Senior Policy Analyst for Immigration

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a high-caliber strategic policy institute that informs and shapes public policies to reduce poverty, promote equity, and build opportunity in a fiscally responsible manner. It has a national reputation for conducting rigorous research and analysis, developing evidence-based policy ideas and strategies, shaping a broad array of policy debates at the federal and state levels, and influencing policy outcomes on a range of critical issues. It focuses its efforts on improving the lives of people with low or moderate incomes and examines how policies affect particular groups including people of color, people who are immigrants, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. CBPP is known for its unique capacity to blend rigorous, timely analysis with effective communications that enable policymakers and the media to make use of its work.

CBPP’s immigration work focuses on the intersection of immigration policy and policies related to ensuring people with low or modest incomes have access to public benefit programs and other supports. Our work includes analyzing and advocating for state and federal legislation, policies, and operations and promoting effective approaches that help ensure that immigrants and their families have access to public benefit programs and other supports without experiencing eligibility and/or application barriers. This work is done in close collaboration with policy teams across CBPP and in partnership with many national and state partners that focus on immigration and public benefit policies.

CBPP is seeking a Senior Policy Analyst for Immigration to support its work promoting the advancement and implementation of immigrant-inclusive federal and state policies and defending against policies that seek to reduce access to benefits for people who are immigrants or in families that include immigrants.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and write analyses on immigration-related policy issues, focusing on the impact on low- and moderate-income people. Author and contribute to materials intended to advance policy objectives including blog posts, guidance documents, memos, webinars, trainings, social media posts, and policy papers.
• Interpret, critique, and explain academic and additional research to understand the impact of immigration and public benefits policies on people who are immigrants and their family members.
• Stay informed on national and state policy developments through media, newsletters, partnerships, and meetings. Share insights with stakeholders, brief your supervisor, and recommend actions on emerging issues.
• Respond to urgent immigration-related information requests from policymakers, media, and national organizations using data analysis, real-life stories, and technical explanations of policies and their potential impacts.
• Organize and facilitate webinars, meetings, and other events that allow CBPP to engage stakeholders and advocates in the advancement of positive policies and defend against policies that would harm people who are immigrants. This includes building containers to allow CBPP to learn from and partner with people with lived expertise in these issue areas.
• Represent CBPP in key coalitions such as the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition and relay relevant matters to other CBPP staff to ensure CBPP understands the priorities of organizations focused on advancing equitable immigration-related policies.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least seven years of experience working in immigration policy. A graduate degree in a relevant field may be substituted for two years’ work experience.
• Understanding of immigration-related eligibility and enrollment policies for public benefits. Experience in analyzing immigration policies and the ability to quickly distill their potential impact (including writing talking points, briefing materials, blogs, memos, papers, etc.)
• Experience working in teams and coalitions including advocates, legislatures, or government entities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to a range of audiences (including policymakers, advocates, and the media) to synthesize data and research into clear, effective arguments.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to work independently, and ability to stay on track and meet deadlines for multiple assignments.
• Desire to develop or deepen your understanding of federal immigration policy and racial equity, particularly as they relate to institutional and structural racism, and their impact on racial and economic disparities.
• Commitment to CBPP’s mission to improve the well-being of people with low incomes and advance equity, including by reducing racial and economic disparities.
• Ability to travel. (This position will be less than 20 percent travel.)

This position is based in Washington, D.C. CBPP is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule of two full in-office days (Tuesday and Wednesday) per week as well as the first Thursday of each month in our Washington, D.C. office.

This position reports to the Vice President for Immigration Policy.

Terms of Employment: Full-time; exempt; two-year term.

Bargaining Unit Status: This is a bargaining unit position.

Compensation: Salary for this position ranges from $95,000 to $160,000 per year. Pay is based on a number of factors including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience and internal pay equity. CBPP offers excellent benefits (including health insurance, vision and dental coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, MERP, and DCAP) and generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday schedules.

Please upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please include a discussion of what draws you to CBPP’s mission.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.