Policy Director

Status: Full time, exempt

Location: We currently work remotely 4 days a week and work together in our Oakland office on a set day each week.

Organization 

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy is a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on identifying solutions to the state’s most critical challenges at the intersection of higher education, equity, and the economy. Established in 2011, our mission is to help transform the state's higher education system into an engine of economic opportunity that empowers all Californians, particularly those from underserved communities, to achieve their full potential. California Competes benefits from the expertise of our highly respected, bipartisan Board of Directors, which comprises current and former public officials, business executives, and community leaders from across the state. Our diverse staff brings decades of experience in higher education and public policy. We work statewide and travel across the country to research and advocate for a higher education system that provides opportunities for all Californians. 

For more information, please visit californiacompetes.org.

Position 

Reporting to our CEO, the Policy Director serves as staff lead on executing our policy agenda and policy-focused research activities. This position supports the CEO and board in setting the organization’s policy agenda and helps ensure policy advocacy and research activities align with the organization's goals. A successful candidate holds deep expertise in California state policy, excels at building relationships, thinks analytically and strategically, and is passionate about advancing equity and student success. Specific duties are described below. 

The Policy Director supervises the Senior Policy and Research Analyst, along with overseeing key external consultants and student researchers.

Strategy and Leadership

• Support the CEO and board to develop and advance the organization’s policy agenda, including updating policy priorities and developing actionable steps to advance them 
• Provide leadership and project oversight on all of the organization’s policy activities 
• Work closely with the CEO, external policy consultants,  and other staff in advancing the policy agenda and policy research activities
• Manage policy staff and consultants, including one full-time policy and research analyst, seasonal part-time graduate students, and external consultants.

Policy Analysis

• Lead policy analysis related to California Competes’s advocacy goals, including but not limited to: adult learners, intersegmental and cross-sector coordination, postsecondary-workforce alignment, innovation and technology in education, statewide longitudinal data systems, streamlining access to public benefits, and student parent success.
• Analyze bills, budget proposals, and other policy proposals and laws relevant to California Competes’s policy priorities
• Lead development of policy recommendations based on our research analysis 
• Work collaboratively with California Competes team members to help manage research projects and communicate findings
• Craft clear, influential written publications, such as reports, briefs, and blogs 
• Develop presentations for policy, research, and other stakeholder audiences 

Policy Design, Advocacy, Implementation, and Management

• Attend, testify, and support the CEO (or other staff) in testimony for legislative and other governing entities’ hearings
• Lead the planning, organization, and implementation of the California Higher Education Policy Institutes that engage legislators and their staff on key higher education policy topics 
• Identify and implement new strategies to advance our policy agenda and strengthen our relationships with policymakers and other leaders statewide 
• Write commentary, blogs, or other publications to elevate California Competes’s policy agenda and policy leadership
• Develop clear and influential policy collateral to advance policy objectives
• Represent California Competes in policy advocacy coalitions
• Provide summaries of policy activity and projects for grant proposals and reporting, updates to our board, and other supporters and partners

Skills and Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented self-starter with the ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously and respond efficiently to unexpected and emerging needs. The successful candidate will know the ins and outs of state policy making and implementation, demonstrating curiosity by asking questions and taking initiative around policy and research responsibilities. This candidate will feel comfortable working in an organization with high standards that centers equity, is fast-paced, and often has unexpected, rapid-response requests. 

Required qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of managerial experience on top of 5 years of relevant experience as an individual contributor or 10+ years of relevant experience
• Holds deep knowledge of California’s policy landscape, particularly complex education or social services 
• Experience successfully building strategic relationships and connections to further a policy agenda
• Experience navigating state politics and intergovernmental issues 
• Experience analyzing legislation, including budget proposals 
• Grasps the interplay between policy making and implementation 
• Comfortable representing the organization and policy priorities externally 
• Outstanding analytical and writing skills 
• Recognizes ways that race and ethnicity, gender, and other identities intersect in postsecondary access and success 
• Understands the historical context for racial inequity and its present-day implications, and is driven to make creative and concrete changes through advancing systemic change
• Deeply believes that racial equity and social justice are important and is comfortable communicating about race and ethnicity, gender, and other identities in plain (non-euphemistic) and specific terms 
• Able to hear, reflect, and act on feedback regarding identity and equity with the aim to learn 
• Is a creative, intellectually curious self-starter with a strong work ethic, high standards, and integrity 
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and results-driven 
• Experience managing a portfolio of projects or bodies of work 
• Proficient in Google Docs and Sheets, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint 

Preferred qualifications 

• Master’s degree in public policy, education, or related field 
• Knowledge of California’s higher education and workforce systems 
• Experience managing staff 

Compensation 

• Full-time, exempt position
• Starting salary range: $120,000-$150,000
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental benefits; voluntary 403(b) plan and vision benefits.
• A minimum of 10 vacation days (increases with time at organization), plus 14 employer-observed holidays and two floating holidays, sick leave, and winter office closure.

Application Process

To apply, please fill out the application using BambooHR and include a résumé, cover letter, and writing sample. Priority review of applications will begin on February 9, 2026. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

If you have any questions, please contact careers@californiacompetes.org. 

California Competes is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.