Senior Policy Impact Associate

Location:

AALF Downtown, 1625 Hennepin Ave, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55403, USA

A collective of institutions and leaders, the African American Leadership Forum serves as a community innovation accelerator. We empower Black communities to imagine, then create an equitable future. As a think-and-do-tank for the state of Minnesota, we combine the functions of a think tank with the action-oriented role of an activist organization.

Using data research and policy, discourse-driven convenings, design innovation, and strategic leadership development, the Forum drives change by confronting racism and inequities, to improve the living standards of Black Minnesotans.

• Education
• Health
• Public Safety
• Economic Prosperity
• Environmental Justice
• Generational Wealth Building

The African American Leadership Forum is seeking a Senior Policy Impact Associate to support execution of the organization’s policy agenda through our Action Center, the hub for turning community wisdom, data, and vision into coordinated policy action.

This role is execution-focused, working in close partnership with the CEO, Chief Narrative Officer, and Director of Research, who retain ownership of policy strategy, external communications, and data & research direction. The Senior Policy Impact Associate ensures that strategic policy priorities are advanced through legislative tracking, advocacy coordination, partner engagement, and clear policy communication.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in implementation, enjoys translating strategy into action, keeping work moving, and ensuring the organization is prepared to engage at the right moments.

• Execute policy research aligned to established priority impact areas with a focus on Black communities.
• Track and analyze relevant legislation, budgets, and rules within these priority areas and translate implications into clear, plain-language summaries.
• Draft policy briefs, memos, fact sheets, FAQs, and presentations grounded in research outputs.

• Execute the Forum’s annual policy agenda and issue-based campaigns.
• Track key legislative moments and alert leadership and partners to timely action opportunities.
• Draft testimony, talking points, and briefing materials.
• Coordinate advocacy activities including African Heritage Day on the Hill, policy briefings, press conferences, and community round tables.
• Build and maintain working relationships with legislative and agency staff aligned to organizational priorities.

• Translate complex policy issues into accessible materials for community meetings, listening sessions, and design sessions.
• Gather and interpret community and partner feedback to inform execution.
• Co-create coalition and partner spaces led by Black organizations and leaders.

• Partner with internal data and narrative teams to translate research into usable policy and advocacy materials.
• Co-create development of story-rich briefs, presentations, and externally facing policy communications that are Black-centered and asset-based.

• Maintain the Action Center and supporting policy tools so users can engage effectively.
• Ensure the operational functioning of the Action Center through systems, trackers, and internal coordination rhythms.
• Share policy updates and execution status internally in digestible, actionable formats.
• Lead after-action reflections and documentation of lessons learned.

Core business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This role operates in a hybrid work environment, with in-office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and remote work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Occasional evenings and weekends are required.

• Experience supporting legislative advocacy, campaigns, or policy implementation.
• Comfort executing within defined priorities and collaborating closely with senior leadership.
• Experience working with Black-led organizations,…