Community Engagement and Policy Director

NAYA Family Center seeks an experienced community leader to be our first Community Engagement and Policy Director. NAYA is one of Portland, Oregon’s oldest and most respected nonprofits and is a model for urban Native-serving organizations across the country.

This is a robust leadership position with an exciting portfolio of responsibilities, including leading NAYA’s Action Fund (501c4), as well as overseeing the Portland Youth and Elders Council, the LEAD (Leadership, Entrepreneurial, Apprenticeship, and Design) Program and other important programs in Oregon and SW Washington. The Community Engagement and Policy Director is a member of NAYA’s leadership team of Directors, reporting to the CEO and leading a high functioning team of four community engagement, advocacy, and policy professionals.

NAYA offers an exceptional benefits package, including free medical, dental and vision insurance for employees (and affordable care for family), 401(k) retirement plan with 6% match, paid vacation and paid holidays. This is a hybrid role, working up to 2 days/week from home after onboarding is complete. Occasional travel to Salem, SW Washington and Olympia is required.

Pay is $125,000/year or higher, depending on experience.

Who You Are

• You have at least five years of experience in advocacy or policy.
• You have direct experience working with elected officials and policy makers.
• Ideally, you have experience working in a 501c4 organization.
• Ideally, you have two years of experience leading a team.
• Ideally, you have lived or work experience in the Native community. If you don’t have this experience, you will need to commit to learning Native history and culture while you are in this role.
• You have a large network of personal and professional contacts and you would be meeting people and growing your community even if it wasn’t your job.
• You enjoy public speaking and seek out these opportunities to inform and inspire others.
• You are a strategic thinker. You can shift easily between big picture planning and checking the details.
• Ideally, you have experience working with Every Action, Voter Activation Network, Bill Tracker or similar systems.

What You'll Do

• Lead NAYA’ Action Fund (501c4). Plan agendas and develop board materials for NAYA Action Fund (c4) board meetings.
• Manage partisan and non-partisan electoral power building and advocacy throughout Oregon and Washington. Provide clear policy analysis and strategic recommendations.
• Lead NAYA’s Engagement, Advocacy and Policy Department of four high performing employees. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and accountability on your team.
• Lead Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable’s advocacy priorities. Oversee the Portland Youth and Elders Council and the LEAD (Leadership, Entrepreneurial, Apprenticeship, and Design) Program.
• Partner with NAYA’s c-suite leadership to develop donor cultivation and unrestricted giving for the NAYA Action Fund.
• Write grants and reports to sustain the NAYA Action Fund (c4) and Family Center (c3) programs.
• Oversee the creation of compelling content for the Action Fund’s website, social media, newsletters, videos, and print materials.
• Serve on NAYA’s leadership team of Directors, providing organization-wide leadership and strategic planning.
• Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Board of Directors to develop and implement annual work plans and budgets aligned to NAYA’s strategic plan.

Read the full job description.

Questions? Want to chat about this role before you decide to apply? Contact Michelle Valintis, NAYA Recruiter.

When you apply, please include a cover letter describing your interest in the position and working at NAYA.