Description

The Policy and Advocacy Manager serves as Front Step Community Land Trust’s primary external policy representative and internal policy lead, advancing local, regional, and statewide pro-housing policy aligned with Front Step’s mission and values. This role builds power with aligned partners to address historic disinvestment, exclusionary zoning, and systemic barriers to stable, affordable homeownership, driving systems-level change and strengthening the collective influence of Missoula and Montana communities in shaping housing policy. 

The Policy and Advocacy Manager leads Front Step’s engagement in key coalitions, including ProHousing Missoula and ProHousing Montana, and works across ideologically diverse partnerships to advance shared advocacy goals. They steward relationships with community-based organizations, housing practitioners, industry stakeholders, policymakers, and nonprofit staff, representing Front Step and the community land trust model with clarity, credibility, and strategic judgment. 

Internally, this role functions as Front Step’s policy clearinghouse, helping the organization determine when, where, and how to engage on policy issues; translating complex legislative and regulatory developments into actionable insights; and ensuring staff, board members, and partners are informed and aligned. The Policy and Advocacy Manager collaborates closely with the Executive Director to shape advocacy strategy, prioritize campaigns, and balance responsiveness with mission focus. 

The position includes tracking housing policy and legislation at the local and state levels, coordinating with contract lobbyists, facilitating coalition meetings, organizing and supporting public testimony, and advancing public education and mobilization efforts. Over time, the Policy and Advocacy Manager may supervise part-time organizing staff working in targeted communities across Montana. 

This position is currently grant-funded through 2026 and the Front Step is committed to securing additional funding to sustain the role beyond this period. 

Responsibilities: 

1. Policy Strategy, Analysis, and Legislative Engagement

Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement advocacy strategies aligned with the Front Step’s mission and goals. 

Analyze local and statewide housing policy and legislation, with emphasis on advancing land use reforms and shared equity housing models. 

Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and identify strategic opportunities for action. 

Coordinate with contract lobbyists to understand legislative dynamics and advance advocacy priorities. 

Prepare policy briefs, summaries, talking points, and written public comments for staff and coalition partners. 

Build and maintain relationships with policymakers and public officials to strengthen support for equitable housing solutions. 

2. Coalition Building and Partner Coordination

Organize and steward strong relationships with local and statewide coalitions of partners, including leading ProHousing Missoula and ProHousing Montana, and participating in coalitions such as the Montana Housing Partnership, and a statewide network of community land trusts. 

Collaborate with shared equity housing and community land trust partners to align policy priorities and strategy. 

Facilitate regular coalition meetings, strategy sessions, and ad hoc convenings for ProHousing Missoula and ProHousing Montana and other potential strategic groups. 

Coordinate agendas, notes, follow-up materials, and timelines to ensure clear communication and accountability. 

Work with coalition members and lobbyist to coordinate hearing participation, identify key messengers, and prepare effective testimony. 

3. Public Education, Messaging, and Mobilization

Support partners in mobilizing members, residents, and organizational leaders to engage in educational and advocacy efforts. 

Develop clear, accessible tools—such as talking points, scripts, and action alerts. 

Coordinate testimony and public participation in hearings, meetings, and media opportunities. 

Help ensure diverse voices are represented and empowered in advocacy efforts. 

Draft advocacy-focused content—including copy for newsletters, websites, and social media—that translates policy and campaign goals into clear, compelling messages, in coordination with the Communications Manager. 

Lead the development of public education materials related to housing policy and shared equity models, including determining priority topics, appropriate formats, and target audiences, in coordination with program and communications staff. 

Requirements

Minimum Requirements: Our ideal candidate has access to reliable transportation, the ability to attend meetings outside of regular office hours, and a willingness to travel to meet with stakeholders, attend convenings, and or give testimony during legislative sessions. 

In addition, the candidate should bring: 

A commitment to housing justice, affordability, and social, racial, and economic equity, with an understanding of systemic barriers to homeownership and a willingness to engage with diverse housing solutions, including zoning reform, tenant protections, shared-equity models, and affordability subsidies. 

Professional or educational training or equivalent lived experience that results in excellent policy analysis and strategic thinking skills. 

Demonstrated experience in policy advocacy and analysis, community organizing, and/or coalition leadership that resulted in meaningful policy outcomes or systems-level change. 

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing advocacy materials, policy summaries, or testimony, or public-facing educational content. 

Proven ability to build and maintain relationships across diverse stakeholders in ways that mobilize action and collective power. 

Experience tracking legislation or policy processes and coordinating advocacy activities such as public testimony, hearings, lobby days, or campaigns. 

Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, follow through on commitments, and work collaboratively across teams.

Excellent facilitation skills, including setting clear agendas, guiding productive meetings, tracking decisions, and coordinating follow-up. 

Comfort synthesizing information from public meetings, hearings, or legislative developments and communicating timely, tailored updates to different audiences – including to team members, customized in a way that gives each person the information they need to do their jobs well. 

Proficiency in using tools like Google Workspace and Zoom. Willingness to learn CRM tools like Donor Perfect and project management tools like Asana. 

Familiarity with Montana’s legislative process and the local housing policy landscape is highly preferred.

How to Apply: 

Send a resume to Executive Director, Brittany Palmer, at brittany@frontstepclt.org alongside a cover letter that includes one of the following: 

An example of an email you sent where you had to explain a controversial issue in an accessible way; or 

A brief description of a legislative or policy campaign you worked on and the role you played, from strategy through outcome including what worked and what would you would do differently; or 

A description of a coalition you built or were a member of and what made it successful.