Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is looking for a Senior Associate, External Affairs to advance OFN’s public policy agenda and raise the visibility of the CDFI industry. The Senior Associate will be responsible for promoting OFN’s policy agenda and raising the organization’s profile with policymakers and other key audiences. Working with OFN’s External Affairs team, the successful candidate will lead legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts related to policies impacting the CDFI industry; effectively engage the OFN membership in advocacy activities; and represent OFN with federal policymakers, national coalitions, and other ally organizations. The Senior Associate will also cultivate and execute OFN’s new speaker engagement program to identify, research and manage speaking opportunities at high priority events for the CEO and other OFN leaders. The position requires excellent writing and communication skills, knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process, and strong interest in community and economic development.
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is a leading national network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) headquartered in Washington, D.C. In pursuit of our mission to align capital with social, economic, and political justice, OFN supports its 360+ member CDFIs with money, strength, and voice to drive transformational change in underestimated and underinvested rural, urban, and Native communities across all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. We help money flow to people and places where traditional finance doesn’t reach. As a financial intermediary, OFN secures private capital and grants for CDFIs through strategic partnerships with leading corporations such as Google and Twitter, mainstream financial organizations such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and philanthropic organizations such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
OFN builds the strength of its membership and other CDFIs through financial products and services, events, training, research, policy advocacy, and visibility. Currently, OFN manages more than $750 million in capital and offers a range of products and services to help CDFIs lend and invest in markets underserved by mainstream banks. CDFIs create economic opportunity in the communities they serve by providing loans and other financial resources to support thriving businesses, quality jobs, affordable homes, and critical community services.
People who work at OFN come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. If you have:
- Passion for the mission and true believer in our core purpose
- Courage to be a fearless advocate who is confident and resilient in our fight to drive capital into low-income and low-wealth communities
- Smart, quick seekers of knowledge who thrive on creating and developing new strategies, products, and programs for increasing capital to communities we serve
- Desire to be a collaborative team player who possesses humility and a willingness to lean in to support all areas of our work
Come be a part of our growing diverse, highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff.
This position is based in Washington, D.C. All staff currently work a hybrid schedule.
Core Responsibilities:
- Communicates OFN’s public policy positions to Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and Administration officials.
- Proactively identify, research, and manage speaking invitations for CEO and other OFN leaders to maximize impact. Prepare OFN CEO and other spokespeople for media interviews and speaking engagements.
- Create timely internal resources to improve response time and recommend most effective approaches such as speaking points, including key messages, data, and borrower stories.
- Participates in development and implementation of OFN’s public policy advocacy agenda.
- Leads legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts and activities related to policies impacting CDFIs.
- Develops and maintains close working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to Congressional staff, national coalitions, and ally organizations.
- Interpret, analyze, and draft legislative, policy, and regulatory proposals.
- Monitors relevant legislation and regulations impacting the CDFI industry.
- Prepares policy documents, including position papers, and fact sheets.
- Represents OFN at events and meetings related to OFN’s public policy agenda.
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