UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY

United Way of New York City (UWNYC) works with a coalition of trusted partners to unite community power with citywide possibility. Together, we meet today’s most urgent needs while building transformative solutions for tomorrow – striving for health, opportunity, and prosperity for every New Yorker in every neighborhood. Part of the United Way Worldwide system, one of the world's most recognized charitable brands, we strive to model our values in all our relationships, both internal and external: Collaboration, Compassion, Integrity, Accountability, and Superior Performance.

Advocacy Associate

Location: New York, NY
Hybrid or Remote: Hybrid (2 days in-person)
Supervisor: Vice President, Advocacy & Government Relations



JOB DESCRIPTION

The Weil Legal Innovator will work closely with the Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations as well as collaborate with UWNYC’s program leaders to integrate and elevate advocacy opportunities across UWNYC’s programmatic areas. The Weil Legal Innovator will also support in the development of advocacy agendas, department action plans, research reports, policy briefs, and draft testimony. The position will also support planning policy convenings and participate in coalitions to provide opportunities for the UWNYC network to engage with policy issues.

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

PUBLIC POLICY

  • Conduct analysis of key policy issues and legislation, objectively weighing the substantive policy impact on the communities UWNYC serves, with a particular focus on UWNYC’s issue areas of education and food, and may include small business, health, and criminal justice.
  • Monitor local, state, and federal legislation and policy issues, and their impact on UWNYC priorities.
  • Read and analyze legislative and policy proposals to determine their impact on communities we serve.
  • Support the advocacy team in implementing UWNYC’s public policy agenda.

 

COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING

  • Work closely with the advocacy team to support communication strategies, internally and externally.
  • Support drafting policy reports, blog posts, presentations and outreach materials related to UWNYC’s policy and systems changes efforts.
  • Support with the team’s data collection and analysis to track and report on advocacy activities.
  • Support reporting and grant writing for advocacy grants.
  • Organize conference calls and meetings relevant to advocacy activities.

 

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION

  • Work cross-functionally across UWNYC to engage the programmatic content experts in advocacy efforts and work with staff to design and implement events.
  • Assist UWNYC staff with questions regarding current public policy issues and how they impact UWNYC’s stakeholders e.g., share short policy reports to help staff understand policy issues.

 

DESIRED SKILLS

  • A bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, or a related field is preferred.
  • Writing, research, and applied subject matter expertise in one or more of the following: birth – 12 improved education outcomes, economic stability and mobility, health, hunger, criminal justice, small business, workforce development and similar expertise in US-based public policy.
  • Understanding of public policy framework at the New York City level, as well as legislative and community decision-making processes.
  • Excellent coalition building and interpersonal communication, networking, and social skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work within a community setting with diverse stakeholders, including community groups, elected and non-elected policy makers, and volunteers is preferred.
  • Experience organizing or working with cross sector partners (government, nonprofit and business) to engage networks in advocacy and community impact is preferred.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent project management and Microsoft Office Suite skills.

Community Impact Strategy Associate

Location: New York, NY
Hybrid or Remote: Hybrid (2 days in-person)
Supervisor: Vice President, Health Equity



JOB DESCRIPTION

The Legal Fellow, Community Impact Strategy, will advance United Way’s community impact work by conducting legal, policy, and academic research to inform evidence-based and sustainable strategies. The Fellow will help translate insights into actionable approaches that strengthen program design, implementation, and expansion across areas such as health equity and food and benefits access. Through research and policy analysis, the Fellow will ensure UWNYC's strategies are data-driven, responsive to regulatory and community contexts, and aligned with long-term systems change goals, fostering the development of sustainable, innovative community impact models.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include:

  • Conducting legal, policy, and literature research to inform evidence-based community impact strategies in areas such as health, food access, and social services.
  • Analyzing regulatory and political landscapes to identify opportunities, barriers, and implications for program design, implementation, and strategic growth.
  • Preparing briefs, memos, presentations, and reports summarizing findings and recommendations for leadership and program teams.
  • Conducting landscape analyses to identify best practices and partnership opportunities, and cultivating relationships with key community, policy, and advocacy stakeholders.
  • Identifying cross-team programmatic synergies and strategic collaboration opportunities across UWNYC's community impact areas.
  • Supporting the design of evaluation tools and frameworks to measure program effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.

 

DESIRED SKILLS

  • A bachelor’s degree in public policy, sociology, public health, or a related field is preferred.
  • Experience in research, policy analysis, public service, and/or social service organizations.
  • Proficient in Microsoft systems including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
  • Strong research, writing, and analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights.
  • Previous policy, legal, and/or research experience preferred.
  • Knowledge of and/or experience in social impact, community development, or public policy sectors is a plus.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

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