Federal Policy Associate / Specialist

For over 35 years, Youth Villages has transformed the lives of children and families nationwide through innovative, research-based programs focused on preserving and restoring families.

As a national leader in children’s mental and behavioral health, we serve more than 47,000 youth, young people, and their families annually across 29 states and Washington, D.C. Our proven treatment models drive long-term success in child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. At Youth Villages, we do what works — partnering with others to expand our impact and advocate for meaningful, lasting change.

We're seeking purpose-driven individuals who are passionate about making a difference. With a dedicated team of more than 5,000 staff, Youth Villages is committed to investing in and supporting our employees by offering opportunities to build a fulfilling career through professional growth, personal development, and a mission that matters— helping children and families live successfully.

For more information, please visit www.youthvillages.org

Position Overview:

Youth Villages is hiring a leader to serve as a key member of the federal policy team, monitoring federal policy developments of relevance to the organization, representing the organization in internal and external meetings and at events, and helping to inform and advance the organization’s policy priorities. We are looking for someone with deep knowledge of Capitol Hill, the Administration, and federal public policy to drive our ambitious child welfare and mental health advocacy agenda forward. This role involves fostering and nurturing relationships, strengthening partner and community networks, and supporting stakeholders’ efforts and initiatives. The federal policy role will be a central member of the policy team and reports to the Director of Federal Policy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The Federal Policy Associate:
 

Educating Federal Policymakers                                        
 

• Meets directly with staff in Congress, federal agencies, and the White House to advance specific legislative and regulatory priorities

• Builds relationships with policymakers to understand priorities and promote alignment with our agenda 

• Stays abreast of current political developments to identify policy windows for action

Raising Visibility

• Represents Youth Villages at policy and advocacy events that advance the organization as a leader and advisor in family and well-being policy

• Sets up opportunities for Youth Villages to engage in key events, such as Congressional hearings or closed-door meetings

• Establishes opportunities to disseminate policy thought leadership

Building Coalition

• Maintains strong relationships with child welfare and mental health partners

• Forges new relationships with organizations that could collaborate on shared policy priorities

• Participates in coalitions that elevate the role of Youth Villages

Enhancing Team Impact

• Manages policy strategy and otherwise improve efficiency

• Integrates new proposed policies, windows for action, recent related news, and coalition opportunities into planning considerations

• Prepares briefing materials for internal and external meetings

Supporting the Organization

• Handles the administration related to the role, such as lobbying reporting

• Tracks and ensures completion of additional tasks, as needed

Additional Information:

As a member of the BPP Department, the Federal Policy Associate must be flexible with additional job duties, including but not limited to conference attendance.

• Preferred location is Washington, DC with partial remote work schedule

• Up to 15% travel is required, including evening and overnight travel

• Flexible/non-traditional schedule may be required, at times, to meet time-sensitive deadlines

We are seeking candidate who are/have/can:

• Comfortable meeting with Congressional staff independently

• Experience or interest in coalition and stakeholder engagement

• Demonstrated ability to write persuasively and concisely to varying audiences

• Demonstrated ability to analyze federal policy, evaluate policy recommendations, and draft policy language.

• Superior interpersonal skills

• Superior presentation and public speaking skills and demonstrated ability to communicate with a variety of audiences across a variety of platforms and mediums

• Ability to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information

• Work effectively both individually and as part of a small team

• Demonstrated ability as a national subject matter expert to build and maintain relationships and work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external partners and stakeholders

Qualifications:

• Master's degree (preferred)

• Bachelor's degree (required)

  • Specific degrees and coursework in social work, business, public administration, health, public policy, or a related field (preferred)

• Knowledge of issues related to child welfare and transition-age youth (strongly preferred)

• Personal experience with foster care, child welfare, or child protective services (strongly preferred)

• Experience with the federal legislative and political process, and a demonstrated ability to analyze federal funding levels and implications (preferred)

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• Excellent written, verbal, and oral skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (specifically Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and Outlook)

Youth Villages Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug Coverage and Vision

• 401(k)

• Time off:

• • 2 week paid vacation (full-time) / 1 week paid vacation (part-time)

  • 12 paid sick days per year

  • 11 paid holidays

• Paid Parental Leave

• Mileage & Cell Phone Reimbursement (when applicable)

• Tuition reimbursement and licensure supervision

• Growth & development through continuous training

• Clinical and administrative advancement opportunities

*Benefits are excluded for variable status employees.

Youth Villages is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Youth Villages is committed to not only advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace but also in our work with children and young adults. We know that children, families and young people of color can face inequity in child welfare and justice systems, and we train our employees to build the skills they need to work with the communities that we serve, as well as, other employees from different cultures and backgrounds. Youth Villages is opposed to racism in any of its forms and is committed to inclusion, equity, and diversity. We believe that respect for each other is crucial in the work that we do each day.