Field Strategy & Research Analyst

Departmental Overview

The Othering and Belonging Institute (“the Institute”) at UC Berkeley brings together researchers, stakeholders, policymakers, and communicators to identify and challenge the barriers to an inclusive, just, and sustainable society and to create transformative change. The Institute is a vibrant hub of researchers, community leaders, policymakers, artists, and communicators that advances research, policy, and work related to marginalized communities. We engage in innovative narrative, communications, and cultural strategies that attempt to re-frame the public discourse around marginality and inclusion and respond to issues that require immediate and long-term action. Our work is informed by understanding how structures and systems work to create or exacerbate othering and exclusion.

The Network for Transformative Change comprises multiple projects that aim to leverage the expertise and power of a cross-sector network to bring about innovations, knowledge, and strategies towards a society based on belonging. The Network looks both inward at the ways our social justice movements operate to help shape their work and outward at the population level to develop empirically grounded knowledge that can be translated into actionable interventions. Both domains strive to shape capacity, strategy, and innovations that will ultimately impact the infrastructure that sustains progress along the lines of our vision and values.

The Blueprint for Belonging (B4B) Analyst works with the Network Program Director to develop and carry out partnership strategy and program activities in the areas of narrative research, narrative strategies and/or trainings and capacity building for narrative change. This position is central to OBI's effort to cultivate new and ongoing partnerships with community power building, civic engagement, labor, academic and other sectors. The position will also develop

and oversee a research application and dissemination strategy that seeks opportunities to move key lessons from research into action and scalable strategies for bridging across social and political divides. The position is also responsible for seeking new opportunities for building out the Network. Taken together, this position will support the creation of new strategic pathways for the Network in partnership with a broad cross section of OBI partners.

Responsibilities

● Coordinates implementation with cross-organizational partnerships to set agendas, manage resources, and carry out program (from research and product development to strategy and implementation).

● Researches and drafts complex proposals, reports, briefings, and trainings.

● In collaboration with community based and other partners, provides strategy development for narrative change initiatives.

● Conducts post-implementation analysis to determine the need for further enhancements and / or implications for field level recommendations and develops reports capturing lessons.

● Develops proposals and recommendations to guide and support a broader strategic direction for the organization or initiative.

● Researches and summarizes best practices in the field.

● Develops scope of work, budgets, and reports for project requirements.

● Participates in OBI initiatives and organizational projects or staff meetings.

Required Qualifications

● Five years’ experience in partnership development and creating and managing relationships and building out collaborative agendas in a field landscape that is diverse in policy issues, social change strategies, and strategic aims.

● Strong understanding of contemporary social justice movement organizational and political landscape including prevailing analyses shaping strategy; and of the civic engagement field and traditions in the community power building sector.

● Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and an ability to work across social, economic or political divides.

● Strong skills in analyzing, researching and synthesizing large amounts of data for preparing sound and relevant proposals / analyses. Specifically, experience with applying research findings to policy, digital, or field strategy.

● Experience conducting or overseeing original research using mixed methods including polling, focus groups and interviews.

● Understands how to move ideas and research into applications for field building and fundraising.

● Ability to travel across California and nationally.

● Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes.

● Ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.

● Bilingual Spanish/English preferred.

● Experience with digital analytics for evaluating testing and digital strategies impact preferred.

Education/Training:

● Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

● Master’s degree in a related area and / or equivalent experience / training preferred.