As a university founded to be a place where “…any person can find instruction in any study,” diversity and inclusion are at the core of our values and mission. We strive to be a welcoming, caring, healthy, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect, and feel empowered to engage in any community conversation. As a member of the Cornell University community, it is important to recognize our shared responsibility to each other to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all.  Cornell Core values 

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellbeing and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.    

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.  These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success

The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy harnesses the University’s broad disciplinary excellence in public policy, along with its innovative teaching, research, and engagement programs, to solve pressing global challenges.  The school’s faculty apply an interdisciplinary and problem-oriented focus to wide-ranging public policy issues as they explore how governmental choices intersect with people’s lives.

The State Policy Advocacy Clinic provides undergraduate and Master’s students with the opportunity to work with legislators, executive branch officials, academics, community members, local organizations, and national NGOs on state-level policy initiatives. Student teams work together to research, design, and advocate for a wide variety of concrete policy solutions in the fields of health care policy, immigrant rights, children’s rights, criminal justice reform, democracy and good governance, economic development and sustainability. The clinic prioritizes projects that advance rural equity and human rights, particularly for populations who traditionally have been underrepresented in the political process. Students in the clinic work with faculty from across the university to help translate their substantive policy expertise into actionable state policies. The clinic is also pleased to have partnerships with a wide range of local, state-wide, and national stakeholders, with whom students collaborate closely.

The State Policy Advocacy Clinic is seeking a creative, intellectually curious, team-oriented, self-disciplined and ambitious recent early career professional to serve as its first Junior Research Fellow to advance policy and advocacy work in the field of immigrant rights. Under the direction of the clinic’s Director, the Junior Research Fellow will perform legal and policy research and analysis in various substantive policy areas including immigration, immigrant rights, health care policy, children’s rights, criminal justice reform, good governance, consumer protection, and economic development. They will also facilitate policymaker and community stakeholder relationships and manage the daily research and communications activities of the clinic to support reaching its goals.

The core work of the clinic is to turn good policy ideas into reality, by turning them into laws, and ensuring that the laws we help to get passed are implemented. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated passion for politics, public policy or social justice; openness to diverse political views; experience in state or federal government administrative advocacy or at a think tank or nonprofit with a social justice mission, policy experience, experience working with diverse coalitions; and knowledge of critical issues and policies impacting immigrant communities.

Other key responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

Research and monitor state legislation and policy to identify and leverage opportunities to advance rights and opportunities for immigrants and identify proposals to restrict rights and opportunities.

Meet with stakeholders, including legislators, executive branch officials, think tanks and advocacy organizations, community organizations, business leaders, subject matter experts, lawyers, academics, and funders to advance policy ideas.

Assist in the day-to-day management of the Clinic and its operations.

Develop effective public messaging for clinic priorities. This includes drafting content for internal and external communications and creating various work products such as white papers, OpEds, community forums, legislative testimony, press conferences and media interviews, meetings with individual legislators, legislative briefings.

Work closely with student teams who engage in policy design and advocacy assignments.

Assist with supervising and supporting student teams on certain projects.

Provide feedback on their work, attend stakeholder meetings, research assistance, mentorship, and guidance.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Government, Political Science, Public Policy, History, Economics, Sociology, Legal Studies or a related field.

2 to 4 years of relevant experience or equivalent combination

Effective research and data analysis skills and familiarity with the principles of legal reasoning and analysis.

Effective communicator with strong public speaking, presentation, writing, and persuasion skills.

Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills to establish and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Proactive, collaborative and flexible work style with leadership and teamwork experiences.

Detail-oriented with effective organizational and time-management skills to coordinate multiple projects and meet deadlines under pressure.

Proficiency using Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), administrative and financial systems, and meeting/collaboration tools (Outlook, Teams, Zoom).

Demonstrated passion for politics, public policy or social justice.

Demonstrated openness to diversity of background, including openness to diverse political views.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in state or federal government or at a think tank or nonprofit organization with a social justice mission.

Coursework or experience in the field of immigration and immigrant rights.

Fluency in written and spoken Spanish.

Familiarity with issues impacting diverse immigrant communities, personal lived experience of immigration, or understanding of the U.S. immigration system.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension is a collaboration among Cornell University, the United States Department of Agriculture, the State of New York, and the residents of New York State.  Per NYS Law, county and regional extension service associations are subordinate government agencies.  This employment opportunity is with the entities listed and not with Cornell University.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. Individuals who bring a diverse perspective and are supportive of diversity are strongly encouraged to apply.

Notice to Applicants: Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell Cooperative Extension as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.