Research Program Manager

The Organization: California YIMBY is a statewide housing advocacy organization dedicated to ending the housing shortage and making California an affordable place for everyone to live, work, and raise a family. California YIMBY is not a traditional non-profit: we reject the policy and political status-quo and work to realize fundamental evidence-based change to California’s housing policies, which would benefit tens-of-millions of people. Founded in 2017, California YIMBY has built a list of 80,000 supporters and 25 local YIMBY teams from San Diego to Humboldt counties. The organization has redefined the national housing debate by sponsoring transformative legislation like SB 827 and SB 50, and has helped draft and pass several other bills that legalized ADUs and removed barriers to building homes.

The Opportunity: California YIMBY is seeking a full-time Research Program Manager to help define and guide our research agenda, to coordinate research efforts with partner academics and researchers, and to represent California YIMBY at events and in the media. This research will inform California YIMBY’s advocacy agenda.

The Research Program Manager will serve as a member of California YIMBY’s leadership team, report directly to the CEO, and develop and carry out California YIMBY’s research agenda, including identifying new research opportunities, developing research design, and formulating policy proposals informed by their research.

The Research Program Manager will:

Design and implement a research program that helps inform California YIMBY’s advocacy.

• Conduct independent research, produce policy papers, briefs, and content explaining housing research.
• Coordinate research efforts with partner academic researchers and institutions.
• Represent California YIMBY at events and in the media through press interviews, op-eds, blogs, and social media.
• Collaborate with senior staff to write research grants and other development efforts.
• Lead and manage external research partnerships, including working with senior staff to establish new research collaborations.
• Work with the communications team to translate academic research into materials intended for non-academic audiences.

Minimum qualifications (at the time of application): Possess strong writing and communication skills, strong organizational, analytical, and project management abilities, and be comfortable working on a distributed team. Experience working with data sources such as the Census/ACS, PUMS, and HMDA. Experience with manipulating and analyzing datasets with R, Python Pandas (or even SAS or STATA) as well as a working knowledge of GIS is expected. Demonstrated ability to collaborate across race, wealth, or partisan boundaries. The successful applicant will have a passion to end the housing crisis and a minimum of 2 years of relevant professional or academic experience.

Preferred qualifications: PhD or equivalent degree in Economics, Planning, Public Policy/Administration, or equivalent field and a minimum of 3 years of relevant research experience, with a focus in at least one of the following areas: urban policy, affordable housing, land use, or real estate. Knowledge of federal, state, and municipal housing programs or land use regulations is strongly preferred. Management experience is desirable.

California YIMBY is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, personal appearance, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, genetic information, or political affiliation. We are deeply committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace where our differences broaden our awareness, enrich our experiences and are the basis of our collective strength. Members of underrepresented ethnic or socioeconomic populations and bilingual/multilingual speakers are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please email your CV, cover letter, research portfolio which includes two-three pieces for which you were the sole or principal responsible author to jobs@cayimby.org. Candidates who reach the second interview stage will be asked to provide three – five professional or academic references as well as additional work samples.

Location: California remote, preferably Oakland or Sacramento