Director of Civic Engagement and Research

About Churches United for Fair Housing:

(CUFFH) is a grassroots advocacy organization rooted in faith and community spaces that provides affordable housing services and integrated social resources. CUFFH organizes our working-class BIPOC communities around issues of housing, immigration, social, and economic justice to generate power and harness true liberation.

Job Description: Civic Engagement Organizer (Full-Time, Permanent)

The Director of Civic Engagement and Research leads CUFFH’s civic, electoral, and policy strategy, grounding organizing and advocacy in rigorous research and deep relationships with tenant and immigrant communities across New York City.

This role sits at the intersection of community organizing, electoral engagement, policy advocacy, and coalition leadership. The Director is responsible for shaping CUFFH’s political priorities, translating community needs into actionable policy demands, and ensuring that civic engagement efforts build durable power for tenants and working-class New Yorkers.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Civic Engagement and Electoral Work

• Develop and lead CUFFH’s civic engagement strategy, including voter engagement, candidate education, endorsements, and issue-based electoral work.
• Design and oversee GOTV efforts, voter education campaigns, and community forums in priority neighborhoods, primarily in Brooklyn.
• Serve as a senior representative of CUFFH in electoral coalitions, progressive alliances, and issue-based campaigns at the city and state level.
• Advise CUFFH leadership and board on political strategy, endorsements, and electoral risks.

Research and Policy Leadership

• Lead research initiatives that support CUFFH’s housing, tenant protection, and immigrant justice campaigns, including data analysis, policy memos, and public reports.
• Translate complex policy and data into clear narratives for tenants, organizers, elected officials, and the media.
• Track and analyze city, state, and federal legislation relevant to housing affordability, tenant rights, immigration, and economic justice.
• Develop CUFFH’s policy platforms and legislative priorities, including federal, state, and city agendas.

Coalition and External Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with elected officials, advocacy organizations, legal services providers, labor unions, and grassroots partners. Represent CUFFH in campaign and coalition spaces at the local, state, and national levels, including networks such as Popular Democracy.
• Represent CUFFH in high-level coalitions, negotiations, hearings, and public events.
• Coordinate cross-organizational strategies with partners on campaigns, endorsements, and policy fights.
• Support movement alignment while centering CUFFH’s member-driven priorities.

Organizational Leadership and Collaboration

• Work closely with CUFFH’s organizing, communications, and services teams to support staff and organizers with political analysis, research tools, and campaign strategy.
• Contribute to grant writing, reporting, and funder communications related to civic engagement and policy work.
• Help set organizational priorities and respond to rapidly shifting political conditions.

Qualifications:

• Deep familiarity with New York City housing policy, tenant protections, and the political landscape shaping affordability and displacement.
• Experience working in or alongside grassroots housing, tenant, or immigrant justice organizations in NYC.
• Demonstrated experience leading or shaping electoral, civic engagement, or advocacy strategies, including endorsements, GOTV, or issue-based campaigns.
• Strong political judgment and comfort navigating complex coalition dynamics, including moments of disagreement or tension.
• Experience translating research, data, and policy analysis into clear, accessible narratives for community members, elected officials, and the public.
• Existing relationships with New York City or New York State elected officials, advocacy partners, or movement organizations.
• Experience contributing to or leading policy platforms, legislative priorities, or research-driven advocacy campaigns.
• Comfort working in fast-moving political environments and responding to rapidly shifting external conditions.
• Lived experience as a renter, immigrant, or member of a working-class community.

CUFFH provides a laptop and cell phone, a healthcare stipend, 401K, and a generous and flexible PTO package, among other benefits.