The New Practice Lab is deeply committed to delivering on our north star: to improve benefits outcomes for 3 million Americans who belong to economically excluded families with children under six by the end of 2026. In early 2025, we are seeking to bring on a number of people excited to improve the way policy is made for American families by rolling up their sleeves, implementing a “new practice,” and learning in collaboration with community, private, nonprofit and public sector partners.We approach our efforts differently than other teams - we are a mix of designers, researchers, policy experts, data scientists and technologists working to build a tighter link between policymakers, civil servants, and the families they serve, always with a rigorous focus on implementation. Our team is funded to provide no-cost teams to governments to improve benefits delivery such as income supports, care, and early education policies. We also convene practitioners across the country to learn from each other and inform better policy and program design.

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‍Role Description

‍The Senior Fellow - Policy will serve as a senior member of the Policy Team working to identify and scope how policy expertise is embedded into the work of all New Practice Lab efforts, driving policy project efforts and collaborations with delivery partners to improve the design and delivery of public benefits, and working collaboratively with team members on technical assistance and research sprints when the New Practice Lab has the opportunity to provide input to shaping policy.At a high level, some of the duties and responsibilities of this role will include:

• Providing policy expertise in support of the Lab’s delivery sprints
• Working with team members to develop and update one or more Learning Agendas for each body of work of the team, identifying critical and priority policy questions the New Practice Lab is uniquely situated to help answer to inform better policy
• Shaping, scoping, and leading efforts such as developing policy recommendations, responding to federal and state legislative staff inquiries for technical assistance, honing and publishing policy-relevant insights across the team’s work
• Writing for both technical and public audiences, including memos, reports, briefs, op-eds, blogs, and others formats as needed
• Providing policy briefings for high-level stakeholders in government and the nonprofit space
• Conducting outreach and facilitating work with stakeholders at the federal, state, and local level to explore opportunities and challenges to improve services in a variety of policy areas related to family economic security and well being
• Conducting original research on the design and delivery of public benefits
• Developing relationships and collaborations with other organizations and experts working on similar issues, and identifying potential projects for the New Practice Lab
• Identifying and pursuing opportunities to disseminate and scale findings from sprints, collaborating with other members of the Lab’s senior leadership team to translate insights into broader recommendations for action by policymakers and public sector agencies.

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Experience

‍The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience and success in:

• Serving as a policy expert in a field of economic security and/or social policy for at least five years, with preference for time served in government at the federal, state, and/or local level
• Developing and implementing policy recommendations across an entity (or multiple entities implicated by policy recommendations)
• Incorporating the perspective of those implicated into the design and development of policy
• Acting as a self-starter who will identify and pursue interesting new projects, comfortable with ambiguity and a startup-like environment
• Coordinating, shaping, and managing the work of others, even if they are not direct reports
• Writing independently for policy audiences and conducting independent research
• Assessing and interpreting evidence collected through a variety of qualitative and  quantitative research methods, understanding decision maker perspectives and what information they need to act
• Writing, editing, and ensuring high quality of public documents—candidates should be able to communicate ideas clearly and concisely for a variety of audiences
• Working collaboratively—candidates should be self-motivated, but also enthusiastic team players open to feedback and collaboration.
• Willingness and flexibility to take on tasks in support of team members and broader team mission.

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Compensation and Benefits

‍This position is a full-time role with benefits. The annual salary is estimated to be between $140,000 – $160,000 and will account for commiserate experience. New America offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes health care, dental, and vision coverage; a generous retirement plan; paid time off; observes all federal holidays; and an office-wide closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day.‍

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Location

‍The position is remote and is open to candidates in North America.

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‍Application Process

‍To be considered in the the first round of applicants, please submit your application by February 21st . Along with your resume, please submit:

• A cover letter that describes your qualifications to apply
• A short example of a policy product (memo, brief, report, analysis) you significantly shaped and contributed to
• Please be sure that your resume includes 3 references (names, emails) (We will not contact these references unless you move forward to the interview process, and we will not begin outreach without informing you at least one day ahead of time.

New America is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our clientele, our employees and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination. This is a bargaining unit position.