interviews:
Phone interviews will be conducted between October 24-28, 2016.
In-person interviews will be held October 31-November 11, 2016 in Downtown Fresno.
Position Summary:
This is a dynamic, exciting, and new position to build and manage Cal Walks’ regional policy advocacy and community engagement work in the San Joaquin Valley. This position will lead community engagement and advocacy efforts to increase funding and improve local and regional transportation policies that further health, equity, and active transportation throughout the San Joaquin Valley region with an emphasis on the Fresno and Bakersfield metropolitan regions.
Primary responsibilities and functions include community engagement, empowerment, education, and mobilization; coalition building; facilitating workshops; cultivating relationships with local and state elected officials, City/County agency staff, and community partners; and participating in Council of Governments/City/County hearings, meetings, and workshops. The Central Valley Policy Manager will work closely with the Policy and Planning Manager and Deputy Director. The ideal applicant will be based in Fresno or Kern Counties and be willing to travel throughout the San Joaquin Valley region.
Key responsibilities and functions:
Advocacy, Education, and Community Engagement
o Plan, organize, and facilitate community-based advocacy and educational programming in Fresno and Kern Counties and throughout the San Joaquin Valley region, including workshops, trainings, walk audits and/or conferences/summits to build community resident advocacy capacity;
o Build partnerships and cultivate relationships with non-profit and/or community-based organizations and networks interested in or working on active transportation policy and programs;
o Develop policy recommendations to integrate health, equity, and active transportation into regional and local transportation policies;
o Participate in existing active transportation coalitions throughout the region;
o Mobilize community participation in active transportation policy advocacy opportunities; and
o Provide technical assistance to community members and local/regional agencies.
Public & Governmental Relations
o Act as primary spokesperson and champion for Cal Walks’ San Joaquin Valley efforts;
o Cultivate relationships with public agency staff including, but not limited to, the Kern Council of Governments, Kern County, City of Bakersfield, Fresno Council of Governments, Fresno County, and City of Fresno. Agencies may include public health, public works, planning, community development, animal control services, sheriff’s office, and police departments;
o Cultivate relationships with local elected officials and state legislators and district staff throughout the region;
o Explore partnerships with academic institutions in the region investigating the relationships between transportation, health, climate change, and equity;
o Cultivate relationships with local news media, including TV, radio, print, and blogs; and
o Participate in public advisory committees and meetings that impact active transportation policies and projects, including, but not limited to, local Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees (BPAC).
Other Duties as Needed
Minimum Requirements:
This position prefers a BA in urban planning, urban studies, public health, public policy, social welfare, political science, non-profit management or other related field plus a minimum of two years’ experience in managing advocacy campaigns or equivalent. A BA may be substituted with a minimum of one years’ experience in coordinating advocacy campaigns, community capacity building trainings, or equivalent.
Must have experience in program/workshop planning or facilitation and working with community residents.
Must be detail-oriented, able to manage competing tasks, and have a solid understanding of organizational management and coalition building.
Must have experience in or willingness to learn about transportation policy, planning, and programming; health equity; and pedestrian safety. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Docs.
Ability to:
• Work both independently and as a team member.
• Multi-task, with flexibility, efficiently.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and decision-making.
Desirable skills and qualifications:
• Adobe (Photoshop, InDesign, etc.) highly desirable.
• Experience in grant writing, reporting, and conducting process and outcome evaluations.
• Commitment to active transportation, environmental justice, or climate justice work.
• Bilingual in a language commonly spoken in the San Joaquin Valley.