Title: Public Policy Director
Position type: Full-Time, Salaried
Salary: $70,000 annually
Supervisor: Executive Director
Work setting: Position emphasizes working in Nashville, TN, with hybrid and flexible scheduling allowed.
About Tennessee Disability Coalition:
Since 1990, the TN Disability Coalition has worked to create a society that values, supports and includes people with disabilities. We are a passionate, mission-driven team of professionals. Many of us have lived experience with disability. About half of us work remotely from home offices across Tennessee and half work flexible schedules based in the office in Nashville, TN. We are a membership-based organization. Our members include 40+ organizations and a handful of individuals who align with our mission and who work with us to effect change. 35 years since our founding, the TN Disability Coalition has grown to be a respected part of the disability policy landscape at the state legislature and in the public narrative. At the nexus of community and policy, our work turns real-life obstacles into policy solutions.
Position Overview:
The Public Policy Director will serve as an integral part of the Policy Team. This role will lead policy research and analysis, coordinate across the organization and partners to understand the real impact of policy changes and strategize to advance the disability community’s policy goals. This position will represent the organization in the public arena including before academia, media, government officials, disability community and other audiences. This position will include communications and lobbying at the Tennessee General Assembly.
Qualifications:
We’re looking for the right fit. Experience working in disability, law, government administration, policy analysis and/or research would be beneficial to excel in this role.
This role will require:
- Writing experience such as in research publications, grant applications, and/or reports.
- Effective communication skills, including public speaking and an ability to present complex issues or materials to non-specialists.
- Strong work ethic matched by openness to feedback and collaboration.
- Ability to provide task leadership.
- Ability to think independently and challenge conventional wisdom in disability-related public policy.
- Comfort and knowledge using a computer, database and work-related technologies.
- Strong relationship management skills and ability to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds and cultural traditions.
- Ability to travel, as needed, to attend meetings with partners across the state, approximately twice per year.
Principle Duties:
Policy Analysis & Content Development:
- Research and analyze existing and emerging program and policy areas on the federal, state, and local levels that affect Tennesseans with disabilities.
- Develop expertise in disability service systems and policy issues.
- Monitor and analyze implementation of state and federal laws and programs.
- Analyze input from the disability community about the effects of policy changes for their lives and their policy goals.
- Create content, in simple terms, that conveys the impact of government administrative and legislative policy proposals. This will include policy briefs, full-length reports, videos and webinars.
- Advise organization on trends in advocacy that affect programmatic, legislative and administrative strategies.
- Develop policy recommendations for the Coalition’s public policy team and membership.
- Contribute to the growth, expertise, and knowledge of Coalition staff and members.
- Ensure goals and objectives for grants and work projects are met and bring creative ideas to the development of new projects and grants.
Relationship Building & Communications:
- Communicate the Coalition’s policy analysis and positions to community members, funders, member organizations and government officials.
- Gather input, educate and engage stakeholders and partners in public policy projects and initiatives.
- Maintain and develop new relationships and attend relevant conferences and meetings with national and state partners, government officials, and funders.
- Reflect disability-related policy issues and positions through public speaking.
- Support events including annual Disability Day on the Hill to engage the community in advocacy and support relationship building with policymakers.
Position benefits:
The TN Disability Coalition covers 100% of the premiums for full-time employees to enroll in one of two employer-sponsored health plans, a dental plan, basic life policy and short-term disability policy. Full-time employees have supplemental health insurance options, a health savings account, health care flexible spending account and dependent care flexible spending account options.
Mutual of America provides the Coalition’s employer sponsored 403(b) Retirement Plan.
The Coalition matches the amount our employees contribute to the plan dollar for dollar up to 6% of employee salary after the employee has been with the Coalition for one year.
The Coalition observes 12 paid days off for holidays each year. Paid time off (PTO) accrues per pay period (semi-monthly). Annual PTO earning for full time employees who have been employed 0-5 years is 18 days and increases with tenure to a maximum of 32 days per year.
Contact Information and Procedure:
All applications (cover letter, resume and work sample) must be submitted via email to hr@tndisability.org. A work sample can be any format. Examples include but are not limited to: written material such as a report, blog post or project plan, graphic material such as a flyer or social media post, material from a work or volunteer project, etc.
The Tennessee Disability Coalition is committed to providing equal opportunities to volunteers, employees, applicants for employment and those seeking our services, consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. No person will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The Coalition requires that each employee adhere to the same standard of non-discrimination. Each employee is required to have a signed Non-Discrimination Policy statement on file.
In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, the Tennessee Disability Coalition will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations.
