Senior Health Justice Associate

Organization: Strategic Concepts in Organizing & Policy Education (SCOPE)

Position: Senior Health Justice Associate

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt, Staff Position

Supervisor: Policy Director

Position Description

The Senior Health Justice Associate role offers an exciting opportunity to lead SCOPE’s campaign strategies on oral health equity and other health justice policy issues facing low-income communities of color in Los Angeles and across the state. Responsibilities include leading and facilitating coalition efforts with community residents, partner organizations, and decision-makers to develop and advance policy recommendations. The role entails crafting policy briefs, fact sheets, communications materials, and other materials to inform staff, policymakers, grassroots members, and the public on relevant issues. This role will also be responsible for training and/or leading staff and interns in policy research, development, advocacy, organizing, and coalition building. The ideal candidate is a responsible self-starter who can produce and lead high-quality policy analysis to frame policy debates, help develop community-informed policy recommendations, and advance campaigns.

Organization Overview

SCOPE builds grassroots power in low-income communities of color to eliminate economic, environmental, and racial disparities. Established in 1993 in response to the 1992 civil unrest in South Los Angeles, SCOPE’s work is grounded in the needs and priorities of South LA residents, who are largely African American, Latinx, and immigrant, and live on the frontlines of pollution and poverty. As a membership-based organization, SCOPE plays a critical role in the movement for systemic change—organizing marginalized communities of color and poor and working-class residents to ensure that they have a powerful voice in the decisions that impact them. SCOPE organizes communities, develops grassroots leaders, builds alliances, and engages in strategic research and communications to advance policy solutions that shift power and resources to low-income communities of color.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Policy Campaign Strategy, Management, and Coordination (50%)

• Develop vision and strategy for campaign and/or research priorities in conjunction with the Policy Director.
• Lead and facilitate local and statewide coalitions and workgroups related to oral health, other health equity issues, and potentially other priority areas.
• Lead SCOPE’s grassroots committee related to oral health to equip community members with the tools they need to affect change for themselves and their communities.
• Lead local grassroots education efforts to support SCOPE members in garnering community support for priority issues.
• Manage, carry out, and ensure successful implementation of campaign activities, including management of consultants, public convenings, communications campaigns, logistical details, and other elements of policy campaigns.
• Work with Policy Team, Campaign, and Organizing Team members, and coalition partners, to inform power mapping, identification of advocacy targets, and strategies to advance policy goals.
• Actively participate in coalition, networking, and other relevant meeting spaces to advance policy goals and coordinate with other justice campaigns.
• Develop communications materials (e.g., fact sheets, presentations, etc.) to advance policy goals.
• Attend hearings and meetings to provide testimony, share policy positions, and build relationships with policymakers.
• Support fund development and reporting related to SCOPE’s oral health equity work.
• Manage and utilize data management systems to implement and track campaign activities, evaluate success, and make recommendations for change.
• Support the Policy Director in evaluating and tracking progress toward advocacy goals.

Policy Analysis & Research (20%)

Research and analyze local and state policy, regulation, and issues related to SCOPE’s strategic campaigns, especially oral health and other health issues.

• Conduct data collection to inform policy analysis and recommendations.
• Research, identify, and direct internal and external research projects.

Working closely with Policy Team members, develop policy briefs, policy options, comment letters, and other materials to educate staff, grassroots members, policymakers, and the public on relevant policy issues.

Develop and maintain content area expertise related to SCOPE’s strategic campaigns.

Cross-Team Collaboration & Capacity-Building (30%)

• Work with community organizers to develop participatory research, policy analysis trainings, and popular education materials that engage grassroots members and build their skills.
• Collaborate with SCOPE team members around planning and implementing organization-wide events, meetings, and activities.
• Support the development and implementation of grassroots member lobby days and advocacy-related trainings.
• Represent SCOPE at major public events, with press, etc.
• Provide backup support to occasionally step in for the Policy Director on a short-term basis, as necessary.
• Participate in organizational staff meetings.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of organizational priorities, such as communications materials, internal operations, and other internal organizational elements.
• Maintain files and records for grant reporting purposes.

Essential Knowledge and Abilities

• Minimum of 5+ years of relevant policy and/or campaign experience in at least one of the following areas: health, social services, and/or workforce development policy
• Experience leading a team of staff and/or interns
• A demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice and a strong understanding of the intertwined, intersecting policy issues that shape material conditions in low-income communities and communities of color, as well as their structural/root causes
• Excellent research and writing skills with the ability to synthesize complex language and ideas
• Familiarity with the Los Angeles City, County, and California policy landscape and governance processes
• High level of attention to detail
• Able to take initiative and direction
• Proven success working independently and as part of a team
• Strong time and work management skills, including meeting multiple deadlines and prioritizing tasks
• Excellent interpersonal communications skills
• A solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving
• Experience with a justice and equity-driven approach to research and policy development
• Strong public speaking skills
• Actively builds a culture of collaboration, accountability, and integrity
• Willingness to work longer hours and weekends when necessary
• Reliable transportation required to participate in community events

Work Environment: This position operates 100% on site in a professional office environment, with occasional travel locally, statewide, and nationally for relevant meetings and events. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers. The noise level in the work environment is usually consistent with that of a typical office’s noise level.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This job requires that the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Also required is the ability to listen, hear, speak, read, write, concentrate, and climb stairs, bend, and stoop. Must be able to use a telephone and computer to accomplish a variety of job tasks.

Employment Type: This is a full-time, exempt, at-will staff position. Exempt employees are expected to work the appropriate and necessary time within reason in order to complete key assignments and related tasks on schedule. The schedule may fluctuate depending on organizational needs.

This role is considered non-supervisory, and non-confidential and is therefore subject to union participation. Although a collective bargaining agreement has not yet been established, this position would be governed by a negotiated collective bargaining process between SCOPE and the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320.

SCOPE is committed to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our open positions. SCOPE is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, age, disability, marital status or medical condition.

Compensation & Benefits: Competitive starting salary of $72,000 with fully paid benefits (health/dental/vision), 401k, generous vacation and sick time, professional development, and room to grow professionally.

To Apply: Please submit 1) a one-page cover letter, 2) a resume, and 3) three professional references via email to: scope-hr@scopela.org; include “Senior Health Justice Associate” in the subject line.