Senior Associate, External Engagement

About Think of Us

Think of Us (TOU) is transforming the child welfare system into one where young people and families can heal, develop, and thrive. We drive purpose-driven work aligned with meaningful systems change, powered by data and the insights of lived experience. Our focus is on prevention, keeping families strong before crisis, and on building kinship-first systems so children grow up with people they know and trust. Through bold collaborations with leaders and innovators across the public and private sectors — from Presidential Administrations to local providers — we identify leverage points and co-create solutions that re-architect child welfare for the future.

Here’s what this looks like:

Built the Lived Experience Engine into the largest dataset of its kind (51,000+ voices), powering AI tools and shaping reforms

Partnered with California to launch the Kinship Accelerator in 8 counties, backed by $150M and a budget increase from $317M → $896M

Drove a national kin-first shift: 39 states (plus 5 tribes) adopting kinship standards, unlocking $3B for families

Operate one of the largest direct resource networks, connecting 1,827 families to $28M+ in support

Our team members share a commitment to driving systems change through creative problem-solving, obsessive curiosity, and a love of quickly driving innovative, measurable, and impactful results.

Position Overview

Department: External Engagement

Reports to: Senior Director, Federal Lead

Direct Reports: N/A

Location: Hybrid; Washington, DC (min. 3 days in the office)

Category: Full Time / Exempt

The Senior Associate, External Engagement supports the External Engagement Team with developing and implementing advocacy strategies that engage policymakers and key partners, and building coalitions around Think of Us' mission that lead to systems change. This role goes beyond policy analysis: it requires someone who can lead lived-experience engagement, coordinate logistics, and support convenings. The Senior Associate will directly support the Senior Director of Policy and provide cross-functional support across the entire External Engagement team on advancing TOU priorities.

We're looking for someone with strong attention to detail who is comfortable with an all-hands-on-deck approach to the work — moving fluidly across projects, contributing creative thinking, and partnering closely with the team. This is a key support role on a collaborative, fast-paced team united by TOU's common throughline: transforming the foster care system into a child and family well-being system.

Driven by a commitment to centering lived experience, the Senior Associate provides critical support across a range of responsibilities: tracking, developing, and analyzing policy proposals, legislative activities, and relationships; preparing timely and compelling advocacy materials; leading logistics and ethical engagement for people with lived experience; project managing work plans and convenings; and using AI tools responsibly to strengthen the team's policy and knowledge work.

Key Responsibilities

Policy Analysis and Advocacy (30%)

Support External Engagement staff by providing timely, accurate, and relevant research on issues relating to child and family well-being, flagging unexpected barriers or opportunities as they arise.

Write and disseminate briefing documents to educate internal team members and community members.

Monitor state and federal child welfare policy and proactively keep TOU staff abreast of emerging issues, partnership opportunities, and potential projects.

Contribute to and develop content for external TOU policy communications, including public comments, web content, issue briefs, social media content, reports, fact sheets, policy memos, and white papers.

Build and maintain a bench of relationships with congressional staffers to support consistent, well-prepared engagement on Capitol Hill.

Lived-Experience Engagement (25%)

Support meaningful and ethical participation of people with lived experience in policy development and advocacy.

Coordinate participant outreach, preparation, scheduling, materials, compensation, and follow-up.

Develop accessible materials that help participants understand the purpose, audience, and potential use of their contributions.

Apply trauma-responsive, culturally responsive, and inclusive practices, helping create environments where people can participate safely and meaningfully.

Ensure lived-experience insights are represented accurately and are not removed from their original context; track how that input influenced recommendations, materials, strategies, or decisions.

Communicate back to participants about how their input was used, and help prevent tokenization and extractive engagement.

Coordinate closely with Think of Us staff responsible for lived-experience engagement and data stewardship.

External Engagement Operations & Project Management (15%)

Project manage policy-related communications, campaigns, and advocacy activities.

Keep the External Engagement team organized and moving forward: manage calendars, meetings, travel, events, agendas, materials, files, and contact lists.

Maintain work plans, deadlines, meeting notes, decisions, commitments, and action items, and follow up with the right people so important work does not get lost.

Manage logistics and prepare materials for internal and external meetings; represent TOU at meetings and briefings and report back key takeaways.

Strategic Convenings & Events (10%)

Prepare agendas, facilitation guides, briefing materials, presentations, background documents, and participant communications.

Coordinate event logistics, scheduling, travel, technology, registration, and materials.

Maintain records of participants, engagement, feedback, and outcomes.

Support virtual and in-person events in Washington, DC, and other locations as needed.

Coalition Support & Engagement (10%)

Assist in supporting or facilitating coalition and workgroup logistics, including sharing agendas, taking detailed notes, communicating next steps, and coordinating coalition activities.

Support the development and maintenance of policymaker, coalition, and stakeholder relationships.

AI-Enabled Policy Work & Knowledge Management (10%)

Use AI and digital tools to strengthen policy monitoring, research synthesis, drafting, stakeholder preparation, project management, and institutional knowledge.

Apply human review and independent judgment to all AI-generated work.

Verify sources, facts, citations, quotations, and policy interpretations produced with AI assistance.

Demonstrate a willingness to learn how to build simple AI tools that support the team's workflows.

About You

We recognize that candidates may not meet every listed qualification. Research shows that individuals from underrepresented groups are more likely to opt out of applying if they don’t meet 100% of the criteria. If you believe you meet many of the criteria and can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply — we want to learn about your unique strengths and experiences.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated ability to engage with humility and self-awareness across differences in identity, background, and lived experience; experience applying an inclusive lens to policy analysis, systems-change, or community engagement work.

At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in public policy, political science, and/or advocacy, ideally including exposure to Capitol Hill or congressional staff relationships.

Lived expertise in foster care is beneficial.

Knowledge of policy and issues related to children, youth, and families, child welfare, positive youth development, and systems change.

Experience working with or alongside systems that impact youth and families — or deep commitment to learning about these systems with humility, curiosity, and care.

Motivated by