Job Announcement
Policy Director with Alaska Community Action on Toxics

Does using systemic policy change to protect Alaskans’ health and environment from toxic chemicals sound like a dream job to you? If so, you might be the right person for this job! Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) is seeking a highly motivated person to serve as our Policy Director and advance the mission, vision, and advocacy campaigns of ACAT.

The successful applicant will be an experienced, dedicated professional with a fervor for environmental health and justice and using your skills and experience to drive ACAT’s policy initiatives. In this role, you will dive deep into the world of environmental health and justice and play a crucial role in developing, prioritizing, and implementing ACAT’s local, state, national, and international policy work.

Organizational overview:

ACAT is a non-profit environmental health and justice research and advocacy organization with a meaningful mission: “We believe everyone has a right to clean air, clean water, and toxic-free food. Driven by a core belief in environmental justice, ACAT empowers communities to eliminate exposure to toxics through collaborative research, shared science, education, organizing, and advocacy.” We are a vibrant, diverse organization engaged in advocacy campaigns as well as complex longer-term community-based research and scientific projects. ACAT’s staff and governing board are ethnically and culturally diverse.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Deep commitment to environmental justice and health and alignment with ACAT’s mission, vision, goals, including our commitment to principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

• At least five years of experience in policy development, preferably with a non- profit research and/or advocacy organization.

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public health, sustainability or equivalent educational and/or lived experience.

• Strong analytical, strategic, and critical thinking skills.

• Skilled communicator, speaker, writer, and motivator.

• Project management skills, able to prioritize and tackle multiple tasks at once

  within established deadlines.

• Supervisory experience and team leadership skills.

• Experience working collaboratively and respectfully with individuals of diverse

  backgrounds.

• Ability to build enthusiasm and effort among a team of people.

• Organized, creative, self-motivated, and able to work independently.

• Familiarity with the State Voices Voter Activation Network (VAN) and Integrated

  Voter Engagement framework will be a distinct advantage.

  Primary Responsibilities:

• Using the Integrated Voter Engagement framework, lead and facilitate ACAT’s local,

  state, national, and international policy work on toxic chemicals, climate change, and

  just transition.

• In consultation with ACAT’s staff directors, develop and implement annual priorities,

  strategies, goals, and objectives for health-protective policy change.

• Train, oversee, supervise, and mentor ACAT’s policy team.

• Collaborate with ACAT’s allies to achieve policy change; build relationships with

  additional allies; participate in national Environmental Health and Justice coalitions

  relevant to ACAT’s policy goals.

• Educate policy makers and their staffs, regulatory agency staff, and allies on the

  impact of toxic chemicals on humans and the environment.

• In partnership with ACAT’s Media and Communications Coordinator, develop

  reports, fact sheets, and other resources to support and inform ACAT’s policy initiatives; and otherwise collaborate to enhance awareness of ACAT’s issues and initiatives, as well as respond to media inquiries.

• Engage ACAT’s stakeholders to achieve policy goals through reports, fact sheets, action alerts, advocacy training materials, webinars, workshops, etc.

• Foster a respectful, collaborative, and cohesive team environment.

  Compensation and benefits:

  We offer the Policy Director job as a full-time position at our Anchorage office with competitive pay, generous benefits (health insurance, holidays, vacation, sick leave, and parental leave) and opportunities for professional development. Salary range: $65,000- $75,000 DOE.

  ACAT is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other factor that is not related to the position. If you are enthusiastic about the position, but you don’t have every qualification described here, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right person!

How to apply:
Please submit your resumé, letter of interest, and three references to Schawna Thoma at schawnathoma@northerncompassgroup.com. Include the words POLICY DIRECTOR APPLICATION in the subject line. Position is open until filled.