Congressional Leadership Academy Manager

Congressional Leadership Academy Manager

Job Type: Full Time, Exempt

Location: Remote / Work From Home (U.S.-based; DC area preferred)

Supervisor: Programs & Impact Director

Salary: $70,000 + Benefits

National Foster Youth Institute

Founded by then-Congressmember Karen Bass in 2012, NFYI is dedicated to ensuring that current and former foster youth have a seat at the table alongside legislators, policymakers, decision makers, families, and advocates. We believe that truly transformative foster care reform is possible only when individuals who have personally experienced the child welfare system have leadership roles in changing it. NFYI creates pipelines of leadership that connect current and former foster youth with decisionmakers to change the systems that impact them. By building relationships with Members of Congress, we are training and empowering foster youth and families to make their voices heard and organizing grassroots support for child welfare reform.

About the Congressional Leadership Academy

NFYI's Congressional Leadership Academy (CLA) is a 6-to-9 month program of monthly skill-building trainings and workshops for current and former foster youth (ages 18–30) from across the country. CLA prepares participants to use their personal experience to raise awareness of the challenges facing the child welfare system, building skills in community organizing, the legislative process, child welfare policy, and strategic storytelling.

The program includes an in-person trip each June for the Foster Youth Shadow Day Experience on Capitol Hill. During this week-long, all-expenses-covered immersion in Washington, D.C., program participants are paired with Members of Congress, connect with Congressional staffers and policy experts, and build lasting relationships with peers from across the country.

Position Overview

NFYI seeks a Congressional Leadership Academy Manager to lead this signature program year-round, training and supporting foster youth advocates virtually as well as designing and executing an impactful in-person conference. This is a strategic and relational role: the Manager maintains and evolves CLA's curriculum, builds the partnerships that bring a diverse range of delegates to the program, works closely with NFYI's policy team to keep participants trained on current strategic priorities, identifies youth voices for speaking and media opportunities, mentors foster youth advocates, and builds a genuine community among delegates and alumni — virtually, year-round, and in person during Shadow Day.

Key Responsibilities

Curriculum & Program Strategy

• Maintain and evolve CLA's curriculum, keeping skill-building trainings and workshops current, relevant, and responsive to participant feedback.
• Partner with colleagues to develop programming that achieves the organizational goals identified in NFYI’s strategic direction.
• Create tools and resources that support the training plan, including materials on community organizing, the legislative process, and public speaking.
• Use measurable program outcomes to track impact and adjust curriculum and programming based on results.

Partnerships & Delegate Recruitment

• Develop partnerships with community organizations, foster care agencies, and other stakeholders to recruit participants from a diverse range of regions and backgrounds.
• Manage the delegate application, interview, and selection process, ensuring the cohort reflects the geographic and experiential diversity of the foster care system nationwide.
• Work with NFYI policy staff to recruit and engage Congressional offices to host delegates for Shadow Day.

Policy Collaboration & Training

• Partner closely with NFYI's policy team to identify strategic policy recommendations relevant to the current legislative moment.
• Translate NFYI policy priorities into training content, ensuring delegates are equipped to speak knowledgeably and strategically with Members of Congress and staff.

Speaker & Media Opportunities

• Identify and support CLA delegates and alumni as youth speakers for NFYI policy events, media requests, panels, and public events.
• Coordinate with NFYI's communications team to match youth voices with the right opportunities and provide media/public-speaking coaching as needed.

Community Building

• Build and sustain a strong virtual community among current delegates and alumni between program touchpoints.
• Create in-person community-building opportunities during Shadow Day and other program events.
• Keep alumni engaged with NFYI after their cohort ends.

Shadow Day & Event Management

• Project manage both the virtual training program and the in-person conference in Washington, DC. Work with colleagues to execute logistics for the culminating Shadow Day conference.
• Maintain expense records to help ensure that program remains within budget.
• Serve as liaison with vendors, speakers, and consultants to ensure smooth event logistics.
• Manage participant communications, acceptance/welcome packets, and required paperwork.
• Develop and maintain an event planning handbook; lead post-event follow-up, debriefs, and evaluation.
• Train and lead NFYI staff, consultants, and volunteers to support programming at Shadow Day in DC.

Management & Supervision

• Manage CLA delegates, fellows, consultants, and volunteers, providing coaching and support throughout the program.
• Collaborate cross-departmentally with NFYI staff on outreach, data, communications, and policy efforts tied to CLA.

Evaluation & Reporting

• Collect data and qualitative feedback (surveys, focus groups, interviews) to evaluate program impact.
• Assist the development team in creating grant reports for program funders and sponsors that demonstrate achieving deliverables and impact on both individuals and systems.
• Communicate outcomes clearly to NFYI leadership, funders, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience developing and facilitating trauma-informed, culturally competent trainings.
• Bachelor's degree or higher, and at least 2 years of experience in program management, event management, or project management.
• Lived experience in the foster care system, or a personal connection to child welfare and NFYI's issue areas preferred.
• Experience or strong interest in child welfare or related policy; comfort working alongside a policy team to translate priorities into training content.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and relationships across diverse communities, including under-resourced communities.
• Strong facilitation, public speaking, and written communication skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple concurrent priorities independently.
• Comfortable representing NFYI with high-profile stakeholders, including Members of Congress and their staff.
• A thought partner who takes feedback well and works effectively as part of a small, close-knit team.

Work Environment & Expectations

• This is a full-time, work-from-home position. Standard business hours apply, with the expectation of flexibility to meet with program participants at times convenient for them, which may fall outside typical business hours.
• Travel to Washington, D.C. is required at least once a year for Shadow Day; occasional additional travel to program events may be expected.
• Must be willing to use personal equipment (reliable internet, cell phone, laptop/tablet) when working remotely.

NFYI reserves the right to change duties (add and/or remove), as needed. All NFYI employees/contractors are encouraged to be flexible and responsive to change in the scope of duties.

100% employer-covered health insurance; 403(b) retirement account; generous time off