Implementation Director

About The Clean Slate Initiative:

Founded in 2019, the Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is a national bipartisan organization advancing policies to automate and expand eligibility for record clearance. One in three Americans lives with a past arrest or conviction record that limits their ability to find work, continue their education, obtain a professional license, or fully participate in family and civic life.

The Clean Slate Initiative’s vision is that people will no longer be defined by their records and will have the opportunity to contribute to their community, have a fair opportunity to work, get an education, and achieve their full potential. The Clean Slate Initiative passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and expand who is eligible for clearance.  To date, twelve states have passed Clean Slate laws impacting more than 15 million people. The Clean State Initiative works with bipartisan leaders and organizations and offers our expertise on what works: intelligent policy design, an eye toward implementation, and campaign strategies that center lived experience. Along the way, we work to redefine the narrative around people with records, cutting through the bias and stigma, to reorient the legal system to live up to the ideals of second chances. Learn more about our work here.

About the Opportunity:

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Implementation Director will play a pivotal role in guiding states through the successful execution of Clean Slate laws so that the millions of people in America who are currently eligible and who will become eligible receive automatic record clearance. They will serve as a trusted advisor to colleagues and stakeholders across the country collaborating to address challenges and set states up for successful implementation. They will develop a scalable model for implementation as new states pass Clean Slate laws by building out best practices, convening partner organizations and bringing forward bold and creative ideas. 

This hire will be the first person to fill this new role at CSI and as such the first phase of work will be focused on refining our implementation strategy, building out a systematic approach to problem solving and building relationships.  The role is ideal for someone who loves to solve new problems in a big way and can see how systems inside and outside government can work together to implement impactful policy.

Responsibilities & Tasks:

The Implementation Director will work with internal and external stakeholders as the person who knows as much as possible about the implementation of Clean Slate laws. Their work will focus in the following areas: 

Solve state specific implementation challenges

• Steward states that have already passed Clean Slate laws through successful implementation of these laws. 

• Integrate implementation lessons learned to date into new Clean Slate campaigns and policy efforts to help mitigate and prevent challenges post-passage.

• Serve as a trusted expert advisor to state employees responsible for implementing Clean Slate laws including being the “1st call” when problems arise; directing them to CSI contracted resources and helping work through challenges directly.

• Serve as an expert resource to colleagues (most specifically, campaign strategists) and state coalitions directly on implementation-related challenges as they arise by presenting data-informed solutions, making connections to national experts or relevant validators from other states, leveraging CSI research/data where needed. 

• Host peer learning calls with CSI state partners to collectively troubleshoot challenges, share learnings, and keep a pulse on progress/needs.

• Lead implementation strategy workgroup to continue to address key questions as they come up and refine strategy.

• Host 1:1 calls with stakeholders in implementation states as needed to keep a pulse on what’s happening and offer guidance.

Create and disseminate learnings

• Identify implementation themes that cut across states and provide a “birds eye” view informed by on the ground experiences.

• Synthesize implementation learnings and determine the best format for documenting and sharing such as toolkits, publications, webinars, convenings etc. 

• Ensure integration of implementation lessons learned into all aspects of CSI’s state campaign work.

• Regularly publish analysis, best practices and resources that build CSIs credibility with stakeholders in state government and  national organizations such that they seek the organization out as a resource and partner when considering Clean Slate policy.

Manage and develop organizational relationships

• Build and maintain relationships with goal-aligned national organizations to ensure progress on agreed upon deliverables and continually connect the dots across stakeholders; current partners include Code for America (CfA) and SEARCH.

• Manage contracts with subject matter experts and identify opportunities or needs to engage additional experts, develop and make recommendations for new relationships.

• Identify opportunities for systematic approaches to educating and engaging sectors and stakeholders who may be impacted by clean slate legislation (e.g., legal aid, employers, landlords, consumer rating agencies). 

Develop new practices 

• Take a leadership role in identifying the next set of open questions related to implementation.

