Public Policy Manager, Houston Office
Position Summary: Tahirih is seeking a passionate, engaged, and energetic individual to enable us to expand Houston’s public policy capacity. Public policy advocacy is an integral and fast-growing element of Tahirih’s mission, locally and nationally, as we work to transform the policies and practices that directly impact immigrant survivors of violence.
The Public Policy Manager for the Houston Office is responsible for developing and advancing effective local and state strategies to advance immigrant survivors’ ability to obtain safety and dignity under the law. The Public Policy Manager will work directly with the Executive Director of the Houston Office and the National Chief of Policy to move policymakers to enact policies and procedures that ensure immigrant survivors of gender based violence are able to obtain access to critical legal protections and social services. This Public Policy Manager will develop and advance strategies, media campaigns, trainings and other policy initiatives to hold local, state and federal representatives of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice accountable to their own policies. S/he will manage a Community Engagement Organizer and a Communications Associate. Policy activities include planning and executing consultations and forums on policy issues, actively engaging with law enforcement, community stakeholders and immigrant coalitions, and drafting letters, memos, reports, and other outward facing publications.
Primary Responsibilities
• Lead the development and execution of creative strategies at the state Capital and regionally to create policies and practices that ensure immigrant survivors have timely and full access to critical legal protections
• Provide in-depth research and draft policy, advocacy and work with the communication team to produce action alerts, backgrounders, talking points, advocacy updates, press releases, op-eds/letters to the editor, testimony, articles for publication, website content to advocate/educate on local and state policies that hamper immigrant survivors’ ability to obtain safety and justice
• Develop strategies to push for state-wide legislation and policy changes that protect immigrant survivors of violence
• Deliver speeches, briefings and presentations on Tahirih’s policy initiatives
• Monitor legislative, administrative and judicial developments at the state and local levels to shape policy priorities and initiatives
• Ensure coordination and collaboration between Houston’s client services and policy teams
• Lend support to Tahirih’s national efforts to secure stronger protections for immigrant survivors of under the United States’ asylum laws, Violence Against Women Act, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, among others.
• Serve as the Houston’s office primary liaison to the national public policy team, and coordinate to promote awareness, shift policies, and increase civic engagement around key policy issues
Minimum Qualifications
• Five years’ relevant experience
• Law degree
• Legislative experience at the state or federal level
• Strong project manager with demonstrated ability to develop and implement advocacy and communication strategies
• Nimble across disciplines and subjects related to Tahirih’s mission, including human trafficking, domestic violence, forced marriage, asylum access, and immigration
• Ability to persuasively communicate orally and in writing Tahirih’s policy platform to a variety of audiences
• Commitment to Tahirih’s mission, clients and non-partisan advocacy style
Desired Qualifications
• Broad and deep knowledge of the impact of state and federal policies on immigrant survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and other harms
• Excellent research and writing skills, with great attention to detail
• Prior experience using in-kind services to meet policy objectives
• Experience writing research reports