Policy Director, Berkeley Food Institute (7398U), College of Natural Resources - 67853

Departmental Overview

The Berkeley Food Institute.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: Thursday, May 2, 2024

Responsibilities

• Identify and track relevant research undertaken at UC Berkeley that can inform local, state, and federal food and agricultural policy issues.
• When possible, attend virtual or in-person events related to faculty director or affiliate faculty research relevant to BFI mission areas.
• Collaborate with BFI staff on programs, events, or publications - both on and off campus - that connect to policy education, implementation, and policy-related technical assistance to advance equitable and sustainable food and agricultural systems. These collaborations should advance BFI’s mission and vision, including BFI’s focus on racial equity, strengthen other programmatic efforts within BFI, and catalyze future policy relationships.
• Develop and draft policy briefs on priority issues related to equitable and sustainable food and agricultural systems, coordinating with BFI faculty directors or affiliate faculty, BFI staff, or relevant partners.
• Develop methods to consistently and effectively communicate and disseminate written materials and other policy news to key policy stakeholders and other contacts, as well as update and maintain the Policy program pages of the BFI website in partnership with the BFI Communications Coordinator.
• Design, develop, and deliver presentations on relevant policy issues for relevant groups/audiences.
• Respond to relevant policy questions from BFI faculty directors and affiliate faculty and staff, and stakeholders, including media, requests for collaboration, student funding requests and assist in other BFI communication functions related to policy issues.
• Monitor federal, state, and local policy and regulatory issues regarding food and agricultural systems.
• Identify important emerging policy issues, and identify related research needs.
• Attend and participate in public hearings and congressional/agency meetings (in Sacramento, CA and Washington, DC) to understand and contribute to critical policy issues in food and agricultural systems, including policy impacts on underserved communities.
• Synthesize and communicate summaries of critical policy issues and/or meetings with external constituents to BFI staff and relevant faculty affiliates, to help stimulate new needed research.
• Explore opportunities for collaborative activities and/or funding with government agencies, scientific societies, and nongovernmental organizations and networks (such as the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Nourish CA, California Climate and Agriculture Network), UCB Government Relations Team, and UC Berkeley graduate programs with client-focused graduation requirement (thesis, capstone, Individual Policy Analysis).
• Help identify policy-related research needs as prioritized by community partners.
• Help develop grant and funding applications focused on policy issues.
• Develop contact lists of people at state/national/international levels who should be target audiences and provide advice and input to BFI.
• Meet with and support UC Berkeley students who have interests in food and agricultural policy.

Required Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience working on food and agricultural policy issues at the state and/or federal levels, including experience with policymaking process and policy analysis, writing, and research on food and agricultural issues.
• Written and verbal communication skills, especially the ability to synthesize and summarize complex information.
• Skills in interpersonal communications, tact, and political acumen to effectively represent the campus and the Berkeley Food Institute.
• Experience in public speaking, communication, and connecting with a range of cultural communities and people at meetings and conferences.
• Research, analytical, and critical thinking skills, including sound judgment and decision- making skills and skills to correctly identify real and potential problems, advising management as required, and proposing effective strategic resolutions.
• Collaboration and interpersonal skills for building and maintaining constructive relations with diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team on multiple projects.
• Knowledge of and/or ability to learn about the campus, its mission, goals, objectives, programs, achievements, infrastructure, and issues of concern.
• Ability to work independently and to foresee, identify, design and/or recommend solutions to needs, issues, and/or problems in the position’s areas of responsibility.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and set priorities.
• Knowledge of computer/software technology; knowledge of social networking platforms preferred.
• Ability to travel occasionally by ground and air.

Education/Training:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public administration, political science, law, food systems analysis, or other relevant areas / or equivalent experience/training.

The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $70,100.00 - $97,400.00.

• This is a 100%, full-time (40 hours per week), career position that is eligible for full UC benefits.
• This position is exempt and paid monthly.