Government Partnerships & Policy Manager

About REDF

At REDF, we’re building an economy that works. For everyone.

We discover and back social entrepreneurs and leaders across the United States that employ people striving to overcome employment barriers like homelessness or incarceration.

These mission-driven businesses, called employment social enterprises, value the untapped talent in their communities for the strengths they hold, not the barriers they’ve faced.

That’s why REDF invests in their businesses, so we can help push their impact further, faster. We pair our grantmaking with capacity-building support, create space for employment social enterprise leaders to learn together, and sponsor state and federal policies that help shift perspectives. Because we believe that our economy works best when it works for everyone.

Since 1997, REDF has invested in over 360 social enterprises in 44 states and DC, which have generated over $3.1 billion in revenue and employed more than 157,000 people.

About the Government Partnerships & Policy Team

The Government Partnerships & Policy team informs and influences federal, state, and local policymakers to promote the growth of employment social enterprise and increase economic opportunity for social enterprise employees through funding, intermediation, and public policy. The Government Partnerships & Policy team is charged with managing existing programs like LA:RISE, the nation’s first public-private partnership connecting workforce and employment social enterprise while also creating new and innovative public-private partnerships that help grow the social enterprise sector.

The Role:

This is a temporary position with the potential for contract permanent conversion after 6 months.

The Government Partnerships & Policy Manager plays a key role in advancing REDF’s government partnerships and policy strategy in the Los Angeles region. This position will lead our LA:RISE Youth Academy program (LA City), support our upskilling work, assist with local advocacy efforts, and provide project management support for select initiatives. The Manager will work closely with government agencies, social enterprises, and community partners to strengthen public-private partnerships that expand economic opportunity for individuals facing barriers to employment.

The Responsibilities:

LA:RISE Youth Academy and Program Management (50%)

• Serve as lead project manager for LA: RISE Youth Academy, overseeing program execution, partner relationships, and results.
• Manage relationships with Social Enterprises, WorkSource Centers, and YouthSource Centers to achieve outlined program goals.
• Provide in person and virtual technical assistance to program partners, including support for underperforming organizations.
• Maintain program portals and training hubs; develop SOPs and training materials.
• Oversee program data collection, reporting, and analysis for internal and external partners.
• Design and deliver professional development workshops and support crafting quality partner academy meetings quarterly with support from LA:RISE Team.
• Take a leading role in creating program materials, standard operating procedures, and training materials; comfortable using various online platforms and programs such as WordPress and MailChimp.
• Support Youth Academy program data management, including collection, reporting, and analysis for external and internal partners.

Government Partnerships & Special Projects (30%)

• Support with managing existing and new government contracts/programs as needed (e.g., LA:RISE City program, SNAP E&T - Skill Up LA, and regional-specific initiatives).
• Support Team Lead in updating Technical Assistance delivery to foster further alignment across multiple government funded programs with the Los Angeles ecosystem.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with government staff, elected officials, and community partners.
• Support strategic research and analysis to inform program improvements and regional partnership strategy.
• Support internal team planning, strategy, and relationship management; take on one-off project as called upon; lead workstreams on more complicated, multi-person internal projects.
• Support Team Lead with tracking programmatic progress, using REDF’s CRM; create and manage monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting for government entities and REDF.
• Find opportunities and platforms to promote the regional partnership or social enterprise to key stakeholder audiences. Make presentations, lead or participate in workshops and online discussions that make strategic contributions to social enterprises, nonprofits, and philanthropists

Policy & Advocacy Support (20%)

• Assist in defining and executing local advocacy strategies aligned with REDF’s policy priorities in the Los Angeles Region (for ex. to support program renewal efforts).
• Support coalition engagement and participate in relevant policy workgroups to foster an employment social enterprise ecosystem in Los Angeles.
• Contribute to writing and editing advocacy materials and communications as needed.

The Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and 4-6 years of proven experience in public sector and policy relating to workforce development or employment of individuals facing barriers to work.
• Expertise and understanding of government contracting, compliance, reporting requirements, and partnership building specifically subject matter knowledge of Los Angeles workforce, homelessness, opportunity youth and reentry services.
• Possess a “generalist” toolkit and approach; expertise leading and tackling multiple facets of government contracts and projects including program management, compliance, programmatic and fiscal reporting, marketing and outreach, providing technical assistance, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously; able to identify solutions around barriers for both self and more junior staff
• Strategic and thoughtful in use of communications as a tool to share knowledge, get buy-in, consult with others, collaborate, and drive effective decision-making.
• Strong collaborator; comfortable working with others that possess a wide diversity of backgrounds, skillsets, and experience; naturally finds ways to upskill others
• Able to make important decisions under conditions of ambiguity and imperfect information; able to identify and evaluate complicated trade-offs
• Supportive of REDF’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Continuously uses feedback and embodies a growth mindset to improve work product and personal development; confident in giving and receiving feedback to other team members
• Able to travel up to 30% for work purposes (once business travel resumes)

Join Us!

This is a temporary position with the potential for contract permanent conversion after 6 months.

Please submit your resume and cover letter via REDF’s applicant portal. A personalized cover letter is required; applications without one will not be considered.

The Culture

Every team member at REDF has an impact, with the ability to influence and iterate on our strategy. We balance autonomy with collaboration, leading with learning, and innovation with expertise. We listen, ask questions, and challenge the status quo and each other to uncover solutions that move us all to a better tomorrow.

REDF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our different experiences, backgrounds, and stories are our strength. We know that an equitable, inclusive, and diverse workplace makes us more effective, innovative and agile. We welcome and will consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status or arrest and conviction history. EEO is the Law. REDF welcomes all.

Position Location and Pay Range:

Los Angeles with remote work. The hourly rate for this position is $45.88 - $57.35.

COVID Vaccine Requirement

Despite California’s movement towards herd immunity, low case rates, etc., the COVID-19 pandemic still exists at large. We have a responsibility to provide working conditions that mitigate any direct threat to the health and safety of our employees and others affiliated with REDF and the broader community. REDF employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for accommodation through the Director of HR by emailing recruiting@redf.org (please include “Accommodation Request, Manager Government Partnerships & Policy” in the subject line). Our COVID-19 Vaccine Policy will adapt as we continue to review our obligations under Federal, state, and local laws.