Senior Policy Analyst - Center on Education and Labor - PAYA

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, collaborative initiative led by New America that supports the success of efforts in states and cities to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for high school age youth. The Partnership convenes and mobilizes the expertise, experience, and collective networks of national, state, and regional partners to:

• Support place-based partnerships to increase the number of youth apprenticeship programs aligned to PAYA’s Definition & Principles for High Quality Youth Apprenticeship
• Facilitate learning and innovation to support the wide-scale adoption of best practices and enabling policies across a growing field
• Strengthen the case and evidence base for youth apprenticeship to raise awareness and to mobilize policy, action and investment.

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship sits within the Postsecondary Pathways for Youth portfolio within the Center on Education & Labor (CELNA). CELNA is a part of New America’s broader Education & Work division.

Primary Function:  Will play a central role in advancing priorities and key projects within the PAYA initiative and on other projects/initiatives in New America’s Center on Education & Labor.

The senior policy analyst (SPA) will contribute to projects across PAYA’s technical assistance, research, and communication strategies, and should bring to the role a mix of analytical, communication (verbal and writing), facilitation, and project management skills, as well as a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. The SPA will be staffed primarily on PAYA-related projects but will also support and manage research projects relevant to the broader Pathways and CELNA portfolio.

Responsibilities:

• Manage grantee relationships to ensure goals and benchmarks are being met.
• Develop and manage relationships with practitioners, strategic partners, consultants, and external experts to advance PAYA’s technical assistance, research, and communication strategies.
• Lead and support the design, planning, and execution of events, including webinars, workshops, and summits to facilitate learning across practitioners, policymakers, and other key PAYA stakeholders.
• Develop tools, resources, and other technical assistance products to support program & policy development and systems change efforts at the local, state, and federal level.
• Lead research and reporting projects focused on program and policy issues at the intersection of secondary education, post-secondary education, and skills development, with special emphasis on youth apprenticeship, career pathways, and career and technical education.
• Support PAYA’s grantmaking and grant reporting efforts, in cooperation with initiative leadership. 
• Represent New America at external events, including presenting on panels, at conferences, and symposia.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

• Experience designing and delivering technical assistance related to education, workforce, or economic development programs and policies
• Experience managing projects and supporting program implementation and/or systems-change initiatives in partnership with federal, state and/or city government
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work across teams and to prioritize multiple streams of work to meet internal and external deadlines
• Strong writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely for public audiences 
• Excellent work ethic matched by openness to feedback and collaboration
• Commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism
• At least 5 years of relevant experience related to career pathways, career and technical education, youth apprenticeships, workforce development, economic development, or  education policy required for the senior policy analyst position.

Location: This is an on-site Washington, DC-based position, with required in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You may be expected to come into the office on additional days, depending on that week’s events schedule. Occasional travel to meetings &  events will be required (apporox. 10-15% time).

Compensation and benefits: This position is a full-time role with benefits. The annual salary will be between $85,000 and $95,000, and it will be determined based on the successful candidate's experience, qualifications, and skills.

New America offers a highly competitive