Opportunities

Jobs

  • The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice is seeking a Policy Analyst/Senior Policy Analyst to support our advocacy efforts to create a more socially and economically just Hawaiʻi. This position will be primarily working within our transportation equity issue area. We are seeking an individual with excellent research and data management skills and the ability to communicate complex policy information using accessible language.

    About Hawaiʻi Appleseed

    Hawaiʻi Appleseed is committed to a more socially and economically just Hawaiʻi, where everyone has genuine opportunities to achieve economic security and fulfill their potential. We change policies, systems, and narratives by conducting data analysis and research, educating policymakers and the public, engaging in collaborative problem solving and coalition building, and building community leaders.

    The issues we work on—housing, food, fair wages and taxation, transportation, and racial and indigenous equity—are important because they ensure people have access to shelter, sustenance, and the means to survive and thrive individually and collectively. Our transportation equity work prioritizes ensuring people in Hawaiʻi have access to safe and accessible transportation opportunities, with a focus on non-vehicular modes such as walking, biking, and transit, to low-income and marginalized populations in Hawaiʻi. 

    We are seeking a Policy Analyst/Senior Policy Analyst who can contribute to this effort by developing impact-oriented, data-driven research and policy recommendations to achieve this vision, informed by the people we serve. 

    Position Overview

    The Policy Analyst/Senior Policy Analyst for Transportation Equity reports to Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Director of Transportation Equity. This position works collaboratively with other staff at Hawaiʻi Appleseed, and also with community partners to advance our collective priorities. Primary responsibilities include:

    • Keep informed on the latest status of federal, state, and local transportation programs, with a focus on Vision Zero, Complete/Safe Streets, Safe Routes to Schools, and public transit initiatives;

    • Develop relationships with key stakeholders, such as State Legislators, County Council members, Department of Transportation, County Planning Departments, and other relevant groups working in the transportation field;

    • Liaise with government and community stakeholders to learn and respond to structural issues related to transportation and physical mobility;

    • Conduct equity-focused transportation policy research and analysis by monitoring government data sources, budgets, legislation, and agency actions at the federal, state, and county levels; assessing impacts on transit access, pedestrian safety, household transportation spending, and other metrics; and producing cost analyses and evidence-based policy recommendations.

    • Develop and advance policy positions and advocacy materials related to public transit improvements, pedestrian and bicyclist safety investments, traffic enforcement reform, parking policies, and others; translating complex policy and funding frameworks into clear, accessible materials.

    • Engage directly in policy advocacy and coalition efforts by drafting and delivering testimony, conducting lobby visits and meetings with policymakers and agency staff, supporting community and partner organizations with technical expertise, and helping to interpret municipal transportation programs and funding opportunities to advance equitable outcomes.

    • Present results of research to stakeholders, coalitions, and the general public;

    • Support the development of a regular transportation equity newsletters; 

    • In coordination with your supervisor, develop a work plan that identifies quarterly and annual goals and activities;

    • Meet (in-person or virtually) with your supervisor on a weekly basis to discuss progress made on work tasks and deliverables; and

    • Participate in Hawaiʻi Appleseed staff meetings twice-a-month (in-person)

    Activities breakdown:

    • Legislative advocacy (30%)

    • Research, writing, and policy brief development (40%)

    • Outreach (stakeholder meetings, presentations, etc.) (15%)

    • Staff and project meetings (10%)

    • Cross-sector (i.e., transportation nexus between housing, food and health) collaboration with Hawaiʻi Appleseed directors and policy analysts (5%)

    Research focus areas:

    • Government and household transportation spending

    • Pedestrian safety initiatives

    • Public transit initiatives 

    • Traffic enforcement and impacts of transportation-related criminalization 

    …

    Supervisor: Director of Transportation Equity

    Qualifications: 

    • Bachelor's degree or advanced degree preferably in the field of Public Policy, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Transportation Engineering, Data Science, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geography, or related fields.

    • At least three years of relevant professional experience.  

    • Demonstrated qualitative and/or quantitative research skills.

    • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

    • Capacity to conduct literature reviews and similar research quickly and with strong critical thinking analysis.

