Director, Policy and Business Development

About this role

Director I, Policy and Business Development New York CEO Office Locations Albany, Buffalo, New York, Rochester Hybrid Regular Travel Required

Anticipated deadline to submit application: July 17, 2026 before 12pm EST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

The Director, Policy and Business Development works closely with the Investment, Program Leadership, and Fund Development teams to cultivate and grow key relationships with funders, government partners, crew partners and other key stakeholders. They will develop and implement a program investment and policy strategy to support reentry employment services across a region at CEO.

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You have at least 7+ years of experience in policy or programming related to workforce, public benefits and criminal justice

• You have experience with federal and state policy making and working directly with policymakers to drive impactful change, experience with SNAP E&T and WIOA is a plus.

• You have successfully developed and implemented strategy to achieve policy objectives

• You have experience in research and data analysis as well as using your findings to inform your perspective and decision-making

• You have superior client engagement and relationship management skills

• You have excellent time management, organizational, and follow-up skills

• You are eager to apply your experience and skill set within a fast-paced, mission-driven, and social justice-minded nonprofit organization

• You are an outstanding communicator, able to communicate clearly and concisely verbally and in writing and to tailor your communication style to various stakeholders

• You have the strong ability to build relationships with public agencies, community-based organizations, and high-level public officials to develop, implement, and promote new programs and projects

• You have the ability to drive results both independently and as part of a team, all while working remotely with a geographically dispersed team

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Key responsibilities of the Director, Policy and Business Development include but are not limited to:

Regional Investment and Advocacy Strategy

• Develop and execute a regional strategy to increase reentry employment funding, particularly SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T), public workforce, social enterprise, and philanthropic investments, that support reentry employment services across a state region

• Monitor emerging and promising practices within the field for utilizing state and federal investment to support reentry employment programs, including those that provide direct income support for justice impacted individuals

• Lead program investment and policy advocacy with local, state, and federal agencies and legislators to promote the utilization of these and other state/federal funding streams for CEO and the reentry employment field more broadly in a specific region

• Work with other workforce, justice, and anti-poverty advocacy organizations to promote policies that support greater investment in reentry employment services for formerly incarcerated people

• Monitor changes in key federal and state legislation and understand any potential impacts on CEO and partners

• Provide recommendations for and support drafting and review of public grant proposals, contracts and reports

• Track investment advocacy in salesforce and develop reports to analyze progress

External Engagement and Expansion

• Serve as a lead representative for CEO to external partners and stakeholders, including crew partners, government representatives, and philanthropies, across the region in collaboration with Program Leadership and Fund Development

• In partnership with Program Leadership, Fund Development, and Investment Team leaders, develop a strategy on external engagement and partnerships

• Lead regional funder engagement efforts, working closely with leadership and the Fund Development Team

• Cultivate and engage new and existing funders and donors towards meeting annual program investment and policy advocacy goals across the region

• Support local leadership with partnership and development efforts specifically in the public and private sector to support transitional employment opportunities with crew partners and other services that provide direct income support for participants

• Work with the the Investment team and external partners to facilitate strategy for new site expansion in existing CEO states

• Serve as a connector between the Fund Development, Investment and Program teams to advance key relationships and initiatives

• Facilitate relationships with stakeholders, provide specialized training, technical assistance and peer mentorship to build capacity in the field to access more reentry employment investment, particularly for SNAP E&T and and other public workforce-funded partnerships

Organizational and Team Support

• Support the development and implementation of CEO’s strategic plan with a particular focus on a state region

• Collaborate with other Investment Team leadership in leading advocacy campaigns for policy & orga

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