Associate Director of Implementation- YIMBY Law

YIMBY Law is seeking an experienced team leader, project coordinator, and housing policy expert to join our team. This role will manage legal enforcement and implementation activism at YIMBY Law, and closely coordinate with YIMBY Action’s organizing, marketing, and fundraising teams to support implementation as well as to disseminate data and results from implementation . The role will ensure that the pro-housing state laws in our priority states are being effectively implemented.

YIMBY Law is a program of Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY), a 501c3 non-profit. YIMBY Law, together with our affiliate, YIMBY Action, advances policy changes that increase the supply of housing in high-opportunity cities and neighborhoods. We advocate to increase the supply of all types of housing, including market-rate, subsidized affordable, and public housing. Our vision is a racially & economically integrated and environmentally sustainable society in which every person has access to a safe, affordable home near jobs, services, and opportunity. Read more: www.yimbylaw.org.

What we're looking for

The role serves as YIMBY Law and YIMBY Action’s housing policy expert, acting as a consultant to all teams on policy and in particular being able to clearly and compellingly break policy down for lay audiences. In addition this role will be an expert project manager, coordinating cross-team projects relevant to implementation. This position will report to YIMBY Action’s Director of Advocacy, though particular projects will be led by YIMBY Law’s Executive Director and other senior leaders.

A successful candidate will have a strong background in housing policy and/or housing legal enforcement, team leadership, and project management.

Responsibilities

Report Coordination and Data Tracking (30%)

• Project manage operational workflow around reports, including leading regular report progress meetings and coordinating with YIMBY Action and YIMBY Law departments to move reports through ideation, development, dissemination, and publication, and identify opportunities for new reports on a quarterly basis.
• Oversee the compilation of data and the production of technical language from team members; convert technical language and data into accessible language for broad report audiences.
• Manage the YIMBY Law/YIMBY Action policy database and ensure data integrity over time. Identify other data needs necessary for strong reports and activate other teams and departments to support strong data collection.
• Coordinate with external researchers and gather efficacy data for the YIMBY Law/YIMBY Action advocacy model.
• Manage a database of housing research to support future policy initiatives.

Legal Enforcement & Implementation (30%)

• Respond to inquiries from activists, legislators, elected officials and developers about the implications of state housing laws in states where we operate.
• Identify new and manage existing YIMBY Law lawsuits and amicus briefs.
• Manage comment or threat letters on proposed housing projects and local ordinances
• Build YIMBY Law’s expertise in applying housing law across key geographies, particularly in CA, IL, VA, CO, and HI.
• Provide regular updates to YIMBY Action departments regarding YIMBY Law’s legal enforcement activities
• Develop and manage a national database of land-use attorneys and other housing supply stakeholders
• Supervise Research attorneys to lead Implementation campaigns for specific housing laws in priority states
• Manage YIMBY Law’s Implementation Working Groups in key geographies.
• Work closely with YIMBY Action’s Organizing Team to ensure that YIMBY Law and YIMBY Action chapters are positioned to be able to sue cities to enforce state housing laws, where appropriate.
• Publicize YIMBY Law’s legal services to expand the organization’s inbound pipeline

Policy Consulting (20%)

• Consult on pro-housing legislation in priority geographies.
• Coordinate with YIMBY Action’s Senior Campaign Manager to promote bill language language that facilitates enforcement and improved implementation to existing and/or proposed legislation in key geographies.
• Provide policy expertise to YIMBY Action’s Organizing Team informing efforts to coordinate local policy campaigns across multiple chapters.
• Provide policy guidance to organization and allied legislative and implementation coalitions

Staff Management Team Coordination (20%)

• Supervise YIMBY Law’s Research Attorneys and interns.
• In coordination with other teams, publicize YIMBY Law’s work to general and specific audiences.
• Delegate and assign YIMBY Law Research Attorney support to legislative coalitions in key geographies.
• Assign inbound support requests to YIMBY Law staff and ensure response to all inquiries.
• Coordinate with YIMBY Action’s Director of Advocacy to maintain alignment with org-wide OKRs and metrics.
• Develop, supervise, and execute all YIMBY Law department projects.

Qualifications

REQUIRED

• 5-10 years of experience leading teams and managing projects across disparate departments.
• 2-5 years experience in housing policy development, legal enforcement, or other roles that have built experience and knowledge in housing policy, including a particular ability to communicate complex policy topics to lay audiences.
• A demonstrated commitment to the YIMBY vision; previous work or volunteer experience that is aligned with YIMBY goals. A demonstrated passion for more housing and shelter of every type, including subsidized nonprofit affordable housing, market-rate housing, transitional housing, navigation centers, and more.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively address and resolve interpersonal and organizational conflicts while fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with a particular focus in editing. Can effectively communicate the organization’s mission and strategic future to various audiences and improve the writing of others to reach organizational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a cross-team environment and to effectively coordinate contributions from diverse partners.
• Strong project management skills and a demonstrated ability to supervise and delegate to others in order to effectively complete complex tasks. Extensive experience with starting and managing large, cross-team projects to successful completion.
• High degree of personal organization, including the ability to track and execute on multiple simultaneous projects.

PREFERRED

We welcome a variety of experiences, including nontraditional experiences, that might make you a fit for this role. Some previous experiences that might be aligned:

• Experience as a legislative aide to a state level elected official.
• Experience applying existing housing law to support local housing proposals in California or elsewhere in the United States.
• An existing relationship with networks of land use attorneys or other housing enforcement stakeholders
• Volunteer or professional experience as part of a coalition to pass pro-housing legislation

Benefits

• Up to 100% employer funded comprehensive medical coverage
• 401k enrollment opportunities
• 3 weeks of paid vacation plus another 20 paid holidays
• Paid sick time
• Paid family & disability leave
• Significant professional development opportunities, including paid professional development stipend
• Flexible work hours within a 40 hour work week
• Membership in YIMBY Action nationwide activist network and vibrant 3,700+ member Slack community
• Access to YIMBY Action network of elected officials, journalists, and business leaders