Overview

Vice President of Policy and Innovation

The Vice President of Policy and Innovation is responsible for leading, guiding, directing, and evaluating the work of other leaders, including managers, directors, and senior directors. Oversees the development and execution of strategies in all functional areas to ensure achievement of the mission and goals of the Foundation. Has enterprise level leadership responsibilities in support of the organization's strategic plan and equity agenda.

In this role, they will:

• Develop and lead the Foundation's agenda for policy and systems change, including oversight of initiatives such as The Partnership for the Bay's Future, Great Communities Collaborative, lobbying activities, and grantmaking.
• Drive investments in innovative approaches aimed at achieving racial equity and economic inclusion, with a particular focus on addressing the housing crisis in the Bay Area.

The VPPI plays a critical role in advancing the Foundation’s equity agenda, providing leadership internally and externally across three pathways: People, Place, and Power. This leadership extends to policy and systems change efforts at the local, regional, and state levels. The VPPI collaborates with departments across the organization to achieve Foundation-wide goals.

The VPPI is expected to possess exceptional management and leadership skills and will serve as an inspiring and motivating leader who is ready to take the programmatic work and impact of the equity agenda to the next level. They will help encourage more collaborative, proactive grantmaking across the organization. The VPPI will lead change within the team, build a culture of shared accountability, ensure strong communications, and promote transparency of decision making, bringing leadership to the CI Department and larger organizational goals.

As part of the leadership team within the Community Impact Department, the VPPI holds a vital position in leading the Foundation’s public policy and innovation initiatives. They oversee a team of 15 staff and manage more than $10 million in grantmaking annually. They are also responsible for deepening the Foundation's policy expertise and crafting a community and public relations strategy to drive racial equity and economic inclusion, particularly in the housing arena.

The VPPI is responsible for :

• Developing a robust internal and external policy and innovation agenda. They will deepen internal policy expertise amongst staff and craft an external strategy grounded in racial equity and economic inclusion to accelerate systemic change with a focus on solving the housing crisis in the Bay Area over the next 20 years. (30%)
• Overseeing an annual grantmaking budget for strategic investments that have community impact, maximize lobbying capacities, leverage donor alignment, programmatic grantmaking in civic engagement, and institutional partnerships. (30%)
• Providing organizational leadership, overseeing the refinement of results, associated strategies and performance indicators, and the three-year impact/strategic plan. (10%)
• Providing fundraising oversight, increasing investment and partnership from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to implement highly effective affordable housing strategies aligned with the Foundation's overall racial equity agenda. (15%)
• Collaborating with the VP of Programs to enhance focus and progress toward policy and system change goals. (10%)
• Further developing and refining leadership roles and approaches as civic leader, advocate, convenor, and grant maker. (5%)
• Managing, mentoring and developing direct reports and team.

Tasks include :

• Responsible for the management, mentorship, and development of staff in the department.
• Growing the Foundation's engagement in public policy and systems reform efforts and positioning the Foundation as a leader in policy debates.
• Serving as a strong external-facing ambassador of SFF, representing the Foundation to external partners, funders, and civic leaders to extend the Foundation's visibility, reach and impact at regional, state, and national levels.
• Making strategic recommendations to the CIO, CEO, and Board on organizational positions on policy issues.
• Providing organizational leadership and leading cross-departmental efforts such as the three-year impact/strategic plan, housing-related working groups, updating grant agreements, advocacy and lobbying strategies, communications and operations.
• Deepening internal knowledge and expertise across the Foundation and its donors, particularly within the Community Impact Department for policy advocacy and systems change work with a focus on housing policy.
• Sustaining and growing effective grantmaking strategies that are grantee-centric and equity-focused.
• Working closely with the institutional fundraising team to craft and lead robust fundraising efforts for policy and innovation initiatives across SFF.
• Collaborating with the Sr. Director of Strategic Learning and Evaluation to refine the knowledge management/grants evaluation system to monitor impact.

Competencies and qualifications include :

• 10 years of relevant experience, including 5 years in supervision or team project management required.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, managing, and mentoring diverse teams.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including active listening and collaboration across teams.
• Deep understanding of the Bay Area, its history, and the realities of the region's residents with a clear racial equity lens.
• Ability to build relationships with local leaders and organizations, engage people from diverse backgrounds, and synthesize information for internal and external stakeholders.
• Commitment to building resilient organizations and providing technical assistance.
• Experience in developing and implementing strategies related to policy and systems change.
• Track record of engaging in collaborative strategy development and decision-making.
• Familiarity with the Bay Area and diverse communities and constituencies.
• Master's degree or equivalent years' experience preferred; 10+ years experience with nonprofits a plus.

Technical abilities and skills include :

• Intermediate to advanced computer/software skills, including Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, & Teams) and Zoom.
• Ability to learn, navigate and manage online platforms, including Fluxx, Qlik Sense, grantmaking and CRM systems, Smartsheet, Salesforce, and Power Plan.

We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn’t align exactly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

The San Francisco Foundation offers a competitive compensation package, including base pay aligned with organizational budget and rich medical and fringe benefits. This position pays $10,273 per pay period. More about compensation philosophy and benefits is available on the career page.

The Foundation has adopted a long-term hybrid in-person and remote work policy. Employees must reside or relocate within the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Foundation is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals. Reasonable accommodations are provided for applicants with disabilities. If accommodations are needed to participate in the application process or perform essential job functions, please contact hr@sff.org.