Minnesota Budget Project Summary

The Minnesota Budget Project’s Policy Analyst produces analysis, identifies and advocates for policy solutions, and collaborates with state and national partners to advance public policies that expand opportunity and economic security to all Minnesotans, particularly Minnesotans with low incomes and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) Minnesotans. Current policy focus areas include affordable health care and child care, as well as responding to emerging state and federal issues.

The Policy Analyst’s portfolio of policy focus areas could adapt to include other areas that reflect their expertise and interests. The Policy Analyst works in close collaboration with other members of the Minnesota Budget Project team, including the Project Director, and engages with state and national partners, to advance the organization’s analysis and policy change goals.

Why come work for us

The Minnesota Budget Project has a track record of successfully combining sound research and analysis with advocacy, engagement, and communications strategies to enact policy change, particularly in the areas of budget, tax, and economic policy. The Minnesota Budget Project is a program of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN). Driven by its vision of a healthy, cooperative, and just society, MCN is dedicated to enhancing and improving cultural humility, intentionally creating inclusive and accessible spaces, and working to end disparities in power, money, access, and resources within the nonprofit sector and in government decision-making at the local, state, and federal levels.

The Minnesota Budget Project is the Minnesota partner in the national State Priorities Partnership (SPP), a network of more than 40 nonprofit research and advocacy organizations that fight for a just and equitable America. Through SPP, the Policy Analyst has access to trainings, peer-to-peer learning, and fellowship with colleagues across the country engaged in similar work, and access to national experts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

For strongest consideration, apply by August 19; applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  

Functions and Tasks:

Research and Analysis (45 percent)

• Research and write data-driven analytic materials to influence and inform the policy debate and advance the mission of the project, including issue briefs, newsletter articles, fact sheets, and blog postings. Frequently apply a racial equity lens in the production of analytic products.
• Conduct policy and/or fiscal analysis of budget and policy proposals active in the policy debate, government budget information, administrative data, academic research, and public data sets.
• Identify potential new analytic and research projects that further the project’s policy agenda and mission.
• Stay current on literature and trends related to the Policy Analyst’s issue areas of focus.
• Share research findings with policymakers, partners, and the public through presentations and media interviews.

Policy Advocacy and Partnerships (40 percent)

• Influence and inform the policy debate through advocacy and policymaker education activities.
• Represent the Minnesota Budget Project before constituency groups, policymakers, and the media through testimony, media interviews, presentations, and other means.
• Build and strengthen relationships, including by participating in coalitions, to support success in this role and advance the project’s policy agenda and goals. Provide technical assistance and be a resource to coalition members and other partners.
• Identify policy options and advocacy strategies, in collaboration with the project’s director, to inform and advance the project’s policy agenda.
• Stay current on the policy debate related to the Policy Analyst’s issue areas of focus, including by monitoring relevant state legislative activity.

Other (15 percent)

• Contribute to funder communications related to the Policy Analyst’s areas of focus, including grant proposals and funder reports.
• Contribute to the project’s annual workplan and policy agenda development processes.
• Help create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all individuals in regards to diversity, which may include geography, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, age, ability, and religion.
• Options to participate in internal working groups including those related to equity and inclusion, internal culture, and working environment at MCN.
• Perform other job duties as assigned.

Education, Experience, and Skills:

Persons with success in this role have a combination of the following strengths and qualifications, some of which they may develop during their tenure in the position:

• BA or BS or equivalent experience, plus three years of experience, in public policy, public finance, public health, economics, or other related fields.
• Competency with research methods and statistics. Data analysis skills, including proficiency with Excel.
• Experience conducting policy and/or fiscal analysis, familiarity with state or federal government budgets.
• Strong writing and presenting skills, including the ability to articulate a policy argument and clearly communicate complex information to a variety of audiences.
• Experience collaborating with policymakers, advocates, community members, and/or other constituencies to develop policy options and advocacy strategies to advance public policy goals.
• Experience with legislative and/or budget processes at the state or federal level.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically.
• Working knowledge of word processing software.
• An understanding of how policy issues intersect with racism and economic and social inequality, and experience applying a racial equity lens to policy work.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Education, Experiences, and Skills:

• Understanding of health care, child care, and/or other issues affecting low- and moderate-income people and communities of color.
• Familiarity with relevant policy, advocacy, and organizing organizations and government agencies.
• Skills in data visualization.

