Policy Director

About Tipping Point

Tipping Point finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions so one day everyone in the Bay Area can prosper. Since 2005, Tipping Point has invested over $475 million in the community to support organizations, advance policies, and develop new ideas to increase economic opportunity. Last year, our investments funded life-changing services in housing, early childhood, education, and employment for more than 100,000 of our neighbors across the Bay Area. Our Board covers 100% of our operating costs, so every dollar donated goes where it’s needed most. Visit www.tippingpoint.org to learn more.

Values

Tipping Point’s core values are at the heart of everything we do and we look for individuals who share our commitments:

• We cultivate community because we know we are more powerful together.
• We practice gratitude.
• We hold ourselves accountable to achieving impact for and with the communities we serve.
• We relentlessly pursue equity because one’s background and identities should not predetermine one’s opportunities.

Position Overview

The Policy Director is an experienced policy leader with a deep commitment to ending poverty in the Bay Area. This role is responsible for the strategic leadership and management of policy initiatives across Tipping Point’s program areas and for positioning the organization to influence local, state, and federal policy in service of its mission. Serving as a trusted thought partner to organizational leadership, the Policy Director brings a strong strategic vision and the ability to connect diverse policy, programmatic, and community insights into a coherent and impactful anti-poverty policy agenda. They have strong stakeholder management and project management skills, and can lead cross-functional collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and policy-focused grantees to execute results-oriented policy strategies. The Policy Director closely tracks federal, state, and local policy developments, assesses emerging opportunities and risks, and works collaboratively with internal and external subject matter experts to translate research, lived experience, and programmatic knowledge into effective, results-driven policy strategies.

The Policy Director is part of the Program team and reports to the Chief Program Officer.

Responsibilities

Policy Strategy & Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of a cohesive policy strategy that advances Tipping Point’s mission and programmatic priorities, and helps position Tipping Point as a credible, impact-driven voice on policy issues related to poverty in the Bay Area.
• Coordinate policy efforts across Tipping Point’s investment areas, connecting threads across initiatives and between policy grantees to ensure investments reflect the organization’s approach to impact and partnership, leverage its unique structure, and maintain strategic focus and coherence.
• Partner with internal program leaders and senior leadership to assess policy opportunities and risks to inform organizational decision-making.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership on policy priorities, positioning, and timing.
• Provide guidance, leadership and support to program leadership on policy and strategy issues at the federal, state, and local levels.

Policy Development & Advocacy Support

• Collaborate with internal and external subject matter experts to translate research and field knowledge into policy positions and strategies.
• Develop policy materials, including briefs, analyses, talking points, and memos in support of Tipping Point’s policy goals.
• Build relationships with policy-focused grantees to maximize their impact, identify gaps and opportunities in advocacy funding, connect efforts across portfolios, and ensure alignment with Tipping Point’s mission and goals.
• Ensure policy work is informed by data, evidence, and the lived experiences of communities most impacted by poverty.
• Oversees a small portfolio of policy-related grants and contracts, including conducting due diligence, budget management and coordination with external partners.
• Coordinates closely with internal research and learning efforts to ensure projects are designed and positioned to meaningfully inform and advance policy change.

Policy Analysis & Monitoring

• Track and analyze policy developments across the Bay Area, California, and at the federal level to identify opportunities and risks relevant to poverty reduction, with special attention paid to Tipping Point’s investment areas.
• Identify and track emerging policy opportunities, legislative activity, and regulatory changes that align with Tipping Point’s priorities.
• Translate complex policy information into clear insights and recommendations for internal stakeholders.
• Synthesize complex policy information into actionable insights to inform organizational strategy and decision-making.
• Assess the potential impact of policy proposals and political dynamics on Tipping Point’s programmatic priorities and partners.

External Engagement or Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with policymakers, advocacy organizations, coalitions, researchers, and other external partners.
• Represent Tipping Point in policy discussions, coalitions, and convenings, as appropriate.
• Serve as a resource for board programmatic committees, presenting proposals and keeping committee members informed of key policy and field-specific developments where necessary.
• Serve as a bridge between internal program teams and the broader policy ecosystem.

Internal Coordination & Learning

• Partners with senior program leadership to create systems and processes to support effective coordination of policy efforts across the organization.
• Work closely with internal subject matter experts across program areas to ground policy work in research, data, and lived experience.
• Share policy insights to strengthen organizational learning, alignment, and understanding of policy’s role in advancing Tipping Point’s mission.
• Work in close partnership with the Program Communications Director to develop and execute public-facing policy and advocacy communications and media strategies that advance organizational policy goals.
• Identify and assess research gaps and opportunities, advising leadership on where targeted research could make policy proposals more compelling, credible, and likely to advance.

All other duties as assigned

Qualifications

In addition to our core values, Tipping Point staff exhibit four core competencies: flexibility, exceptional communication skills, ability to work well on a team, and the ability to continuously problem solve in the face of challenges.

Additionally, the Policy Director must have:

• Significant experience in coalition building, advocacy efforts, and policy creation and implementation, across California at the state and local levels.
• Deep understanding of political and legislative processes across levels of government, with the judgment and political awareness to advise leadership on the feasibility of policy proposals.
• Excellent communication skills, well-developed ability to clearly and effectively make technical information clear to non-technical audiences.
• Intellectual curiosity; strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in project planning and execution, ability to self-direct, prioritize among competing goals, navigate ambiguity, and thrive in a fast-paced, high-performing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage up, down, and across an organization, building strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams, grantees, and external partners to advance shared goals.
• Commitment to Tipping Point’s mission and values; has the highest degree of integrity in representing the organization.

Travel Expectations

Intermittent travel to Sacramento is expected, along with occasional one-off travel as required to support organizational priorities.

Salary + Classification

Tipping Point is committed to paying competitive wages. In an effort to increase equity, because we know that salary negotiations tend to have an unfair bias, we do not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual salary for the Policy Director role is $180,000. This position meets the exemption requirements as defined by state and federal law. Exempt employees are paid on a salaried basis, and their salary is intended to constitute their entire regular compensation, regardless of the number of hours they work; therefore, exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay.

Hybrid Work Environment

At Tipping Point, we believe that in-person connection is essential to fostering strong collaboration, creativity, and community. To support this, staff are expected to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday. Some roles may require community meetings, which can be scheduled during these in-person days. On Mondays and Fridays, staff may choose to work remotely or from the office, depending on their preference. Our office remains open five days a week to encourage face-to-face collaboration and to provide a welcoming space for those who thrive working onsite. We also extend the use of our office to our grantee partners as a shared space for meetings and connection. Tipping Point will periodically assess this hybrid work model and may adjust it as needed to best serve our mission and team.