Director of Advocacy & Public Affairs

The Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs is responsible for developing and implementing programs to create grassroots support for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey (PPMNJ)’s advocacy and public affairs initiatives. This position oversees relationship development with the advocacy manager, volunteers, patients, coalition partners, and key community contacts and acts in collaboration with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ). This position requires some travel and may include nights and weekends.

Essential Functions

• Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey (PPMNJ)
• 1. Communicates the CEO’s vision and the mission of PPMNJ to the public, stakeholders, and elected officials to achieve affiliate visibility and affect change in policy and regulations.
• 2. Works with the Vice President of Development and External Affairs to build partnerships and engage with elected officials and community partners throughout Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties.
• 3. Represents PPMNJ at local, state, and national meetings.
• 4. Sources and organizes opportunities for PPMNJ to increase visibility across our service area. This includes but is not limited to public speaking at events and tabling.
• 5. Supervises the Advocacy Manager, and the Departments Fellows and Interns’ day-to-day activities in public affairs and advocacy.
• 6. Develops and expands the Public Advocacy Program (PAP) and executes programming with the Advocacy Manager to:
  • a. Strategize to scale up the Healthy Neighborhood Engagement Program (NEP) throughout PPMNJ’s underserved service area, including Irvington and Clifton cities.
  • b. Plan and coordinate Get Out the Vote campaigns annually with the PPAFNJ to engage volunteers and supporters in non-partisan GOTV efforts.
  • c. Revamp the Health Center Advocacy Program (HCAP) to better meet our patients' needs and overall PAP goals.
  • d. Work in tandem with Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey and PPAFNJ to co-lead the Storytelling Bureau.
• 7. Creates collateral materials for public affairs, HCAP, PAP, Youth Organizing Programs, Fellowship Programs, Youth Advisory Board (YAB), the Get Out the Vote Campaign, and HNEs with the assistance of the Director of Communications.
• 8. Engages volunteers in C-3 allowable lobbying opportunities at the State Capital.
• 9. Represents PPMNJ on local advocacy task forces and organizations like NJ Institute for Local Justice and THRIVE Coalition.
• 10. Recruits, trains and manages a YAB comprised of high school and college students tasked with creating and implementing programming to understand how young people, ages 16-24, understand their reproductive healthcare needs. The YAB will train participants in advocacy and outreach efforts; create programs to reach out to their peers and communities; and report their findings to PPMNJ’s Board of Directors.
• Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ)
• 1. Participates in regular strategy calls with the PPAFNJ.
• 2. Represents PPMNJ’s mission and PPAFNJ’s policy positions when speaking to external audiences.
• 3. Assists with establishing the support of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), PPAFNJ, PPMNJ’s public policy priorities.
• 4. Engages community stakeholders (organizations, bureaucrats, and individuals) in our work through creative partnerships and activities to influence policy goals.
• 5. Works with the PPAFNJ on organizing elections and campaigns to maximize the impact of official policy and legislative work.
• 6. Works in collaboration with PPAFNJ’s Executive Director to implement strategy, draft and execute campaign plans, and manage deliverables needed to achieve advocacy efforts across the state.
• 7. Ensures compliance with conditions of 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and PAC guidelines for approved activities.

$85,000 - $95,000 a year