Housing Legislative & Campaign Manager

About California Calls

California Calls (501c3) and its sister organization California Calls Action Fund (501c4) is a powerful alliance of 30 local community-based organizations spanning urban, rural and suburban counties across the state. We engage, educate and motivate new and infrequent voters, including young people, communities of color, and poor and working-class neighborhoods to make sure who votes in California reflects who lives in California. Through our bottom-up approach, we organize people most impacted by decades of disinvestment, deteriorating public services, mass incarceration and growing inequality in support of systemic, progressive policy solutions. Working together and building the power of communities who are often left out of policy decisions, we believe we can reclaim the California Dream of equality, opportunity, and prosperity for all Californians.

With our headquarters in Los Angeles, remote staff based in the Bay Area, and partner organizations anchored in 14 counties, we advance state-based structural battles that strengthen democracy, fully fund schools, affordable housing and local services, and expand racial, gender and economic justice. Knowing no one organization alone can win the bold policies needed to address poverty and inequality, we strengthen the capacity and build collaborations with organizations across the state to build a strong movement capable of winning structural change.

The Opportunity: Housing Legislative and Campaign Manager

California is facing a set of housing crises that profoundly impacts a broad set of social and economic outcomes for individuals, communities, and our state as a whole. Resolving the complicated issues at stake requires many solutions, but a growing cross section of power building organizations, equity advocates and other progressive leaders recognize that solutions within the current housing system will not lead to safe, affordable, stable housing for all Californians, particularly those at the lowest income levels. To achieve this vision, we need to invest in building a social housing system that holds a substantial supply of housing permanently off the speculative market. 

California Calls is seeking a Legislative and Campaign Manager to help lead analysis, research and campaign development for a new campaign to build public support and advance structural solutions to expand Social Housing in California.  Working with an incredible team of organizers, policy experts, coalition builders and ally organizations, the Legislative and Campaign Manager will research and analyze policy solutions to California’s housing crisis, help build alignment around policy demands and campaign strategy with our coalition partners, and help lead and organize our anchors and partners to engage in campaign activities

As the Legislative and Campaign Manager you will..

Help lead policy and legislative research and analysis to identify structural and stepping stone policy solutions and strategies to advance the goal of large scale Social Housing.

Be responsible for implementing campaign strategies and tactics, including lobby visits, grassroots lobbying campaigns, and events and mobilizations. 

Work with our field, coalition organizers and strategic communications staff and our coalition partners to build alignment and agreements around demands and activities.

Track and train our staff and partners on the political landscape and the strategies to build and exercise power to win our demands.

Specifically this means you will…

Manage Research and Policy Analysis:

  • Research, analysis, tracking and advocacy of policies, including pending legislation, the formulation of new bills, and ballot initiatives specifically for housing, but potentially other California Calls policy priorities such as Democracy Reforms, Tax and Budgeting Reforms, and Criminal Justice. 
  • Conduct policy, legislative and campaign research
  • Consistently track the state legislative landscape around key issue policy areas
  • Develop written analyses (memos, fact sheets) and presentations of findings into powerpoint presentations to build understanding and alignment with California Calls anchors and partners
  • Apply California Calls analytical tools to shape decisions around campaign priorities and power building strategies including:  Power Analysis, Reform Criteria, Social Change Spectrum, WorldView/Narrative Analysis, Motive Force Analysis 

Help Build Coalitions Building and Implement Campaigns:

  • Provide leadership in the development and implementation of California Calls policy priorities and advocacy work such as sending legislative letters, attending hearings, meetings with legislators and legislative staff
  • Manage California Calls policy and campaign committees
  • Represent California Calls on coalitions, committees, meetings and alliances on policy specific issue areas
  • Provide training materials and conduct training as needed of staff and member organizations on California Calls policy priorities
  • Establish relationships with state lawmakers and allies to influence policy making
  • Assist in the organizing, activation, and coordination of anchors and allies to engage in campaign activities

Organizational Leadership:

  • Effective project management, including developing plans, monitoring project costs, and ensuring goals are met
  • Evaluate progress, identifies patterns and problem areas, and implement effective solutions to increase impact
  • Provide leadership in building internal synergy and coordination between California Calls components; thinks and acts in the best interest of the organization
  • Inspires and motivates staff, anchors and partners to perform at their best and collaboratively 

We are looking for someone who:

  • Has 3-5 years of campaign, policy or organizing experience. A B.A. or graduate degree in public policy, community organizing or related field preferred but not required
  • A strong commitment to social, racial, gender and economic justice and an understanding of the needs of low-income communities in California.
  • Has prior knowledge and experience of state and/or local housing policy. Experience in voting reforms, criminal justice reform, tax and fiscal policies or state government legislative processes and budgeting is a plus.
  • Has a rigorous commitment to accuracy, excellent analytic and writing skills, and is able to work on multiple tasks.
  • Is a self-starter with demonstrated good judgment, critical thinking, flexibility, resourcefulness, and problem-solving abilities.
  • Has strong organizational skills, is detail-oriented, and follows projects through to completion.
  • Has strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with others in a team environment, has experience wrangling stakeholders to secure the necessary input, buy-in and approvals.
  • Has strong knowledge of word processing, powerpoint and spreadsheets.

Compensation and Benefits

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Salary Range: $75,000 – 90,000, depending on experience

Location: Ideally based in the Bay Area or Los Angeles, but can work remotely anywhere in California

Reports to: Policy and Campaign Director

Supervises: N/A

Travel Requirements: Mostly in state, 1-2 times a quarter

Benefits Include:  Full Family Health Insurance, Dental Insurance and Vision Insurance, Medical and Health and Dependent Care, Medical after 30 days of employment and Health and Dependent Care Flex Spending Account after 90 days, 401K plan, 10 paid holiday and accrued vacation time up to 20 days after 7 years of employment.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:  California Calls is an Equal Opportunity Employer, women people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.Vaccination Transparency:  Due to travel requirements and in-person meetings during employment, candidates will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated (Two Doses as well as appropriate booster doses) against COVID-19 before commencing employment.  Reasonable accommodations will be considered on a  case-by-case basis for exemptions to this requirement in accordance with applicable law.

Email resume, cover letter, and three references to Melinda Ealy mealy@calicalls.org .

Women, people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.