Position: Full-time position

Reports to: Director of the Higher Ed Immigration Portal and State Policy (primary supervisor)  and Project Manager of State and Campus Policy Initiatives.

Location: This position is remote. The organization is virtual-first, but primarily based in Washington, D.C.

Launched in late 2017, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance was created to support and advocate for undocumented, international and refugee students. As the only national organization exclusively focused on the intersection of higher education and immigration, we activate the collective voice of college and university presidents and chancellors and build sustainable partnerships to support forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal level, in our states, and across our college campuses. The Alliance is comprised of over 550 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

The Opportunity

The Presidents’ Alliance is looking for a Project Associate, State Policy and Campus Engagement to manage state policy tracking and develop and implement other projects and campus engagement initiatives related to undocumented students and other immigrant populations in higher education. The Associate will play a key role in the continued development of the Higher Ed Immigration Portal and the organization’s work on state policy and campus initiatives. The ideal candidate will be energetic, creative, analytical, professional, thoughtful, and adept at collaboration with national and state partners.

One of our guiding principles for the Portal is that immigration is intersectional and policy environments work best when they are inclusive. We believe it is important to make visible the intersections of immigration and race. Learn more about the Portal’s Theory of Change here.

Specific Position Responsibilities:

State Policy Analysis and Tracking (35% time)

• Assist the director to identify, track, analyze, and summarize state policies related to in-state tuition, state financial aid, and professional licensure for undocumented immigrants and other immigrants, including adding updates to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal in a timely manner;
• Develop state-based materials, including bill summaries, issues briefs, infographics, fact sheets, and resource posts;  
• Provide support to the State Equity Table, a coalition of state and national partners, by helping to coordinate monthly meetings, develop meeting agendas, take meeting notes, and share updates and new resources to the partners;
• Support the planning of state-based events to expand access to tuition equity and licensure, including virtual briefings; and,
• Develop relationships with state partners and meet with state stakeholders, including policymakers, advocates, and other leaders.

Campus Engagement (30% time)

• Support the undocumented graduate student initiative and advisory group; develop tools and resources that can be shared with faculty, students, departments and institutions in order to increase the capacity of institutions to admit, fund, and support undocumented graduate and professional students, including policy guides, templates, FAQs, funding opportunities, webinars, etc;  
• Develop and facilitate opportunities for campuses that wish to participate in communities of practice focused on supporting immigrant students and for institutions that wish to undertake cross-campus pilot initiatives, including postgraduate pathways for undocumented students; update and maintain communities of practice directory and listserv;
• Provide technical assistance (including non-legal advice on policies, referrals to legal and other resources, and consultations) to institutions seeking to improve their policies, services, and resources for undocumented and other immigrant students; and,
• Help plan, develop and execute events such as webinars, meetings, and conferences for undocumented student success and equity in higher education.    

Higher Ed Immigration Portal (35% time)

• Provide general support for the Higher Ed Immigration Portal (“Portal”), including helping to develop new and enhance existing tools and resources;
• Work with the director to update national and state level student enrollment and other data;
• Conduct outreach to Portal’s partner organizations, identify and upload new resources from partners into the Portal, and draft resource summary posts;
• Support quarterly Portal partner coalition meetings;
• Manage the implementation and development of a new interactive tool for the Portal, which details private college and university policies (i.e. admissions, financial aid eligiblity) and support services for undocumented students;
• Be responsible for amplifying state policy, campus engagement, and/or other Portal materials and resources through social media (LinkedIn and Twitter); and,
• Help ensure quality control on the Higher Ed Immigration Portal and perform other tasks as needed.

Background, Skills and Competencies

Our ideal candidate will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree (required), and an advanced professional degree in public policy, education, or a relevant academic discipline is a plus.
• Familiarity with immigration and/or higher education policy issues. Preference to 1-2+ years of policy, advocacy, program management, and/or direct service work experience supporting undocumented immigrant populations.
• Experience analyzing federal and/or state legislation and policies, and writing succinct policy summaries.
• Outstanding organizational, writing, and speaking skills.
• Excellent time and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize work, deliver high-quality products, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Strong quantitative skills is a plus, and familiarity with database management, WordPress, Microsoft Office, Google Suites, Canva, and/or Infogram.
• Professional and lived experiences within the immigrant communities. Empathy and excellence in working with impacted populations, diverse teams, and on complex collaborative projects.
• Enthusiasm  to learn and grow professionally.

Workplace and Location

The Presidents’ Alliance office space is based at 740 15th Street N.W. Washington, D.C.; however, the work of the organization is conducted primarily remotely and provides staff with a great deal of flexibility. Individuals must be located in the U.S. Some travel to member campuses, conferences, and events may be required.

Position Structure, Salary, and Benefits

This full-time position is structured as a staff employee of the Presidents’ Alliance, which is a partner project of the National Center for Civic Innovation/Fund for the City of New York (NCCI/FCNY). The salary range for this position is $65,000-$70,000. Compensation for the role will depend on several factors, including qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience, and may increase outside the range shown.

The position comes with a very attractive benefits package. This includes 100% medical and dental insurance premium coverage for you and your dependents; fully covered life and long-term disability insurance; availability of pre-tax FSA (health care and dependent care) accounts; generous paid time off, including 20 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of sick leave annually, and the opportunity to take an additional 10 days annually of paid leave for vacation, professional development or other reasons; and a 5% employee contribution to 401(k) plan matched by a 10% employer contribution. The Presidents’ Alliance also provides professional development opportunities for staff, a start-up laptop and office supplies package, and monthly $50 tech reimbursement for all employees.

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