Policy & Advocacy Manager

Cast is seeking a Policy & Advocacy Manager to lead and coordinate Los Angeles County's Child Trafficking Leadership Team (CTLT) and support the implementation of the County's 5-Year Strategic Plan to Address Child Trafficking. This role will also advance Cast's local policy and systems-change objectives, partnering closely with county departments, community-based organizations, lived experience experts, and city/county policymakers to strengthen Los Angeles' public-health and survivor-centered response to human trafficking.

The Policy & Advocacy Manager is responsible for facilitating multi-agency collaboration, driving progress on countywide strategic plan priorities, developing reports for the LA County Board of Supervisors, leading CTLT meetings and subcommittees, and supporting local policy analysis, advocacy, and protocol development. This position plays a key role in aligning child-serving systems toward equity, safety, and coordinated responses for youth impacted by trafficking.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Child Trafficking Leadership Team (CTLT) Coordination

• Lead and support Los Angeles County CTLT as the primary convener and facilitator. Lead and facilitate monthly CTLT meetings, provide guided strategic direction to ensure alignment with the 5-Year Strategic Plan, and ensure that equity, public health principles, and lived experience perspectives are integrated throughout CTLT decision-making.
• Oversee and Support CTLT Subcommittees by providing guidance, reviewing draft products, and ensuring alignment with strategic planning goals, and co-lead the Community Resources & Services Subcommittee
• Engage County departments and CBOs to identify gaps, share resources, and leverage opportunities.
• Convene regular check-ins with subcommittee leads to assess progress and barriers, and provide technical support to partners, including county agencies, school districts, and CBOs.
• Support the refinement of governance structures, logic models, evaluation frameworks, and plan language.

Implementation of the LA County 5-Year Strategic Plan to Address Child Trafficking

• Oversee annual strategic plan priorities and ensure integration across CTLT and its subcommittees.
• Develop communication materials, strategic updates, implementation tools, and public-facing summaries.
• Ensure data-driven implementation by analyzing findings, tracking progress, and synthesizing partner reports.
• Support the evaluation and continuous improvement of strategic plan activities.
• Lead the development of the bi-annual Board of Supervisors progress reports, synthesizing updates across all CTLT workstreams and identify challenges, system gaps, and recommendations for county leadership.
• Prepare and deliver updates to the County's Family & Social Services (Cluster) leadership and other relevant groups
• Oversee and support Lived Experience Experts (LEE) participation in the 5-Year Strategic Plan including recruiting and onboarding diverse LEE contributors, coordinating compensation and ensuring survivor-informed feedback is integrated into CTLT implementation.

Support the LA County Human Trafficking Coordinating Body Feasibility Study

• Co-convene and co-lead a countywide workgroup to assess the structure, governance, and needs for a unified HT coordinating body.
• Analyze data and findings from the workgroup and prepare and present the final report to the Board of Supervisors that includes recommendations for coordination structure, public-health integration, strategic plan development, and needs related to adult sex and labor trafficking.

Local Policy & Systems-Change Leadership

• In collaboration with the Associate Director of Survivor Advocacy, develop and advance Cast's local (city and county) policy priorities, focusing on public-health approaches, decriminalization, survivor safety, and systems improvement.
• Analyze local ordinances, motions, public health directives, and departmental protocols affecting human trafficking survivors.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with county departments, city officials, CBOs, and advocacy coalitions and provide research, analysis, and feedback to county departments and policymakers.
• Represent Cast in local working groups and community coalitions.
• Support local systems-change initiatives that improve County protocols and standards while advancing for the human rights and public health approach to human trafficking
• Draft local policy briefs, talking points, and research summaries.
• Provide testimony at LA County and City hearings as appropriate.
• Respond to time-sensitive local policy issues and opportunities for rapid advocacy.
• Other Duties: Perform other duties in line with Cast's goals as assigned by the Associate Director of Survivor Advocacy.

REQUIREMENTS

Required

• 3+ years of experience in local policy, systems change, county collaboration, or multi-agency coordination.
• Demonstrated experience in anti-trafficking, child welfare, youth-serving systems, or related public-health fields.
• Strong facilitation, meeting management, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience developing protocols, strategic plans, or cross-agency implementation processes.
• Ability to synthesize data, prepare structured reports, and develop clear recommendations.
• Experience collaborating with lived experience experts and maintaining trauma-informed practices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and comfort presenting to senior county leadership.
• Highly organized, able to manage multiple complex workstreams and tight deadlines.

Preferred

• Experience working directly with LA County departments and child-serving systems.
• Experience in evaluating or implementing countywide initiatives or strategic plans.
• Policy analysis experience related to child trafficking, youth safety, or public health.
• Familiarity with Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors processes.

Work Environment & Travel

• Hybrid work environment.
• Regular meetings across LA County (virtual and in-person).
• Occasional evening or early-morning meetings depending on county scheduling

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (Cast) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, CAST complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.