Job | Hep C Policy Analyst @ VOCAL-NY

A substantial portion of the Policy Analyst’s role will be to support the growth of a campaign to end New York’s hepatitis C epidemic, including through the support of a newly established NYS Hepatitis C Coalition. This work will include working closely with community organizing staff to promote the involvement of people affected by hepatitis C.

The Policy Analyst will also be expected to support a variety of campaigns related to harm reduction and drug policy reform. Examples of current campaign activities include:

• Expanding sterile syringe access by passing legislation to fully legalize syringe possession and budget appropriations to increase harm reduction funding.
• Efforts to establish supervised injection facilities through the SIF NYC campaign.
• Activism targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers for price gouging on essential medicines.
• Work toward increasing drug policy coordination across NYC government agencies.
• Track federal funding for housing and housing needs in NYC and surrounding counties and produce campaign materials to support campaigns for increased housing resources.

Job Responsibilities:

• Policy research and analysis: Monitor state and city legislation and prepare briefings and materials for VOCAL members and staff. Research and writing for policy proposals.

• Coalition Building and Grassroots Organizing: Promote the active involvement of directly affected people, healthcare and social service providers, community leaders, and civic organizations in the hepatitis C campaign by conducting outreach and recruitment activities, leadership development and other training activities, and providing support for coalition meetings and events.

• Media and Communications: Identify people directly affected by the issues we work on and allies for media and communications activities. Respond to media inquiries. Prep advocates speaking to the media. Draft op-eds, letters to the editor and quotes on behalf of advocates.

• Support Other VOCAL Campaigns: The position will be expected to periodically provide support for any and all community organizing and campaign work within VOCAL-NY. We have a highly collaborative office environment where staff members provide regular support for each other’s campaigns as needed.

Requirements / Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be an energetic, self-motivated individual who has strong inter-personal, public speaking, writing, and problem solving skills. Candidates must demonstrate interest in HCV, harm reduction, and drug policy reform and a willingness to approach these issues through a racial justice analysis.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A Bachelor’s degree. An advanced degree in public health, public policy, social work policy, or another relevant discipline (or equivalent work experience) is preferred.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced environment with sometimes unpredictable hours and shifting assignments.
• A strong commitment to teamwork and to working with and promoting the leadership of people directly affected by the issues we work on.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• At least two years’ experience at the national or local level in public policy advocacy, with experience in New York City and State preferred.
• Knowledge of New York City and State budget and legislative processes.
• Demonstrated substantive strength in one or more key areas of VOCAL-NY’s work.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings and trainings, coordinate coalitions, and develop partnerships among a wide and diverse array of stakeholders.
• At least a basic understanding of statistics and public health research methods.
• Proficiency with common business software (e.g. MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email clients). Experience with graphic design or photography or video including editing software is a plus.

This is a full-time position. The position will report to the Policy Director and will work collaboratively with other members of the policy and community organizing staff.

The position will be based in Brooklyn, but will require regular travel to Albany and other parts of New York State, including occasional overnight travel, as well as attendance at evening and weekend meetings.

Compensation:

The salary range will be commensurate with experience. VOCAL-NY offers a generous benefits package of twenty days of paid vacation, a 100% employer-covered health and dental insurance plan, and 403(b) retirement plan.

Organizational Background

VOCAL-NY is a grassroots membership organization dedicated to building the power of low-income people affected by the drug war, mass incarceration, the HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C epidemics, and homelessness to create healthy and just communities. We accomplish this through community organizing, activism, and public policy advocacy. You can learn more about our work through our website and Facebook and Twitter pages.