Position title: Family Voices of Tennessee Director
Position type: Full-time, Salaried
Salary: $70,000 annually
Organization: Family Voices of Tennessee (FVTN), a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition
Supervised by: Tennessee Disability Coalition Executive Director
Work setting: Family Voices of Tennessee has a main office and meeting space located in Nashville, TN. The organization allows hybrid and flexible scheduling. Some in-person work (up to 20% of time in Nashville, TN) will be required in order to fulfill the essential functions of the job.
About us: Family Voices of Tennessee is a program staffed by families to support families raising children with disabilities, special health care needs and chronic illnesses. We connect families with each other, community resources and tools to navigate the health care system. We educate and train families to help them become effective advocates for their children and professionals on how to partner in family-centered care. We strive to improve public policy for children with special health care needs, chronic illnesses and disabilities, their families and caregivers. Family Voices of Tennessee started in 1993 as a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition and became the first state chapter formally sanctioned by the national Family Voices organization.
Minimum qualifications:
- Must be the parent or family member of an individual with special health care needs, chronic illness or disability.
- Must have working knowledge through lived experience of health care and related service systems for children with special health care needs, chronic illnesses or disabilities.
- Must have supervisory and management experience.
- Must have grant management experience.
- Must have demonstrated leadership and communication skills and be able to speak effectively in public.
- Must have strong relationship management skills and be able to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds and cultural traditions.
- Must be comfortable and knowledgeable using computer, database and work-related technologies.
- Must be able to travel, as needed, to attend meetings with partners across the state, approximately once per quarter.
- Bilingual English/American Sign Language or Bilingual English/Spanish, a plus
- Experience working with a Board of Directors, a plus
Key Duties:
- Promote and advocate for the vision of family-centered health care, health equity and the inherent value of all children and youth with special health care needs, chronic illnesses and disabilities.
- Support a healthy, engaged FVTN Board of Directors and work in partnership with the Board to achieve FVTN goals.
- Provide vision and leadership to FVTN programs and initiatives, communicate programmatic goals with staff and ensure quality service delivery.
- Seek and apply for grants in partnership with the Tennessee Disability Coalition.
- Grant management and reporting.
- Build and maintain partnerships at state, regional, and national levels with public and private organizations and individuals in order to further the FVTN mission.
- Oversee and support FVTN: Staff management, team and professional development and positive workplace culture.
- Outreach to families, including BIPOC and other underserved communities, and professionals to serve as partners in care.
- Peer support programming and community networking.
- Education and training of families to understand and navigate the health care system, build advocacy skills and prepare to serve in leadership roles.
- Education and training of professionals; primarily to partner with families in family-centered care.
Volunteer management. - Marketing of services and brand management.
- Documentation of activities and contacts in the database. Training on our database will be provided.
- Program evaluation activities and reporting.
- Participate with the Tennessee Disability Coalition public policy team to stay up to date with policy, develop educational and advocacy resources and to achieve policy goals supporting children with special health care needs, chronic illnesses and disabilities, their families and caregivers.
- Represent FVTN including through participation on advisory or governing bodies related to furthering the mission of FVTN.
- Respond to requests for information about FVTN and make appropriate referrals as needed.
Position benefits:
The TN Disability Coalition covers 100% of the premiums for full-time employees to enroll in one of two employer-sponsored health plans, a dental plan, basic life policy and short-term disability policy. Full-time employees have supplemental health insurance options, a health savings account, health care flexible spending account and dependent care flexible spending account options.
Mutual of America provides the Coalition’s employer sponsored 403(b) Retirement Plan.
The Coalition matches the amount our employees contribute to the plan dollar for dollar up to 6% of employee salary after the employee has been with the Coalition for one year.
The Coalition observes 12 paid days off for holidays each year. Paid time off (PTO) accrues per pay period (semi-monthly). Annual PTO earning for full time employees who have been employed 0-5 years is 18 days and increases with tenure to a maximum of 32 days per year.
Contact Information and Procedure:
All applications (cover letter, resume and work sample) must be submitted via email to hr@tndisability.org. A work sample can be any format. Examples include but are not limited to: written material such as a flyer or blog post, graphic material such as a social media post, project plan, material from a work or volunteer project, etc.
The Tennessee Disability Coalition is committed to providing equal opportunities to volunteers, employees, applicants for employment and those seeking our services, consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. No person will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The Coalition requires that each employee adhere to the same standard of non-discrimination. Each employee is required to have a signed Non-Discrimination Policy statement on file.
In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, the Tennessee Disability Coalition will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations.