Policy Associate

Who We Are and What We Do

Save The Bay’s mission is to protect and restore the Bay for people and wildlife. We are the only regional organization that integrates political advocacy, wetland restoration, and education to shape a healthy and resilient region. We are a team of passionate, creative, strategic and collaborative people, dedicated to the urgent work of building Bay Area resilience and hope in the face of the escalating impacts of climate change.

Over two decades, Save The Bay has become a Bay Area leader in the science and practice of habitat restoration, focused on tidal marsh transition zone habitat at landscape-scale for recovery of endangered species, and for ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. We enlist thousands of volunteers annually to restore the shoreline and educate Bay Area students to be the next generation of Bay stewards through hands-on experiential education and online learning.

position Summary

Save The Bay’s Policy Associate supports Save The Bay’s advocacy for a resilient and equitable Bay Area and a healthy San Francisco Bay. The Policy Associate utilizes advocacy and conducts policy research to improve regional climate resilience along the shoreline and within communities; reduce trash and other pollution in the Bay; and expand recreational access through a completed Bay Trail.

REPORTS TO: Policy Manager

SUPERVISES: None

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct research to develop and advance Save The Bay’s strategy to improve flood resilience by advancing nature-based shoreline adaptation and green stormwater infrastructure policies and projects across the region
• Draft, review, and revise policy recommendations to influence and inform city and regional planning documents including general plans, climate action plans, and other local planning efforts to promote nature-based adaptation, recreational access, and equitable resilience
• Conduct outreach under general supervision to engage diverse communities, elected officials, and agency staff to advance climate and flood resilience, Bay Trail improvements, and water quality
• Provide research, coordination, and outreach to support Save The Bay’s state and federal legislative priorities
• Support efforts to address pollution risks in the Bay through enforcement of state and federal regulations to eliminate stormwater pollution, groundwater contamination, and emerging pollution risks
• Analyze and summarize agency budgets and reports and deliver public testimony
• Collaborate with Policy and Communications staff to develop social media content to support Policy priorities and improve digital engagement
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications and experience

• Excellent writing, research, editing, and public speaking skills
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and collaborative work style
• Proven ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with colleagues
• Computer proficiency with Windows, Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to attend occasional evening/weekend meetings and events
• Passion for Save The Bay’s mission
• Knowledge of environmental policy related to sea level rise and water quality
• 1 year of relevant professional experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Bay climate impacts and adaptation solutions
• Basic understanding of local and regional government agencies that work on climate resilience and water quality.
• Experience working effectively with elected and agency officials, community leaders, environmental activists, and/or diverse groups of other stakeholders
• Communications/GIS
• Event and project management skills

Position Logistics

Location: Our work is performed mostly remotely (apart from our Habitat Restoration Staff) with periodic in-person staff and team meetings in our office based in Oakland, CA, and our various restoration sites around the San Francisco Bay Area. Employees must reside in the Bay Area.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position. The starting wage for this position is $34.75 per hour and is not subject to negotiation. We provide an annual cost-of-living increase each January 1, and additional 3 percent increases at service mileposts of 3 years in the position, 5 years, 10 years and subsequent 5-year intervals. To maintain internal pay equity, we do not utilize individual merit increases.

We offer an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision, acupuncture/chiropractic, and life insurance; 12 paid vacation days per year to start, 13-14 paid holidays and 12 days of sick leave per calendar year; 403(b) retirement plan; stipend for working remotely and funds for home office workstation equipment and furniture.

How To Apply: This position is open until filled. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@savesfbay.org. Please make sure to include the position title –Policy Associate– in the subject line. In the body of the email, please share where you found this job listing.

Hiring Timeline (This is our ideal timeline, but it may be subject to changes):

• The priority deadline for applications is May 4, 2026
• We will review resumes and conduct interviews in April and May, 2026
• Finalists will be invited to submit three references
• We would like to make an offer to a candidate by mid-May and have the candidate start in June, 2026

COVID-19 Policy: All new hires must be fully vaccinated prior to their start of employment unless they are pre-qualified by HR for exemption.

Work Environment: We welcome people of all cultural backgrounds, gender expression and sexual orientation to apply and thrive with our growing team. Save The Bay is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit a diverse workforce and provide an equitable, and inclusive workplace for all.

DEI Statement: Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, Save The Bay will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

Our Leadership Philosophy: At Save the Bay, we take a person-centered approach to leadership. As leaders, we strive to embody our organizational core values and create a work environment that fosters belonging, authenticity, accountability, and care.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) – Progress and Commitment

Save The Bay has been reckoning with our positionality within a predominantly white-led environmental movement, evolving our workplace practices and our program approaches. Most of our DEI efforts began and continue to be fueled by employee leaders, who have informed and continue to influence our internal practices and investments, mission-driven programs and community partnerships. Staff and board input helped create our organizational core values that guide Save The Bay’s leadership philosophy and operations and our Strategic Plan.  

We are working to build   more respectful and inclusive working environments and have updated our hiring practices to advance inclusiveness and reduce bias. We have implemented new compensation practices to support greater transparency, equity and competitiveness, and established a Living Wage floor. We adopted a new performance management system designed to provide structured, supportive, and regular opportunities for conversation and feedback between supervisors and their direct reports.  We have taken steps to expand investment in professional development for all staff, tailored to individual needs with supervisor support. 

Our programming embraces community-driven efforts that seek to reduce the impacts of climate change in our region, and we work to expand funding and support for frontline communities on the Bay shoreline. We offer affinity-based volunteer programs led by staff who share those identities and are designed to invite a broad range of participants to share in the work of habitat restoration. We strive to be accountable and effective allies with indigenous peoples and environmental justice advocates.

We continue to commit time and resources to advance DEI efforts and work toward more equitable outcomes. We seek candidates who will help us advance this work, understanding that it demands compassion, resilience, patience, and endurance, along with a willingness to learn and grow alongside others.