Director of Policy, Open Plans, New York City
Job Description
Open Plans is a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to transform the streets of New York City to be truly livable for the residents of this city.
We are seeking an experienced, connected, mission-driven professional to create, launch and shepherd a legislative and citywide policy agenda. The worldwide movement to reclaim public spaces for the public good informs our work, and we believe that human connection, creativity, and climate are strongest when people’s needs take precedence over the storage and movement of vehicles.
Open Plans uses tactical urbanism, grassroots advocacy, targeted journalism and policy to promote structural reforms within city government that support livable streets, neighborhoods and the city-at-large. We are a growing, mission-based organization with experience, enthusiasm, and an eagerness to change New York City and beyond.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement a legislative and policy agenda to support, promote and create an Office of Public Space Management. This includes creating the framework for Public Space Management to live within city government, empowering locals to make block-level decisions based on a toolkit of options, and reducing bureaucratic barriers to public space management. Our Director of Public Space Advocacy will support this work.
- Develop and implement a legislative and policy agenda to promote a more equitable system for improvements to our public spaces. This includes eliminating required liability insurance for public space improvements and creating consistent levels of service between drivers, bicyclists, and sidewalk users for repairs and snow removal.
- Develop a legislative and policy agenda, based on Streetsblog’s deep dives into various city agencies, targeting the reduction of driving in the city. This agenda will include guidelines, targets and ideas aimed at all sectors contributing to vehicular traffic in the city, such as city and state government fleets, businesses, private car owners, online delivery fleets and others.
- Contribute to the Open Plans website with updates to the policy and legislative agendas and ways for advocates to get involved and support our work.
- Assemble a strong coalition of partner organizations who believe in the Open Plans policy agenda and will support the many incremental goals along the way.
- Participate in weekly Open Plans leadership meetings and collaborate with other Open Plans Directors.
- Cultivate positive relationships with journalists and media outlets. Generate interest in our issues/agendas through well-placed articles and targeted social media campaigns.
- Create campaign books for each citywide agency that list all of the goals and targets for our agenda. Meet with city agencies to determine current practices and to brainstorm ways to reach targets/goals.
The Ideal Candidate has:
- Extensive experience executing a multi-pronged policy agenda and leading multiple campaigns within NYC.
- In-depth knowledge of the inner workings of New York City government and city agencies.
- Experience advocating and winning legislative victories in New York City.
- Persuasive oral and written communication skills.
- Connections within city government, city agencies and the advocacy community.
- A level of comfort working within and with city government, city agencies, coalition partners and the public in general.
- A strong interest and an affinity for livable streets, quality of life issues and alternate forms of transportation.
- Strong workflow, time-management and organizational skills.
- The ability to comfortably manage and lead groups of people with big personalities and loads of ideas.
- A demonstrated ability to rally a group around a set of objectives or goals, working in a positive and collaborative way.
- Flexible, creative and critical thinking skills that enable you to think of many ways to reach goals.
- A team player mentality.
The Policy Director will report directly to Lisa Orman and will be a collaborative, integral part of a small leadership team at Open Plans.
Please email your resume, cover letter and a writing sample to Lisa Orman by clicking here. Please include “Director of Policy” in the subject line. Your writing sample can be an article you wrote, a white paper you authored or co-authored, a policy brief or a similar document.
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