Director, Policy Lab

Work Authorization: Candidates must already be authorized to work in the U.S.

Salary Range:  $100,000 - $160,000 depending on experience 

Role and Responsibilities  

ideas42 is looking for a seasoned policy professional to join its senior team, leading and building ideas42’s policy lab. This person will be responsible for translating behavioral insights into specific and actionable policy recommendations, drafting legislation and regulation, and collaborating and coordinating with other organizations to get those recommendations enacted at federal, state, and local levels.

The Policy Director will report to the Executive Director, and work closely with ideas42’s Managing Directors, who oversee our various strategic focus areas (e.g. safety and justice, post-secondary education, economic justice, U.S. health, etc.). The policy lab’s current focus is on issues related to economic justice and poverty policy (e.g. benefits, admin burden, housing. etc), but will grow to encompass most of the areas ideas42 works on as we raise funds and add staff. The Policy Director will set and evolve specific policy priorities for the organization, in collaboration with senior leadership, and will recruit and manage additional policy team members and outside consultants as the lab grows. 

This is a unique opportunity for a candidate with entrepreneurial spirit to grow the policy lab at ideas42 and establish themselves as a thinker and leader in applying behavioral science policy. A significant focus of the policy lab is to translate insights from behavioral science into the specific language needed for changes in statutes, rules, and/or regulations at the federal, state, and local level.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading ideas42’s policy efforts
• Monitoring legislative and regulatory developments
• Working with the Executive Director and Managing Directors to set policy priorities and execute them
• Overseeing and conducting background research on prioritized policy topics to understand the current landscape 
• Drafting legislative and regulatory language that translates insights from behavioral science into specific policy changes
• Leveraging and expanding the ideas42 network, building relationships with advocacy organizations, elected officials and executive agency leaders 
• Participating in national coalitions and building strategic alliances to amplify and enact proposed policy changes
• Writing policy position papers and white papers in conjunction with other Senior team members that support specific policy recommendations
• Helping raise funds to support the growth of the policy lab (20% of the policy director’s time will be spent on fundraising)
• Building and managing a policy team 
• Selecting and managing outside consultants to fill in shorter term gaps on the policy team

Qualifications 

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in policy or related fields
• 10+ years of full-time relevant work experience
• Substantial experience in policy matters related to economic justice and poverty
• Significant experience drafting legislative and regulatory language at the federal or state level
• Experience building & working in coalitions of organizations to pass laws or regulatory change
• General awareness of and basic knowledge about the field of behavioral science, and expressed interest in learning more
• Experience managing others
• Excellent written and verbal communication with a commitment to high-quality output
• Low-ego, excels at collaboration with others
• Mission-aligned, self-starter, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 
• Some experience with fundraising and business development

Preferred qualifications 

• Master's degree or equivalent practical experience such as a JD
• Deep expertise in behavioral science
• Experience in other policy areas where ideas42 works besides economic justice and poverty (e.g. education, climate change, public health, social protection, criminal justice, financial health)
• Experience managing and working across functions in an organization with multiple issue areas 
• Experience managing a team of more than 3 people

About ideas42 

We’re a non-profit looking for deep insights into human behavior—into why people do what they do—and using that knowledge in ways that help improve lives, build better systems, and drive social change. Working globally, we reinvent the practices of institutions, and create better products and policies that can be scaled for maximum impact.

We also teach others, ultimately striving to generate lasting social impact and create a future where the universal application of behavioral science powers a world with optimal health, equitable wealth, and environments and systems that are sustainable and just for all.

For the past 15 years, we’ve been at the forefront of applying behavioral science in the real world. And as we’ve developed our expertise, we’ve helped to define an entire field. Our efforts have so far extended to 55 countries as we’ve partnered with governments, foundations, NGOs, private enterprises, and a wide array of public institutions.

We value diversity and inclusion and are dedicated to growing our teams with people who have diverse experiences, backgrounds, and skills. We are committed to fair and unbiased hiring practices that support equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, ethnicity, gender, national origin, age, abilities, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Working with Us 

We are a culture-first organization where rules or processes do not take precedence – people and their ability to make well-reasoned decisions do. You’ll find that our team members are deeply caring, smart, and both tenacious and rigorous in their work. We are committed to building an inclusive team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. 

Our core values are at the heart of everything at ideas42: 

• We live and breathe what we do. We look at everything through a BEHAVIORAL LENS. 
• We take OWNERSHIP. We don’t just work at ideas42, we take shared responsibility for it. 
• We DO GOOD. We use our expertise to improve millions of lives and create a better world for all. 
• We have fun. We let PLAYFULNESS inform the way we work and our approach to the world, helping to drive our creativity and improve our solutions. 
• We live with a SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY. We approach our colleagues, partners and people whose lives we seek to improve with an attitude of selflessness and cooperation. 
• We are TENACIOUS. We never take the easy route, but push to stretch the limits of what’s possible. 
• We are RIGOROUS in how we think and how we tackle problems. 

Benefits

We hope that you are excited by the opportunity to work with us. We are proud to offer a comprehensive and behaviorally designed benefits package and other perks to support our team and allow us to focus on our work of solving tough social problems.  

• Insurance: We offer fully-covered medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage for you and your families. 
• 401(k) Match: We contribute 3%, even if you don’t contribute at all. 
• Generous Vacation and Paid Time Off: We’ve built infrastructure to encourage our team to rest and recharge throughout the year.  
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Fitness benefits
• Dependent Care Accounts
• Phone benefits including reimbursement towards a new smart phone
• Professional Development fund
• Loan Forgiveness: Based on our 501(c)3 status, you are able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  

Application Process Overview

The ideas42 application process has four stages:

• Application: Submit your application and resume
• First Round Interview: Selected candidates will be invited to interview with an ideas42 program team member
• Case Study: Selected candidates will receive a short assignment, to be completed over approx. 1 week
• Final Round Interview: Selected candidates will be invited to interview with an ideas42 senior team member. References will also be requested and contacted during this time.