    • Proficiency with publication, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

    • Proficiency with mapping and data visualization software, including ArcGIS and Storymaps.   

    • Experience managing and analyzing large datasets. 

    • Strong time management skills and high level of professionalism.

    • High level of organization, attention to detail, motivation, creativity, and self-confidence; we seek individuals who can work effectively, both on teams and independently, and simultaneously on multiple projects.

    • Initiative to suggest improvements or innovations on assigned tasks.

    • Willingness to adapt to changes in work assignments, deadlines, and team environment

    • A commitment to HA’s mission of advocating for economic justice for and with Hawaiʻi’s people, helping support a thriving Hawaiʻi that reflects Hawaiʻi’s deep cultural values of social responsibility and care for community, people and place.    

    Compensation and Benefits

    This is a full-time, year-round position and the successful candidate will either live in or relocate to Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s office is located in Honolulu, but there is potential for the person filling this position to work remotely from a neighbor island. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, within the range of $60,000 to $70,000 for a Policy Analyst, and $70,000 to $80,000 for a Senior Policy Analyst. The position also provides comprehensive benefits including health care, paid holidays and personal leave and a 401(k) match up to 5% of annual salary.

    Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume and a writing sample (demonstrating analytical and writing skills) to jobs@hiappleseed.org. The position will remain open until filled.

    Application Process: Please email completed applications to abbey@hiappleseed.org no later than Friday, January 16th. Applications should be compiled into a single PDF and include the subject line “Transportation Policy Analyst Application_NAME”. Applications must include the following:

    • Cover letter

    • Resume

    • Contact information for two references (including at least one professional reference)

    The recruitment process for the selected candidates is as follows:

    • Screening of applications

    • Panel interviews (if selected to proceed)

    • Submission of writing samples

Download PDF

Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

No RFPs at this time. Please check back again later!

Internships ↓

Each summer, Hawaiʻi Appleseed hosts three to six undergraduate, graduate, or law students to conduct research on policy matters or investigate potential impact litigation relating to issues affecting low-income residents of Hawaiʻi. Students are typically given a single project to focus on during a 10-week internship at Hawaiʻi Appleseed.

By the end of the summer, students will usually have developed an extensive memo detailing their findings and making recommendations on potential reforms and how they might best be pursued. Often, this work will inform Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s future policy advocacy.

Students are given a high degree of responsibility and Appleseed staff rely heavily on the students’ work to develop new projects. For example, in one summer, students at Hawaiʻi Appleseed were responsible for researching:

  1. Solutions for Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing crisis;
  2. Inequities in Hawaiʻi’s tax system;
  3. Language accessibility of the Hawaiʻi driver’s examination; and
  4. Issues in Hawaiʻi’s foster care system.

Each of these projects resulted in meaningful improvements to systems affecting people in poverty in Hawai‘i.

  • The student working on the affordable housing crisis research developed a policy brief describing how jurisdictions across the country were using Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to create more affordable housing without the use of scarce government subsidies. The brief was shared with the Honolulu City Council and ultimately resulted in the passage of a bill allowing ADU development. (ADUs are separate units built on a homeowner’s property that are often rented at rates below what is typically available on the rental market.)

  • The students working on the tax system project developed a policy brief that identified ways that Hawaiʻi can improve its regressive tax system, which taxes people in poverty at the second highest rate in the nation. Their work laid the foundation for passage of a state Earned Income Tax Credit that is providing $135 million in tax relief to low-income families over a period of five years.

  • The student conducting the driver’s license examination work built a case that resulted in a settlement which required the state of Hawaiʻi to reinstitute the use of translated driver’s exams so that limited English proficient speakers could obtain a license that would allow them to get to work and care for their families. The translated exams had previously been discontinued when a single question on the exam changed and the state refused to get the question translated.

  • The student examining the state’s foster care system uncovered a long-standing issue of the state failing to adjust for inflation the amount foster families were provided for the care of foster children. The student’s work resulted in a class action settlement that increased the resources provided for the care of foster children by $8 million per year.

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to Executive Director Will White at jobs@hiappleseed.org.