Promote Economic Security by Working in D.C.

Field Manager
National Elder Economic Security Initiative™
Wider Opportunities for Women
Background
Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) is a 45 year old women’s employment organization that works nationally and in its home community of Washington D.C. to achieve economic independence and equality of opportunity for women and their families.
In meeting its intergenerational agenda, WOW launched the national Elder Economic Security Initiative (Initiative), a multi-year campaign combining organizing, research, advocacy and outreach to promote economic security for elders and their families through policy and program change. WOW will partner with up to 20 states to implement the Initiative on the national, state and local levels. WOW provides technical assistance and expertise to its state partners and coalition members on developing, implementing and sustaining state campaigns to promote the use of an elder economic security framework and tools in aging policies and programs.
Underpinning the Initiative is the WOW-GI National Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index) developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston (GI-UMASS) and WOW. The Elder Index is a new measure of the income that older adults require to maintain their independence in the community and meet their daily costs of living, including affordable and appropriate housing and health care. The development and use of state specific Elder Indexes promote a measure of income that respects the autonomy goals of older adults, rather than a measure of what we all struggle to avoid – abject poverty.
Building on the success of the Initiative, WOW recently launched the Building Bridges to Economic Security Campaign (Campaign). The Campaign combines a targeted messaging, organizing and advocacy strategy to promote economic security across the generations. The Campaign will create an economic security framework built on national quantitative and qualitative research that will be used to bring national, state and local advocacy networks together around a common need for lifelong economic security.
Role
The Field Manager will manage the delivery of strategic technical assistance and expertise to WOW’s state partners in the Elder Economic Security Initiative. The Field Manager will be responsible for developing and implementing a package of technical assistance services and materials to assist state and local advocates in promoting lifelong economic security.
Reporting
The Field Manager will be an employee of Wider Opportunities for Women and report to the Director of the Elder Economic Security Initiative. The Field Manager will be a member of the Elder Economic Security Initiative team, the Building Bridges to Economic Security team, and the National Programs and Policy team.
Responsibilities:
Partner Activities
? Identify, recruit and build relationships with state and community-level organizations in select states to adopt and implement the Initiative;
? Provide technical assistance both on-site, through the internet, and by telephone, conference calls and webinars to state partners and coalition members to support developing, releasing and institutionalizing the Elder Index and program/policy agenda;
? Manage state partner project timelines and ensure tasks are completed;
? Maintain ongoing contact with state partners and coalition members in the Initiative to keep them up-to-date on policy and programmatic developments as well as communications strategies;
? Organize, facilitate and participate in meetings with state partners and coalition members;
? Develop technical assistance materials – e.g. policy briefs, fact sheets, training curricula – for state and local organizations in the Initiative and Campaign;
? Implement training, outreach, and communications materials for the field to further the state and national program/policy agenda; and
? Develop and implement special initiatives, such as strategies to develop and expand the Initiative’s grassroots and volunteer network.
Other Responsibilities
? Manage data tracking on outcomes at the national, state and community level on implementation of the Initiative and Campaign;
? Organize and participate in national and state conferences, meetings, and briefings for the Initiative and Campaign;
? Participate in fundraising activities, including research, planning and proposal development, particularly as it relates to the state Initiatives;
? Participate in team meetings and activities for the Elder Economic Security Initiative, the Bridges to Economic Security Campaign, and WOW’s National Program and Policy team;
? Participate in Washington-based policy meetings, where appropriate;
? Contribute to the development of WOW’s intergenerational public policy agenda;
? Support the Director and other Elder Economic Security Initiative team members; and
? Other duties within the Initiative and, where applicable, overall national programs.
Qualifications
The Field Manager should be committed to the issues of promoting economic security for low-income populations, including elders, families and workers, and should feel comfortable working with a diverse group of professionals. Other qualifications include:
? Minimum of undergraduate degree
? Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
? Ability to work independently;
? Knowledge of federal and state public policies/programs affecting low-income elders and families;
? Knowledge of federal, state, and local funding streams for low-income programs;
? Experience in state and/or local level grassroots organizing and/or campaign development;
? Previous experience as a field organizer, coordinator or manager;
? Strong training/facilitation/interpersonal skills;
? Ability to communicate complex information clearly to multiple audiences;
? Willingness to travel;
? Ability to use web-based outreach tools and mediums (e.g. Twitter, YouTube);
? Experience in and sensitivity to working in multicultural settings;
? Strong organizational skills; and
? Computer skills (Microsoft Office, including Excel and Publisher).