Additional Information:

• Reports to: Minnesota Budget Project Director
• Classification: Regular, Full-time (40 hours per week), Exempt.
• Compensation: Starting salary range $55,000 – $61,000 per year plus benefits, which include health and dental insurance, retirement plan (including employer match), Section 125 (flex) plan, long-term disability, life insurance, sick leave, three weeks of vacation plus 48 hours of personal business/summer hours, 12 holidays, paid parenting leave. MCN employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

How to Apply

For strongest consideration, apply by August 19; applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter at https://fs7.formsite.com/MNNonprofits/ptuq3xr0ev/index.html. We encourage that the cover letter specifically address your interest in the position and any experience you have:

• Conducting research on policy issues related to policy change;
• Analyzing budget information, explaining budget information or trends, or using budget analysis to inform the policy debate;
• Advocating for policy change;
• Building relationships or collaborations with people or organizations rooted in low-income or BIPOC communities.

The interview process will consist of two rounds of interviews. Candidates invited for the first round of interviews will also be asked to submit a writing sample. Candidates who advance to the second round of interviews will also complete a short excel skills assessment. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits is recognized as an Employer of National Service with the Corporation for National and Community Service. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

We are committed to recruiting and engaging individuals without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, familial status, ability, veteran status, membership or non-membership in a labor organization, sexual orientation, size, status with regard to public assistance, or genetic information. We are committed to the principle of equity and are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of individuals. MCN is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.  

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

• Frequent participation in repetitive motion activities including typing on a computer keyboard.
• Requires the ability to work for several hours at a time at a desk and computer monitor.
• Frequent travel to the Minnesota State Capitol and occasionally to other locations in the Twin Cities metro area.
• Requires occasional state and national travel, including overnight and multi-day travel, primarily for conferences and training opportunities.
• Requires occasional extended work hours, particularly during the legislative session.
• Requires registering as a lobbyist with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.
• This position is based out of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ St. Paul office, and is eligible for consideration for a hybrid work arrangement.
• MCN employees must primarily reside in the state of Minnesota.

Who we are
Pollen is a media arts nonprofit that harnesses the power of narrative change to build towards a society that is free, just, and loving. We share stories that tip communities into action, and bring our expertise for design, narrative storytelling and engagement-centered events to other mission-driven organizations.

You are a Pollenite if…

You have an unwavering belief in equity, empathy, and our shared humanity. You seek to understand the thorniest of issues, particularly from a perspective that might not match your own. You embrace your civic responsibility, and contribute to your community through active leadership. You approach the challenges in your community with imagination and belief in a better path forward.

Working at Pollen

Our staff and board represent lots of different identities across race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and we deeply value the intersection of these identities in our team culture. We value lived-experience and commitment to racial equity in all of our work through:

• Connection: Connection to yourself, to each other, our community, and our mission.
• Kindness: We have cultivated an intentional culture of grace between our staff, vendors, freelancers, clients, board members and partners.
• Empathy: People, and each of our quirky, messy lives take precedence over work.
• Adaptability: We are a thriving organization that continues to grow and evolve.
• Openness: We are curious and love to learn from others and aren’t afraid to change our minds.
• Rest: We prioritize and promote taking time away to rest and to enjoy a life beyond work at Pollen. 

Why this position matters
The heartbeat of Pollen’s business model is a thriving creative agency, Pollen Studio, which brings our expertise in building narrative power through storytelling and design services to other mission-driven organizations (nonprofits, foundations, and social impact businesses). The Director of Business Development is at the forefront of strategic partnerships and client relationships that sustain and grow the reach of our narrative impact. This position oversees all of the revenue generating activities for Pollen Studio—this is a current portfolio of ~$700,000+ (15-20 client projects a year) and is expected to grow more than 40% over the next four years. 

What you’re great at

Relationships: You get energy out of connecting with people one-on-one and you prioritize relationships first in your business development approach. For you, it’s more than just selling services or asking people for money. It’s about aligning our unique capabilities with another organization’s needs. You love being out in community, meeting new people and organizations, understanding what’s important to them and their vision for the future, and ultimately connecting for them how Pollen’s capabilities could increase their impact.  

Seek Opportunities: You see opportunity everywhere you look. You’re an exceptional listener and can quickly identify the needs, gaps, and pain points of others. Pollen Studio’s storytelling and design services build an organization’s narrative power—but this is still a relatively new category and organization’s aren’t often seeking these services. We want to identify and build relationships with organizations looking to invest in their future-focused, narrative framework. Organizations that see value in a storytelling partner that centers a racial justice approach in all of our communications and design services. You can easily (and enjoy) selling the possibilities of what Pollen’s narrative team can imagine and create for others.     

Creative Projects: You’re familiar with the process, steps, and magic of creative storytelling and design projects. Pollen Studio helps organizations build their narrative power… and the activities to do so vary greatly. Sometimes we make a book, a video, an illustration, or a comprehensive experiential storytelling campaign. The possibilities are limitless and we’re always experimenting with new creative activities. You care about the creative process, you can speak to what is required. You will collaborate closely with our creative teams to refine your pitches to be in better alignment with the kind of work we see having the most impact. 

