Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required

Skills & Competencies:

Drive Results

: Demonstrates strong political judgment and decision-making in complex, high-stakes environments.

Planning & Execution

: Independently manages multiple high-priority initiatives (e.g., renewals, board votes, compliance cycles) with urgency, follow-through, and accountability.

We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and transportation coverage. We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate to offer competitive salaries.

KIPP Northern California seeks a strategic, politically astute, and relationship-driven Associate Director of Advocacy to advance our regional policy and authorizer strategy. Reporting to the Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement, this leader will own and drive KIPP NorCal’s local authorizer engagement across a portfolio of districts, lead high-stakes charter renewals and advocacy campaigns, and strengthen parent power across our network.

This role sits at the intersection of political strategy, family engagement, and cross-functional execution. The Associate Director will regularly interface with executive leadership, elected officials, district leaders, school teams, families, and community partners to ensure strong renewal outcomes, protect and expand access to facilities, and build long-term political capital for KIPP schools.

Success in this role means securing favorable charter renewal outcomes, increasing family advocacy engagement year over year, strengthening relationships with key decision-makers, and building sustainable advocacy systems across the region.

This position is based at our Regional Support Office in Oakland, with a minimum of three days per week onsite at the RSO or school campuses. The role requires reliable transportation and travel throughout the Bay Area and Stockton (approximately 20%), including occasional evening meetings.

Lead Strategic Authorizer Engagement

KIPP NorCal is a network of 23 tuition-free public charter schools serving over 7,000 students across East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San José, Redwood City, and Stockton.

Eighty-one percent of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 34% are multilingual learners, and 12% receive special education services. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond.

We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and to advancing equity and opportunity for all children.