Director, Advocacy

Do you have a passion for children and education? Would you like to positively impact families in need of help? We want to speak with you!

Step Up For Students empowers families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.

Step Up For Students offers an excellent benefits package:
SUFS Total Rewards

Medical - HSA/FSA - Dental - Vision
Company Paid Disability - Life Insurance
401K Match - Tuition Reimbursement
Generous Time off Policy - Professional Development

JOB SUMMARY
The Director of Advocacy is responsible for the following areas of focus: grassroots engagement, training, mobilization, and organization. This position also oversees the continued development and nurturing of faith leaders and is critical to the ongoing expansion of choice programs to increase the quality, quantity, and competency of choice advocates. The Director of Advocacy will support Policy Innovation and Empowerment by developing and maintaining relationships with parents/guardians, faith leaders, and school and system leaders. The role includes training and mobilizing advocates to participate in events that unite and strengthen the education choice movement across Florida. Additionally, this position will plan and implement events statewide. The Director will take a leadership role in advancing the organization’s mission and will work cross departmentally to ensure parent and guardian feedback is understood and integrated across all areas of the organization. This role is also responsible for developing quality choice advocates to support grassroots awareness and engagement.
The Director of Advocacy reports to the Senior Director of Advocacy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ownership of the strategic creation and management of programming that increases parent and
• advocate engagement and involvement.
• Ownership and management of the programming of Parent Advisory Councils.
• Serve as the primary contact to create and lead advocacy events as needed.
• Locate advocates for internal and external advocacy requests.
• Plan and travel with advocates to meetings in legislative offices, schools, and committee
• meetings.
• Manage relationships with scholarship parents and advocates, faith leaders and other partner
• organizations.
• Leverage relationships and outreach to drive mobilization and advocacy.
• Provide training to advocates and grassroots organizers on advocacy mission and messages.
• Strategize and equip the External Affairs department with ways to engage advocates across the
• state.
• Lead and create process improvements for departments across the company to recruit, retain,
• and engage advocates.
• Support CRM planning, training and execution.
• Collaborate with Director of Community Relations, Sr. Regional Managers but not limited to all
• other departments within Step Up for Students organization to strategically fulfill requests for
• advocates, events, legislative requests, UAT Testing.
• Assist various departments with communications strategy to ensure partners (schools, parents,
• coalitions) support for the company’s legislative goals.
• Serve as a spokesperson when needed.
• Manage Senior Managers and Managers of Advocacy as assigned.
• The above is not an all-inclusive list of all duties performed by this job title, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent may be required to perform

other additional duties as assigned.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Education or closely related field and/or 3-5 years
• professional related experience.
• Demonstrated success and a proven track record in professional/life experience in specific job
• functions, projects, or industries, and military service can substitute for the formal education
• requirements.
• Must be able to work independently and prioritize tasks.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Must be willing to travel extensively and work non-traditional hours.
• Experience with database management, data extraction and reporting.
• Solid knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to parental choice mission.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrates critical Transformation and Leadership skills and abilities: True Collaboration;
• Focusing on Outcomes: Owning and effectively solving problems for today and the future;
• Empathetic Leadership; Adaptability and Resilience; Emotional Intelligence/CEM skills and
• Continuous Development/Continuous Improvement Mindsets
• Strong writing, communication and presentation skills.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Excel, Word,
• PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results.
• Implementation/execution skills (time management, multi-tasking, organizing projects and
• people).
• Ability to manage time and diverse activities under deadlines while delivering quality results.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to follow through.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Works well under pressure, professional demeanor, and strong communication skills (verbal and
• written).
• Judgment and decision-making skills; solution-driven problem solving.
• Interpersonal skills; negotiating, listening, diplomacy and tact.
• Ability to demonstrate appropriate Cognitive Emotional Management

CORE VALUES
Step Up For Students believes strongly in two key core values to carry out their mission of “We empower families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.”:

• Everyone is an asset.
• Every event is an improvement opportunity.

To maintain a positive and effective organizational culture, employees are expected to demonstrate these two core values in their everyday work.

WORKING CONDITIONS & EQUIPMENT USE

• Work is performed indoors in a typical office environment - not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.
• Valid driver license with proof of insurance.
• Must be able to lift up to fifteen (15) pounds.
• Frequent use of office machines to include telephone, computer, and printer.

Step Up For Students is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity & inclusion in the workplace.