Trends + Experimentation: You keep tabs on trends and best practices and incorporate what you learn into Pollen’s revenue building strategies. You also think critically about the nonprofit industrial complex and the harmful power dynamics often present in traditional creative advertising/communications agencies. You challenge inequitable practices that are rooted in white supremacy. 

What you’ll be doing

This role requires both strategic vision and implementation prowess. You’ll report to the Director of Narrative Programs and collaborate with the Pollen Studio Manager, Editorial Director, Creative Director, and Finance and Operations Manager on a dedicated portfolio of responsibilities. A typical day might involve responding to new inquiries for Pollen Studio services or taking a sales meeting with a potential new Pollen Studio client, writing proposals for new client projects, general relationship building, budget estimating for a new project, or collaborating with the internal team on project debriefs and how to market our services and case studies. 

Develop and manage new business inquiries for Pollen Studio: You will lead the securing of all new business projects, including managing new business inquiries, preparing for and leading pitch meetings, overseeing follow ups, developing proposals, and creating scopes of work. You will have a comfort with finances and numbers in not only creating/managing budgets, but also overseeing the sales forecast for all pipeline projects. This is a current portfolio of ~$700,000 and is expected to grow more than 40% over the next four years. 

Client relationship management: As the first point of contact, you’ll be an important figure to the client throughout the project. You build trust quickly and as you hand over the actual work to project managers and creative teams, you care about maintaining the original relationship. You have an eye for growing the work into additional projects if needed. You care about the ongoing success of the client even after the project is closed. 

Strategy: You’ll participate as a critical contributor in Pollen’s internal Revenue Circle, providing revenue insight and support for short-and long-term financial strategy. On occasion, you’ll prepare and share new business pipeline forecasts and reports for the board and facilitate conversations to ensure the board remains engaged in Pollen’s business development strategies. Other participants in the Revenue CIrcle include: Executive Director, Director of Narrative Programs, Development Director, and the Finance and Operations Manager, and board members.  

Care about contracts: You will be responsible for writing the proposals, scope of works, and reviewing all client contracts. You care about the details and ensure that both the client and Pollen are adequately represented within the contract agreements. You know when to ask for help with contract review (sometimes internally, sometimes from the board, and sometimes with legal support). 

Champion Pollen Studio’s services: You’ll be the internal and external advocate for championing and marketing Pollen Studio’s services and projects. You’ll collaborate with our design and communications departments to ensure stories related to Pollen Studio get marketed across our social media platforms, enewsletters, and speaking engagements.

Forecasts and reporting: You’ll maintain dashboards and utilize metrics to measure all of our business development goals. This includes a Pollen Studio Revenue Tracker, a Pollen Studio Pipeline Forecast, and collaboration on a Pollen Studio Earned Revenue Recognition dashboard. As part of the Pollen internal Revenue Circle, you’ll be prepared with reporting on how Pollen Studio revenue is doing compared to budget and be at the ready with recommendations for increasing and decreasing expenses/capacity as needed. 

Compensation & Benefits Details

Salary: $80,000

Health Stipend: $250/month 

Generous PTO: Starts with 4 weeks a year (5 weeks after 3 years, 6 weeks after 5 years)

Paid Holidays/Sick Time: 11 paid holidays, 2 paid floating holidays

Paid Closures: 3 weeks of paid, organization-wide closes. Pollen closes the first two weeks of July every year and the last week of December

Summer Fridays: from Memorial Day—Labor Day we log off after 12pm on Fridays

Work Flexibility: Flexible working hours and you can work from home, etc.

Work Remote: Pollen is currently all working remote. We have a membership at The Coven that you could use as desired. We gather semi-regularly (maybe once a month) for all team meetings, retreats, and group lunches.

Location: While we work remote, it is preferred that the person for this position lives near the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro due to the heavy relationship and networking nature of this position.

How to apply

Apply by Wednesday, August 17 at 5pm.
email work@pollenmidwest.org with: 

Cover Letter: 2-3 paragraphs telling us why you’re interested in this position and why you want to be a part of the Pollen team. Give us a sense for the level of complexity, quantity, and creativity of your past business development experience. 

Resume: LinkedIn profile or resume (either is fine). All experience across any industry could be relevant. Maybe you’ve worked as part of a fundraising team, or you’ve done client relationship management for a creative agency, or another type of sales role. In short, there’s no singular experience required for this position.

Subject Line: Director of Business Development_Your Name

Special note about Pollen and this position: 

Pollen is currently in a growing and transformation process. You can read more about this intentional and exciting growth here. A big part of this growth is also a leadership transition: our executive director, Jamie Millard, will be leaving by the end of the year. Currently, the responsibilities that are centered in this Director of Business Development position are nested within our executive director role. It’s our hope that this new position will have time for intentional onboarding alongside Jamie. So while this is a new full-time position, the activities that this position represents are well established and just in need of being reorganized outside of the executive director role.