Title: Director of Policy & Advocacy
Job Type: Full-time, exempt
Location: Remote, occasional travel
Salary: $95,000 to $115,000
Deadline to Apply: April 14, 2024

Job Summary

The Director of Policy and Advocacy will work closely with the CEO and stakeholders to maximize NABS’s presence and impact in moving our Boarding School Healing advocacy agenda forward with local, Tribal, state, national and international government levels. Leadership responsibilities will include providing advocacy, technical advice, legislative analysis, coalition-building, stakeholder engagement and policy research to NABS.

In this role, the Director of Policy and Advocacy will contribute to strategies that advance NABS’s long term goals, including: articulating the mission of the coalition to public officials and decision makers;raising the visibility of the coalition in national advocacy arenas;assisting in educating key audiences such as NABS’s coalition members, Tribal leaders, faith-based organizations, and other vital stakeholders about the history and legacy of Indian boarding schools;and highlighting the coalition as a primary source of information related to the history and impact of Indian boarding schools and measures needed to bring about healing. The Director of Policy and Advocacy reports to the CEO and provides strategic policy advocacy guidance to the entire organization will have 1 direct report.

About Us

NABS is boldly leading the movement for truth, justice and healing for Indigenous peoples impacted by U.S. Indian boarding schools. We are Indigenous led with 100% of the Board of Directors and Officers being Native American and Alaska Native.

• We are a coalition of 1,200 members and growing, including Tribal Nations, Tribal enrolled individuals, allies, and organizations.
• We use our coalition voice to educate others about the truth of the Indian boarding school policies, experiences, and genocidal legacy.
• We expose the truth about Indian boarding schools through research and education.
• We lead action towards justice and healing for our children, families, and communities.
• We advocate for accountability through policy change at all levels, including the call for a federal Truth and Healing Commission on Indian boarding schools.
• We make resources available to raise awareness and support healing from the intergenerational trauma Native peoples continue to experience.
• We are publicly launching the National Indian Boarding School Digital Archive (NIBSDA) this year, a first-of-its-kind Digital Asset Management System capable of organizing and displaying historical boarding school records and materials for every identified boarding school institution.

What you will do:

• Advancing NABS’s federal policy priorities to key allies and decision makers.
• Contributing to the development and execution of a strategy to advance our public policy education and advocacy agenda at all governmental levels.
• Leading NABS’s work to position the coalition, our partners, and our agenda strategically and powerfully with policymakers and influencers.
• Collaborating with NABS’s CEO, staff and key stakeholders in cultivating and building powerful relationships with policymakers and influencers, in service of our agenda and our partners.
• Cultivating NABS’s relationships with the Tribal governments, federal administration, Congress, and regulatory agencies, including:
  • Participating in coalition building strategies at the national level and maintaining key relationships with Tribal Nations and other stakeholder organizations.
  • Providing reliable, timely analysis and strategic leadership on NABS’s policy education and advocacy activities at the local, national, and international levels.
  • Developing and disseminating materials regarding education, advocacy and legislative developments to national partners, and policy makers.
  • Ensuring the involvement of coalition members, Tribal leaders, and stakeholder organizations in promoting agreed upon priorities.
  • Helping to facilitate educational opportunities for stakeholders to be in contact with their member of Congress, the Administration and other policy makers.
• Conducting and/or commissioning research as necessary.
• Taking other steps necessary to develop and advance NABS’s advocacy priorities.

What You Bring

Must Haves:

• Extensive experience in a leadership role in representing an organization on issues of importance to Native American communities.
• Extensive knowledge of legislative and administrative processes.
• Excellent advocacy, consensus-building, coalition-building, and leadership skills; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other staff and other organizations;
• Relationships with key external power holders and a demonstrated ability to build relationships and work with groups and individuals across the political spectrum.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and oral; experience as a public spokesperson and advocate; ability to analyze and articulate legal concepts and other complex issues and to communicate them to a variety of audiences; a “quick study” on a dynamic array of issues.
• A broad understanding of federal policies that pertain to Native American communities.
• A bachelor’s degree in law, policy, political science, or related field or equivalent experience.

Nice to Haves:

• The ability to produce consistent, quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Expertise and experience in working with Tribal Nations.
• Understanding of and commitment to social change through building the capacity and power of Native American, Tribal, faith-based communities and other supporters to participate directly in educating others.
• Demonstrated commitment to community organizing and ability to work constructively with grassroots partners. To thrive in this role, candidates will bring innovation and new ideas. We are looking for candidates who are clear communicators, adaptable, reliable, socially, and emotionally intelligent, inquisitive learners and who are collaboratively oriented, while being able to work independently.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This position is salaried between $95,000 and $115,000 annually. Benefits include health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance with full premiums paid by NABS for the employee and 75% paid by NABS for dependents/partner, a 401(k) match up to 4% of salary, and paid family leave for qualifying events. Employees earn four weeks of paid time off each year and get paid winter break the last two weeks of December. 

The successful candidate will work with a dynamic team committed to Native communities. We strongly encourage applications from Native peoples with experience working with Native communities. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This position is 40 hours a week with heavy computer use.
• Current staff are in Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern time zones, keeping 9 am to 5 pm hours in their respective time zones. Some flexibility required.
• This position is remote with at least 25% travel covered by NABS to national conferences and Washington DC for legislative purposes.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, priority will be given to those applications received by April 14, 2024. Please email your application as one PDF to Chiyomi McKibbin at Chiyomi@movementtalent.org with “NABS Director of Policy and Advocacy” in the subject line.

Applications must include the following in one PDF:

• Cover letter (no more than 1 page) answering the following questions:
  • Why are you interested in this position?
  • What values or lived experiences do you have that connect to our mission?
  • What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Three professional references with titles, emails, phone numbers, and relationship

NABS is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a work environment free of all forms of discrimination, harassment, and violence. All employment and contracting decisions are based on merit, competence, performance, and organizational needs. NABS prioritizes work to empower and include people from Indigenous communities who have been impacted by U.S. Indian Boarding School policies.

We are proud of our collaborative and wellness-focused culture where all people feel safe to bring their whole selves. Our culture attracts top talent with shared values that form the foundation of a great work environment!