Director of Advocacy: Tech Goes Home
Make a difference in 2020 (and beyond)!
Digital inequity denies millions of Americans the opportunity to succeed, systematically reinforces entrenched inequalities in academic and economic opportunities and health outcomes, and disproportionately impacts low income communities and communities of color. Using your experience in federal, state, and local policy and advocacy, as the Director of Advocacy, you can advance Tech Goes Home's work to address digital inequality once and for all.
About Tech Goes Home
Technology, internet connectivity, and training are critical to giving students, adults, and seniors access to the essential services and opportunities provided by the digital world. Tech Goes Home (TGH) collaborates with individuals, organizations, and institutions to provide all three, but decision makers at all levels of government need to join this effort and need resources to understand digital equality and how to achieve it. You can make that happen by joining TGH as its first Director of Advocacy and ensuring everyone can take advantage of the opportunities the digital world offers.
TGH has successfully demonstrated that their model helps students improve their grades, parents engage with teachers, seniors access health care safely and remotely, and the unemployed get and keep better jobs. TGH partners with the community institutions--schools, nonprofits, health centers--whose populations are missing out on the digital world, and provides the course framework, device, and Internet access individuals need to participate in our digital world. Working across Greater Boston, and in demand as a thought leader and advisor to communities across the country, Tech Goes Home is among the country's most effective solutions for closing the digital divide.
The Position
The Director of Advocacy is a new position that will launch Tech Goes Home's effort to support public sector decision makers as they consider and tackle the challenges of digital inequity, laid bare during the pandemic. As an experienced government affairs director, advocate or community organizer, or political campaign manager, the Director will lead the development and implementation of public policy and advocacy initiatives that impact participation in the digital world. The Director will be responsible for planning, developing, and executing on local, state, and federal advocacy and education, including growing the number of advocates for this issue. Working with TGH's partners, the Director will plan, develop, and implement community-wide advocacy and education efforts that invite individuals and organizations to work together to tackle digital inequity.
As TGH's first Director of Advocacy, the successful candidate will develop an annual advocacy plan that brings better understanding of these issues, greater access to the three pillars of digital equity, and funding for these resources to more people in need. The Director will cultivate and motivate allies both among decision makers and within TGH's community of partners and supporters. This position requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, a proven track record in developing and advancing an advocacy agenda, government affairs savvy, outstanding self motivation and organization, and a commitment to data driven measures of success. Collaborating with TGH's outstanding team, the Director must also be able to work independently.
Responsibilities
As Tech Goes Home launches its advocacy work, the Director's responsibilities are likely to evolve and grow. A "growth mindset" and comfort with uncertainty or rapid change will be assets in this position. Success will likely be demonstrated by increased public and decision maker understanding of the issue, greater resources to tackle digital inequity, broad and effective coalitions to advance the work, and recognition that digital inequity prevents full participation in our world. Among the responsibilities we imagine will be essential to the success of the position are the following:
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Bringing your own established and broad network of public decision makers to advance understanding of Tech Goes Home's mission and the issue of digital equity to a larger audience.
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Establish initiatives, collaborations, events, campaigns, press opportunities, and other methods for Tech Goes Home's thought leadership on digital equity to be recognized and tapped, particularly as pandemic recovery and relief efforts move forward.
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Develop the strategic direction and specific action plan for TGH's public sector and advocacy initiatives, ensuring integration with the central program that provides technology, training, and Internet access to under-served communities.
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Develop relationships and meet often with key public policy stakeholders, including elected federal representatives and staff, state officials, and business and nonprofit leaders.
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Represent TGH on related committees or other opportunities to advance understanding of the issue and TGH's work.
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Establish outcomes and measure progress against such outcomes for TGH's advocacy efforts.
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Lead efforts that inform, engage, and organize board members, partners, instructors, and other supporters in TGH advocacy work.
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Collaborate with the TGH fundraising team to identify and advance opportunities for funding this work, either from the public sector or through collaboration with partners or other leaders.
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Provide leadership in messaging for all aspects of TGH to amplify the issue of digital equity and TGH's model for addressing this issue.
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Develop a deep understanding of the TGH program, TGH partners, and digital equity overall to contribute to thought leadership and to facilitate opportunities for advocacy and public engagement.
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After developing digital equity expertise, lead efforts to spot and understand emerging trends in digital equity policy to position both TGH and its community as effective influencers.
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Serve as an enthusiastic member of a small team, contributing to your colleagues success whenever possible and without waiting for them to request assistance.
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Represent Tech Goes Home's values externally, understanding that TGH's learners are often among the least represented in the public arena.
TGH is fundamentally an organization built on the principle that digital inequity has its roots in systemic racism and perpetuates poverty and unequal opportunity. Candidates must demonstrate a thorough understanding of this concept and preferably have experience advocating for systemic change. The successful candidate will demonstrate much, but not necessarily all, of the following professional experiences and personal attributes.
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Minimum of seven to ten years previous experience in politics, advocacy, government affairs, lobbying, or a related field, with proven success in relationship management for a cause or issue.
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Past success balancing external engagement--initiating meetings, events, or forums--with substantive message development and strategy.
Examples of past coalitions or community organizing for which you were the primary leader and advanced a social cause.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly in synthesizing important concepts for non-experts, the media, political leaders, and/or the public.
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Lived experience with the challenges of digital equity is valuable and valued at Tech Goes Home.
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Facility with one or more of the languages spoken by TGH's learners is a plus. These include Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole.
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The ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with people of different races, cultures, socio economic backgrounds, educational levels, and perspectives is necessary. Doing so with a good sense of humor is a plus.
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The ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects simultaneously, strong self-motivation, and the ability to work independently with limited supervision.
Personal qualities including resourcefulness, attention to detail, resilience, enthusiasm for change, and patience for the time it takes.
TGH strives to offer competitive salaries and benefits, within the nonprofit field. Paid time off, extremely generous benefits, and a real commitment to work/life balance are standard. Professional development is guaranteed as you learn about the workings of a small, rapidly growing nonprofit. Salary range is subject to clarification as this is a new position but is estimated to be $80-$100,000.
At this time, all TGH staff are working from home, with assistance for the resources needed to do so. When it is safe, TGH will evaluate conditions to determine how to resume in-office working and anticipates that access to Boston, TGH partners across Greater Boston, and civic leaders and forums across the area will be necessary for this position. TGH, in general, permits employees to work from home when needed, but when conditions are safe, will expect the Director to work alongside and build rapport with the TGH team.
TGH is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. TGH is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages women and people of color to apply.
To Apply
Tech Goes Home is working with Carolyn O'Brien Consulting, LLC on this search. To apply, label your resume and cover letter, preferably in PDF format with your last name and "resume" or "cover letter" and forward to TGH@carolynobrien.org.
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