• Identify pathways to solving new implementation challenges and questions as they arise using an approach that aligns with the organization's approach.  In the near term this includes: 

• Implementation fidelity;

• Background checks accountability; and

• Notification.

Who You Are:

• Someone who has a detailed understanding of how automatic record sealing works, both generally based on exposure to the concept and in application in a specific state(s).

• Familiarity with government stakeholders and how change happens within complex government systems; bonus for understanding power-players inside government and what moves them.

• A natural collaborator with a spirit for getting things done and bringing the right people together, regardless of level or title, to creatively solve real problems.

• Strong attention to detail and someone who has experience with and enjoys creating repeatable processes, templates to keep track of and share detailed information with internal and external stakeholders.

• Able to take responsibility and accountability for strategic decision making and data-informed recommendations.

• Someone who sees connection points across a set of stakeholders and information and is able to connect the dots, draw out common challenges, and brainstorm common solutions.

• A creative thinker with an eagerness to think outside the box. 

• Ability to move from the details to big picture with ease.

What You’ll Need:

• At least 8 years experience working on policy implementation with government stakeholders either inside government and/or at a non-profit or consulting organization.

• Demonstrated experience in reading and understanding legislative policy, bonus if in application to record sealing legislation and within the criminal legal field.

• Countless examples of effectively communicating (especially when it comes to translating complex findings) with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, legislators, clerks, law enforcement, nonprofit leaders, directly impacted communities, and lawyers.

• Experience facilitating small groups in a virtual and in person setting such that they are able to make decisions and reach agreements.

• Experience working with technology and have a baseline fluency or exposure in algorithms, data analysis, and understanding the flow of data between technical systems.

• Proven track record of getting things done amidst ambiguity and executing strategy in a collaborative and data informed way.

• Experienced as a directly impacted person who has a record or with a family member who has a record is valued.

Compensation and Location:

Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, a 4% employer match and 2% employer paid contribution towards 401k retirement, pre-tax transportation benefits, and paid holidays, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off.

The Clean Slate Initiative is committed to transparent and fair compensation. The hiring range for this position is an annual salary range of $145,000-$160,000 per year. The final salary within this range will be determined based on work location and relevant experience.  Once an offer is made, we do not negotiate the compensation package. 

This is a full-time position and is considered exempt for overtime purposes. This is a remote position and we are location agnostic regarding where in the US you are based.  However, we will discuss a hybrid or in-office work location for candidates in proximity to our Orlando office.  You will  need to:

• Work collaboratively with a team in various time zones;

• Be close to a major airport with the ability to travel approximately 10-15%;

• Attend required quarterly onsite planning meetings in various locations; and

• Attend 1 all staff learning trip and our annual convening each year.

The Clean Slate Initiative is a 501(c)(3) public entity that passes and implements laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and expand who is eligible for clearance.  CSI is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. CSI’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working. 

How to Apply:

We encourage all applicants to review our website to fully familiarize themselves with The Clean Slate Initiative before applying: cleanslateinitiative.org.  If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your interest via email along with your resume and cover letter to: careers@cleanslateinitiative.org. 

Tentative timeline: 

• Application Period: September 25, 2024 through October 11, 2024
  Applications will be reviewed continuously. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications early for immediate consideration.   Applications received after October 11 may be considered, but consideration is not guaranteed. 

• Panel Interviews: week of October 14, 2024

• Hiring Manager Interview: week of October 21, 2024 or week of October 28, 2024

• Reference Checks and Offer Extension: week of November 4, 2024

Questions about this job posting or the process should be directed to CSI’s Talent & Culture team at careers@cleanslateinitiative.org. 

Reasonable Accomodations:

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, and in accordance with relevant federal, state, and local laws, The Clean Slate Initiative provides equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require an accommodation to participate in the interview/hiring process, please contact human resources at HR@cleanslateinitiative.org. 

Other Employment Standards:

Applicants for employment in the United States must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States. 

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.