Deputy Director of Policy (0566U)

Deputy Director of Policy (0566U) - Job 79378 - College of Environmental Design About Berkeley
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Departmental Overview
The Terner Center formulates bold strategies to house families from all walks of life in vibrant, sustainable, and affordable homes and communities. Established in 2015, the Terner Center is a leading voice in identifying, developing, and advancing innovative public and private sector solutions to achieve broader housing affordability for American communities. The Terner Center is named after Don Terner, a housing pioneer whose ambitious, 'no limits' spirit lives on in the ethos and approach to our work.
The Terner Center is focused on identifying ambitious, yet pragmatic solutions to today's most pressing housing challenges, supported by rigorous, action-oriented research. Our success is measured in part by the extent to which our ideas, research, and solutions influence dialogue, decision-making, and practice among policymakers and private sector leaders.
The Terner Center pursues ideas that increase the supply of high-quality, affordably priced housing by reducing barriers to housing production, reduce the rate of homelessness by preventing housing insecurity and improving access to permanent housing, advance innovations in affordable housing financing, production, and preservation, and increase the supply of low-carbon and climate resilient housing in California and beyond.
Through rigorous research, timely and strategic policy engagement, and robust collaboration across sectors, the Terner Center develops ideas and builds solutions that increase housing supply and lower the cost of housing, expand access to quality homes and drive innovation in housing policy and practice. The Terner Center for Housing Innovation is seeking a talented Deputy Director of Policy to join our team to drive Terner's policy work.
The Deputy Director of Policy will:

• Ensure that Terner Center's research is informing and shaping relevant legislation, rulemaking and agency guidance at the California, and federal levels. This involves providing written technical assistance, providing briefings and testimony, and generally maintaining relationships with state and federal legislators, as well as legislative and executive staff.
• Keep Terner Center staff educated on active policy issues that are being debated at the state and federal level in order to identify opportunities for data and research projects that could help to inform policy decisions.
• Work closely with the Terner Center research and communications team to inform and oversee the creation of communication products that distill Terner Center research and learnings and make them accessible to policymakers, governmental staff, advocates, and other key constituencies.
• Manage the Terner Center's policy team, which may include Terner Center Fellows and/or Research Affiliates Affiliates, staff policy associates and graduate student researchers.
• Ensure that policy work is being coordinated across both Terner Labs and Terner Center, particularly in areas with a high degree of overlap such as innovative construction and land use.
• Regularly author op-eds, blog posts, or other shorter commentary pieces, with a focus on uplifting Terne research findings and making Terner's research visible and understandable for a policy audience.
• Regularly take high level media requests.
• Amplify Terner research on social media. Identify and coordinate Terner's participation in conferences and networking events.
• Serve as Terner's point of contact for housing trade groups and associations.

Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is: 7/14/25 or Open until filled
Responsibilities
25% Develops summaries, op eds, blog posts, and other communication materials to distill Terner research and findings.
20% Shares Terner research with legislators, legislative aides, agency staff and industry representatives and advocates.
15% Tracks relevant legislation, rulemaking and agency guidance.
10% Participates and presents research in relevant conferences, seminars, and meetings.
10% Performs supervisory functions including recruitment of policy associates, graduate and undergraduate student researchers, fellows/affiliates, and is responsible for training and handling disciplinary issues according to UC Berkeley and Center's HR policies.
10% Responds to requests from media, external stakeholders and partners for data analysis and research implications.
5% Identifies, develops and executes on fundraising goals for program activities.
5% Stewards industry partnerships, helps recruit and support advisory board members and fellows.
Required Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of common organizational- or research-specific and other computer application programs.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal and writing skills, including the ability to effectively communicate quantitative and qualitative findings to non-academic audiences in presentation and written format; Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.
• Highly skilled in all levels of project management.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and municipal housing programs or land use regulations; Strong knowledge of the mechanics of legislative and administrative change making at the federal or state level; Expert knowledge of the organization's processes, protocols and procedures and external regulatory requirements in policy domain.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, simultaneous projects and tight deadlines.
• Expert knowledge of applicable policy analysis techniques.
• Expert analytical / problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated subject knowledge of housing policy and the ability to analyze and explain legislative and regulatory language.
• Expert ability to work with a dynamic and diverse group of faculty, staff and students.
• Leadership experience in policy, research, non-profit, academic and / or government agencies.
• Demonstrated expertise in building collaborations between agencies and sectors, including, non-profit, academia, industry and / or governmental agencies.
• Experience overseeing teams, mentoring professional colleagues, and/or directly managing staff or students.
• Ability to understand and navigate complex political environments.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong Fundraising Experience.
• Strong Negotiation Skills.
• Advanced degree in a related field (e.g., Planning, Public Policy/Administration, Urban Economics, Law).

Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $140,000 - $170,000.
Conviction History Background
This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.
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