Director of Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement

Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc. dba Upbring
Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status.
Director of Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
US-TX-Austin
Job ID: 2024-6290
Type: Regular Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Advocacy
Upbring
Overview

About Us

At Upbring, we are servants on a mission to break the cycle of child abuse. We are warriors, brave as the thousands of Texas Children and families we serve. We stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are a family who values innovation, empathy, patience, understanding and trustworthiness.

What You Will Do

The Director of Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement, in collaboration with the Senior Vice President of Brand and Public Affairs, directs Upbring’s strategies and relationships with the governor’s office, state legislature, state agencies, think tanks and other key advocacy partners and stakeholders across Texas This position is responsible for participating in the proactive planning, strategic guidance, and overall direction of the legislative and advocacy activities with core outcomes to support the mission and the strategic goals of Upbring while advancing Upbring’s goal of leading transformation in the child wellbeing industry and positioning Upbring as a strong advocate, thought leader and subject matter expert on priority issues.

Our Upbring staff members are servant-leaders on the pursuit of breaking the cycle of child abuse and empowering others to do the same through example while embodying our core values: We are Warriors. We are Servants. We are Family.

Responsibilities

We Are Warriors | We Set the Standards for Child Welfare

Thinking Strategically

• Work with Upbring’s leadership to define and develop the organization’s advocacy agenda based on current organizational priorities and external policy landscape
• Identify and monitor pending local and state legislative initiatives, external agency policies and practices, and other advocacy issues falling under the scope of interest for Upbring
• Monitor all state legislation together with administrative/regulatory activities/external landscape relating to Upbring’s programs to identify all bills that may impact Upbring’s mission
• Direct all aspects of Upbring’s government affairs strategy, including evaluating risks and opportunities, setting short and long-term priorities
• Oversee ongoing environmental scanning, research, and monitoring of government activities in support Upbring’s mission and goals and proactively addressing current and emerging public policy issues that impact Upbring’s visioning and strategy plan
• Engage with senior leaders and key leaders of internal lines of business to understand and advocate on behalf of key agency priorities
• Direct Upbring’s influence on, and response to, legislation, regulation, sub-regulatory guidance, and other government actions that impact Upbring’s business or create business opportunities for Upbring
• Design and pursue strategies for advancing Upbring’s mission and goals through elected and appointed public officials

Decision Making

• Work with SVP to create strategic direction and develop proactive, effective, and best practice driven approaches to achieving Upbring’s advocacy priorities
• Contribute to developing a high-performance team culture focused on leadership and accountability at all levels, continuous learning, collaboration, measurement, and goal achievement

Fostering Communication

• Identify and communicate potential public sector opportunities and threats and develop improvement or mitigation strategies and policy positions
• Identify, analyze, and communicate how potential changes in existing legislative, regulatory, policy, and political environments (both near and long term) could affect Upbring’s mission
• Initiate internal and external communications messaging through content development of correspondence, presentations and other written or broadcast materials

We Are Servants | We Help Others

Teamwork

• Collaborate with Senior Vice President of Brand and Public Affairs to facilitate high-level meetings between Upbring’s leadership and key state partners, including policymakers and executives, industry associations, alliance partners, and other key stakeholders to promote and advocate for Upbring’s priorities
• Serve as a critical thought partner and provide expertise on government relations and public policy to the CEO, Board of Directors, Upbring’s leadership and act as primary liaison to government agencies and other policy stakeholders
• Assist in determining priorities and devise strategies to represent Upbring’s interests at state level
• Collaborate with Director of Communications and the Director of Marketing to develop a range of approaches for informing internal and external audiences of policy and advocacy matters relevant to Upbring (written materials: reports, blog posts, website content and other web-based materials and presentations)

We Are Family | We Are Passionate & Compassionate

Building Relationships

• Support identification of strategic targets and oversee efforts to build strong and long-lasting relationships with key internal and external partners, and identify and recommend funding opportunities that leverage Upbring’s brand for maximum impact in creating policy and systematic change
• Act as a thought-leader and content provider to both internal and external audiences
• Establish and maintain relationships with state officials, legislators, and other stakeholders to assure Upbring’s influence and value (“seat at the table”)
• Develop and strengthen relationships with key policymakers in the state legislative and executive branches
• Identify, build, and maintain cooperative working relationships and alliances with key stakeholders, individuals, organizations, coalitions, foundations, alliances, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, businesses, and communities to cultivate potential partners
• Work as a team player and exhibit professional behavior and a positive attitude with both internal and external clients that reflects positively on the Agency and is consistent with Agency policies and practices
• Actively participate in exhibiting cultural awareness and sensitivity when interacting with stakeholders, staff, and the community

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public administration, political science, or a closely related field
• Seven (7) years of relevant professional experience overall, with a minimum of five (5) years of progressive responsibility in Texas State government, public policy or social services, or related fields
• Demonstrated relationship building experience relating to Texas policy makers and stakeholders
• Developed relationships with and recognized by policy makers in the Texas legislature
• Comprehensive experience with navigating and working knowledge and familiarity with Texas state government, state politics and legislative processes
• Proven established networks and contacts with senior, bipartisan governmental and non-governmental policy circles
• Demonstrated persuasive and politically astute communication and networking skills with a range of different audiences
• A strategic thinker, but detail oriented with strong analytical, problem solving, project management and communication skills, including public speaking, to make a convincing case on issues
• Ability to spot new issues as they begin to emerge and analyze potential impact on Upbring’s mission, business plans, and strategic direction: make recommendations on options to address
• Technological proficiency in the Windows environment, particularly with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and Word

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s in Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, or closely related field
• Ten (10) years progressive experience working in government, public policy or social services, or related fields
• Experience with children services, working with DFPS and/or HHSC.

Perks at Upbring

• Competitive PTO & paid holidays
• Health, dental, vision insurance & more
• 403(b) Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted Gym Memberships

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Belonging

We are a diverse and inclusive Organization that recognizes our strength is in the efforts of our selfless warriors. Honoring and recognizing the value and dignity of all individuals is the cornerstone of our agency. The more diverse the individuals, thought processes and lived experiences, the greater the opportunity is to combine unique perspectives to make a greater impact. Our trust, respect, and appreciation for one another is demonstrated through our communication, celebration of progress and relentless effort to be at our best TO FULLFILL OUR MISSION OF BREAKING THE CYCLE OF CHILD ABUSE.

Upbring is an Equal Employment Opportunity/AA Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status.

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