Policy Coordinator, Food and Nutrition Services

Job Title: Policy Coordinator, Food and Nutrition Services

Position Supervisor:  Manager, Food and Nutrition Services

Department: Influence

Classification Level: Exempt

Location: Remote/hybrid

Position Timeline: Two-Year Term Limited Position

APHSA represents leaders from state, county, and city human services agencies to advance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities nationwide. As a bipartisan membership association, we work with our members to generate pragmatic solutions grounded in lived experience with a lens for racial equity and belonging. With and through these members, we work to advance solutions centered on administering, overseeing, and aligning programs to provide access to food, housing, employment, childcare, community support, and other key building blocks. 

Join a team of dedicated professionals who are results-oriented and are impacting systems to promote well-being across the nation! You will gain hands-on experience and work with various partners and projects.

Your direct supervisor and coach will be the Manager, Food and Nutrition Services. Your support will be the entire APHSA organization because we work best when we all work together! 

Position Summary:

The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) is recruiting a Policy Coordinator, Food and Nutrition Services to support their growing body of work in federal food and nutrition policy, with a specific focus on summer hunger. In response to the newly created, nationwide Summer EBT program, this new position will work under the direction of senior policy staff to engage and support state agencies that are designing and implementing Summer EBT programs. The Policy Coordinator will also promote the alignment of strategies across nutrition and anti-hunger investments and support APHSA’s SNAP policy portfolio. APHSA is looking to bring on ambitious new talent that is ready to dive into these areas that are ripe for building systemic change in the food and nutrition space within human services.

Major Responsibility #1: Support virtual and in-person peer community spaces for public agencies responsible for operating S-EBT (40%)

• With support from senior policy staff, develop agendas and support facilitation and presentations for virtual and in-person convenings of Summer EBT practitioners.
• Lead on-going coordination and logistics of convening spaces including, but not limited to, maintaining rosters and attendance, coordinating regular call series, notetaking, and sharing pre- and post- emails and materials on our learning management system, THRIVE.
• Liaise with other members of APHSA staff to coordinate logistics for convenings as needed, including the Events and Communications teams.
• Lead recruitment and onboarding of new members and attendees to the community and convening spaces, including sharing about the opportunity on member and partner calls.

Major Responsibility #2: With direction from senior policy staff, support policy analysis, knowledge product development, and project management related to Summer EBT and other nutrition and anti-hunger programs (30%)

• Support policy analysis and distill best practices within Summer EBT to elevate to policymakers in Congress and the Federal Administration.
• Engage in strategic partnerships with national, state, and local partners in the Summer EBT and food and nutrition spaces to help advance APHSA’s impact and share the needs of its members.
• Lead project management for S-EBT projects and others as assigned including, but not limited to, maintaining internal documents and meeting agendas, developing timelines and ensuring deadlines are met, and raising where intervention and support is needed.
• Lead the drafting of resources related to S-EBT and other nutrition supports as appropriate, including policy briefs, comment letters, and more.

Major Responsibility #3: Contribute to the ongoing operations of APHSA’s Food and Nutrition Services policy portfolio (20%)

• Actively scan federal and partner resources related to food and nutrition supports across the country and share updates in APHSA newsletters and publications.
• Attend affinity group and other relevant member calls related to SNAP and nutrition programs and support notetaking and resource sharing through APHSA platforms.
• Support project management of grant projects in the portfolio and connections to members and partners as needed.
• Support strategic vision of aligning food and nutrition supports in the human services sector and partnering sectors.

Major Responsibility #4: Other duties as assigned (10%)

• APHSA staff retreats and trainings.
• Professional development and growth opportunities.
• Support to the Food & Nutrition Services policy portfolio

Requirements

•  Minimum of Bachelor’s degree
• At least 2 years working in or having experience navigating the human services sector or related sectors in Health and Nutrition, either in government service at local, state, or federal levels or in related roles in the business and non-profit sector. We encourage applicants with lived experience in human services systems to apply.
• Skilled in organization, planning, and independent time management.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook and ability to learn project management tools such as SmartSheet.
• Willingness to travel (up to 10%) as public health considerations permit.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in written form.
• Skilled in active listening, with the ability to distill feedback from partners and read between the lines to identify insights and action items.
• Basic understanding of food and nutrition programs, and interest in learning the operational and administrative details of what it takes to successfully implement these programs in a way that advances equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Experience incorporating perspectives of multiple communities and knowledge of how concepts of structural racism and bias impacts underserved and underrepresented communities.
• Ability to work effectively in a bipartisan environment.
• Willingness to ask questions and communicate when additional support is needed.
• Ability to effectively impact both strategic and tactical execution of project work.
• Experience working independently, setting priorities and handling multiple projects at the same time.
• Exceptional team player with creative problem-solving skills and the ability to contribute positively to a team environment.

At APHSA, we value and support the health, well-being, and future of our staff. Our benefit package is based on improving employee morale, which fosters a work environment where staff feel they can thrive and feel accomplished. Aside from basic benefits such as 100% employer coverage of health, dental, and vision insurance, we also offer additional employee benefits and perks like these:

• $250 work-from-home stipend
• 3% contribution to 401k or ROTH Plan
• Monthly Staples account allowance
• Hybrid work environment
• Additional discretionary holidays included with 11 paid holidays
• Employee Appreciation gifts and an APHSA Swag pop-up shop
• 20 vacation days
• 15 sick/wellness days
• Disability insurance
• Life Insurance
• FSA (health, dependent, commuter)
• Optional employee-paid benefits (legal, pet insurance, critical illness, accident)

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirement.

This employer participates in E-Verify for employment verification.

At APHSA, we value and support the health, well-being, and future of our staff. Our benefit package is based on improving employee morale, which fosters a work environment where staff feel they can thrive and feel accomplished. Aside from basic benefits such as 100% employer coverage of health, dental, and vision insurance, we also offer additional employee benefits and perks like these:

• $250 work-from-home stipend
• 3% contribution to 401k or ROTH Plan
• Monthly Staples account allowance
• Hybrid work environment
• Additional discretionary holidays included with 11 paid holidays
• Employee Appreciation gifts and an APHSA Swag pop-up shop
• 20 vacation days
• 15 sick/wellness days
• Disability insurance
• Life Insurance
• FSA (health, dependent, commuter)
• Optional employee-paid benefits (legal, pet insurance, critical illness, accident)