Director, Technology Policy, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
About The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. It is the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. The Joint Center uses evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies. Currently, the Joint Center focuses on the future of work for Black workers, the impact of economic policies on Black communities, technology policy and Black communities, congressional staff diversity, and Black presidential appointments.
For more information about The Joint Center please visit its website at: https://jointcenter.org/
The Opportunity
The Joint Center’s Director, Technology Policy will report into the Vice President of Policy and lead a Joint Center technology policy program. The Director will be responsible for building the Joint Center’s expertise and influence on key technology policy issues through research, building the Joint Center’s network of experts, and engaging in public education on timely policy issues affecting Black communities.
The Director, Technology Policy will complete research, write, and move through a rigorous publications process to produce a number of written products, including commentaries/op-eds, blog posts, fact sheets, policy briefs, and reports. To make an impact, the Director will speak to the media, educate policymakers, and provide input on Joint Center social media and other messaging related to technology policy.
The Joint Center is a collaborative organization focused on the needs of many stakeholders in Black communities. The Director, Technology Policy will work with stakeholders, including internal and external scholars, policymakers, private sector thought leaders, advocates, and philanthropy to develop research questions, produce publications, and convene conferences and events.
The Joint Center focuses on several issues related to technology policy and Black communities. The Director, Technology Policy, will lead a program that focuses on issues like platform accountability and content moderation, data privacy, and algorithmic bias.
Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Serve as a leader, ensuring that the Joint Center’s work has maximum impact on the service of Black communities;
- Engage in outreach to identify, deepen relationships with, and work in coalition with community stakeholders, key policymakers, philanthropy, and national partner organizations;
- Represent the Joint Center in coalitions, with the media, at conferences, and at other opportunities for public education on issues of technology policy and Black communities;
- Convene technology experts to develop research questions on the impact on Black communities of technology policy issues;
- Follow developments at relevant agencies and congressional committees, DC technology think tanks, and DC technology-advocacy organizations and participate in broader technology policy debates through op-eds, speaking engagements, meetings, and policy analysis where appropriate;
- Commission and manage external experts in producing commentaries, briefs, and reports related to technology policy topics;
- Produce Joint Center policy publications including commentaries/op-eds, blog posts, fact sheets, policy briefs, and reports;
- Work with the Vice President of Development to engage in donor research, relationship management, and solicitation activities to ensure the sustainability and growth of the Technology program;
- Demonstrate the versatility and vision to support the Joint Center’s growth into new areas.
Candidate Profile
The Joint Center has a small team and operates much like a start-up. The ideal candidate for this position should be entrepreneurial, creative, flexible, and comfortable working in a quickly changing environment. The person should also be a critical thinker, a solid communicator, and able to work on a team effectively.
Additionally, the Director will embody The Joint Center’s cultural principles, including a deep commitment to Black communities in the United States with an unapologetic focus on and prioritization of the needs and preferences of Black people and disseminating accurate data, research, and solutions that reflect Black interests.
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- Graduate or Advanced Degree required;
- 7+ years of experience in research or policy on relevant topics such as platform accountability and content moderation or data privacy and algorithmic bias;
- Commitment to the Joint Center’s values and cultural principles, including commitments to the Joint Center’s mission, to producing rigorous and excellent work that has the most significant positive impact on Black communities, constant feedback and growth, collaboration and respect, and being proactive (reflective, visionary, innovative, calm, strategic, purposeful, organized, and punctual);
- Relevant experience conducting policy analysis and developing technology policy solutions;
- Proven ability to communicate evidence-based policy guidance to key stakeholders, including policymakers, advocates, funders, and the media;
- Demonstrated ability to build and engage a community of experts on various issues and manage internal policy analysts and research assistants as the program grows;
- Previous experience in supervising and growing a team, fundraising, and cultivating funder relationships;
- Established proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability;
- Demonstrated ability to achieve high-performance goals and meet deadlines;
- Highly resourceful team-player;
- Expert-level written and verbal communication skills;
- A forward-looking thinker who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
Compensation & Benefits
The hiring salary range is $140,000 – $160,000. The Joint Center offers a generous benefits package, including medical/dental/life insurance, annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays.
The Joint Center is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Trisha Sutrisno and Amber Gomes of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials here, or email Trisha and Amber directly at tsutrisno@koyapartners.com and agomes@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.