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Associate Director of External Affairs

Position Summary

The Forum is seeking a full-time Associate Director of External Affairs to work closely with Forum leadership, state agencies, elected officials, and advocacy partners to identify, analyze, critique, and advocate for policy solutions that elevate immigration, housing, and other issues pertaining to Acuerdo partners and the Illinois Latino Agenda (ILA) coalitions. Under the supervision of the Director of Civic Engagement, this role also serves as the primary liaison to elected officials anddevelops and manages key external relationships including representing the Forum at select external coalitions. This position will play an auxiliary role to the Forum’s Education and Communications departments to coordinate opportunities for dissemination, collaboration, and external affairs.This position works in the Civic Engagement Department which manages the Forum’s housing, immigration, leadership, Illinois Latino Agenda and Acuerdo portfolios.  

Responsibilites

  • Lead staff in monitoring legislative, political, and external environment that could have an impact on Forum’s core issues as well as issues that impact Acuerdo and ILA partners. 
  • In consultation with the Director of Civic Engagement, develops the strategy and coordinatescivic engagement components of Forum legislative work, community partnerships, and external outreach. 
  • Lead liaison,working with team members, responsible for implementing policy and advocacy strategy to elected officials and government partners on housing and immigration issues.  Supports education team on legislative policy.  
  • In consultation with the Civic Engagement Director and relevant Civic Engagement staff, sets and executes the implementation of the vision, strategy, agenda, goals, measure for success, for legislative work and external relationships  
  • Represents the Forum’s perspective and policy positions on select coalitions and issues, and to key elected officials and external stakeholders. 
  • In collaboration with CE Director manage and convene the Acuerdo and ILA coalitions. 
  • Supports CE Director in all departmental internal and external communications to conduct analysis and advance policy priorities developing policy briefs, fact sheets, and press releases, among other documents. 
  • Helps CE Director develop and execute the implementation of strategies and processes that engage community members to increase effective participation in housing and immigration issues and policy agenda.  
  • Provides managerial and supervisory oversight of staff and interns when needed. 
  • Develops the capacity of community members to support legislative activities (e.g., advocacy, testimony development, relationship-building, etc.). 
  • Develop responses and recommendations in support of or against select policies, programs, or systems. Convene stakeholder groups to provide recommendations and input. 
  • Other duties as assigned.