Top Economic Executive jobs in Phoenix, AZ

The Arizona Center for Economic Progress (AZCenter) is looking for a strategic and visionary leader to serve as its next Executive Director. Launched in 2017, the AZCenter is an affiliate of Children’s Action Alliance (CAA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization in Arizona. The AZCenter works with advocates, policymakers, and communities to connect the dots between the inequities in our economy and solutions to create a fair and socially just Arizona. The AZCenter is a leader in advancing change at the state and federal level that create fairer tax codes and economic policies which raise the revenue needed to invest in education, affordable housing, health care, child care, infrastructure and other essential public services needed to build thriving communities and better economic opportunities for all Arizonans.

The AZCenter and the Children’s Action Alliance are dynamic organizations with a vision for an equitable and healthy State of Arizona. We recognize that many of the barriers and disparities that block the path toward better economic opportunities for people of color can be traced to a history of discriminatory and racist policies, the impacts of which continue to be felt today. As an organization, we are committed to advancing race equity and inclusion both through the policies we seek and throughout the internal workings of our organization. This position will be an integral part of these organization-wide conversations and support how this commitment is realized within the AZCenter.

Learn more about our work and our partners at azeconcenter.org.

About the position:

The Executive Director will report to the President and CEO of CAA. The ideal candidate is a strategic and collaborative leader who has the vision and skills to continue the growth of the AZCenter as a trusted source of information, an influential mover of policy, and as an agent of transformational change for Arizonans who are often left behind.

The Executive Director leads the team at the Arizona Center for Economic Progress to shape and implement short- and long-term strategic plans that carry out the mission to create equitable policy for all Arizonans. 

Responsibilities:

• Support a strong and impactful team of staff: Supervise all research and policy staff and work alongside team members as a coach and mentor as the team engages in policy research, advocacy, strategic communications, and coalition building. Support staff development and well-being, inspiring and foster a collaborative team environment.
• Build a research and legislative agenda and workplan, align the workplan with the overall organizational goals and priorities, and ensure the AZCenter’s policy and research work uses a racial equity lens and analysis of structural racism.
• Work with team members to build and maintain authentic relationships with external partners that focus on grassroots organizing – working to share power and decision-making with organizations that work directly with communities of color, communities with low incomes, and those who are most impacted by economic and fiscal policy.
• Secure new funding to sustain and grow the AZCenter’s work; Write grant proposals and reports, track grant deliverables, and foster new donors.
• Build and sustain community-centered engagement campaigns and movements to advance policy priorities at the state and federal level.
• Design a communications plan to achieve goals, and produce written materials such as blogs, fact sheets, and policy briefs.
• Represent the organization and actively collaborate with national partners, including the State Priorities Partnership (SPP), the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
• Ensure that AZCenter team is following the principles set forth in the CAA/AZCenter Equitable Policy Tool when establishing policy priorities and that all AZCenter communications are consistent with the CAA/AZCenter Style Guide.
• Serve as a spokesperson for the AZCenter in the media, at the State Capitol, and forums and events across Arizona.
• Serve on the CAA leadership team (President & CEO, and Vice Presidents of Policy, Development & Engagement, and Finance and Operations) to ensure a high level of organizational coordination/communication between CAA and the AZCenter.
• Work with the CAA VP of Finance and Operations to manage and monitor the AZCenter operating budget and grants.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to AZCenter’s vision and mission.
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field plus at least seven years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated expertise or knowledge in: state fiscal policy, tax policy, K-12 public education funding, postsecondary education and job training programs, affordable housing policy, and child care programs; nutrition assistance, state-tribal relations, and/or federal safety net programs.
• Knowledge of and experience with the state and federal legislative and budget processes.
• Knowledge of the systems-level challenges facing low-income Arizonans and communities of color.
• State and federal political knowledge and acumen to create and implement effective short- and long-term strategic plans and tactics to achieve the AZCenter’s policy objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects at once.
• Demonstrated ability to independently convey complex policy and data to various audiences at differing levels of specificity.
• Demonstrated commitment to building and cultivating strong relationships with diverse external partners and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, particularly supervising and developing highly effective professionals.

Compensation:

Salary range $95,000-$110,000, depending on experience and qualifications. Major medical and dental insurance, life insurance, matching retirement contribution. Competitive leave policies for vacation; sick leave; family, medical and personal leave; and earned sabbatical.

Location:

CAA operates a hybrid (office and home) working system and provides employees with the resources to work effectively from the CAA office in Phoenix or remote locations. The Executive Director is expected to work in the office two days per week and must reside in the metro Phoenix area.

To Apply:

Position will remain open until filled.

Applicants who send a cover letter and resume to hr@azchildren.org will be considered.

The Arizona Center for Economic Progress strongly encourages members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ identified people, gender-nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English.