Director of Advocacy

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background:

The External Relations (ER) Department mobilizes external audiences to raise the requisite funds, influence policies and achieve practice changes to improve outcomes for our clients, while growing and protecting our global brand. The Global Policy & Advocacy team is a dynamic part of the ER Department that leverages the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients across the “arc of crisis” and influence external stakeholders, in particular governments and multi-lateral institutions, to enact these solutions to ultimately make meaningful change for our clients. From addressing the drivers of conflict to meeting the needs of displaced people, the team partners with innovative thinkers, experts and those with lived experience to identify solutions and bring them to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our goals, tactics, and messages. We drive change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs across the globe. Finally, we are collaborative, constantly seeking new ideas and perspectives from others in our sector and beyond as we work side by side with programs, strategy, communications and research and innovation teams across the IRC.

Job Overview:
As the Director of Advocacy, you will lead development of the IRC’s advocacy efforts to support key priorities across crisis and solutions-driven global influence priorities for the International Rescue Committee. You are responsible for crafting our influence strategies using IRC’s programmatic and research evidence, surgical policy and practice solutions, and trusted brand to inspire collective action. You are the expert for understanding current federal legislative and policy trends in the US and how our policies cut across political agendas. You will engage key stakeholders across government and civil society. You will work across the IRC to develop advocacy campaigns and build relationships including with Congressional representatives, U.S. and other government officials in D.C. as well as foundations, think tanks, multilateral organizations, and other humanitarian organizations. You will also look across IRC’s global priorities, engaging relevant embassies and crafting specific advocacy messages for donor governments.

Major Responsibilities:

• Advocacy Strategy: Lead advocacy strategies for specific policy goals, including thought leadership objectives relevant to the U.S. market, collaborating with policy leads to advance IRCs key influence priorities and maximize the opportunity for IRC to advance our influence objectives. Engage across the IRC with all relevant stakeholders. Craft advocacy strategies, drawing on IRC’s policy expertise, that are suited to global donor government priorities.
• Influence Analysis: Develop U.S. power maps for key policy issues to identify influence priorities. Cultivate relationships across the U.S. Government and lead Congressional engagement. Work with team to support development and execution of creative influence strategies, including with nontraditional partners. Look across IRC’s global priorities and ensure they are integrated into advocacy and influence strategies.
• Advocacy: Support efforts to build IRC’s credibility, profile and relationships by engaging with key policy  stakeholders and supporting opportunities to raise IRC’s profile at key meetings and fora. Collaborate closely with other U.S. market staff and global policy and advocacy staff, contributing to efforts designed to build IRC’s credibility, profile and relationships in Washington.
• Legislative and Policy Tracking. Expand IRC’s legislative reach by tracking and analyzing shifting Congressional and Executive branch positions, individuals engaging on our issues, and the politics around our issues. Translate policy asks into legislative asks. Engage U.S. Government stakeholders relevant to the IRC’s work in the U.S. Track U.S. legislative and executive processes.
• Policy Engagement: Contribute to policy generation by providing U.S.-specific analysis that increases the credibility and efficacy of our solutions through constant collaboration. Support IRC’s policy team in identifying and developing policy priorities that are impactful and achievable in the U.S. as well as in global markets.
• Communications: Provide market and audience expertise to communications team to shape policy communications specific to the U.S. Support the team in developing communications strategy and develop materials for advocacy targets. Support planning and implementation of strategic activities including events. Facilitate development and editing of internal and external advocacy products to ensure resonance in U.S. market and adherence to high standards of quality.
• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and the ways we wield influence.
• Spokesperson: Act as an IRC influence spokesperson on focused advocacy areas. Act as key interlocutor with legislative and governmental staffers.
• Board and Advisors: Support relationships with IRC's Board and Advisors by identifying points of mutual interest and opportunities around our priority issues.
• Teamwork: Support a positive team culture by acting openly and collaboratively, supporting colleagues in their work and sharing credit with others where appropriate. Potential supervision of Senior Advisor or other staff.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position reports to: Senior Director, Advocacy & Influence and Vice President of Policy and Advocacy
• Internal contacts: Policy and Advocacy colleagues across the globe; Technical Excellence leads; International Programs leads; Crisis Response, Recovery and Development Department; Communications; Awards Management; President’s Office, External Relations Department
• External contacts: Key Opinion Formers and policy makers in the U.S. Government and U.S. Congress, other humanitarian leaders and thinktanks, relevant embassies, multilateral institutions

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Degree in relevant field such as Public Policy, Law or International Relations

Work experience:

• Demonstrated experience in advocacy and advocacy strategy development with a focus on creativity and strategic thinking
• 10-12 years of experience working on complex humanitarian and/or development issues
• Knowledge of U.S. Government functioning and prior work the U.S. Government or Congress are a plus.
• Understanding of global issues, multilateral engagement experience.

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• Examples of influence/impact on legislative and executive policy. Strong network of influencers and policy makers
• Deep understanding of global issues related to the humanitarian field.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, being solutions-oriented
• Extensive knowledge of humanitarian aid and refugee issues, particularly around the complex drivers of humanitarian need
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision and policy makers, and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields. Good public speaking skills.
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with policymakers
• Fluency with key parts of the IRC’s strategy and existing policy strategy
• Ability to work on tight deadlines and juggle competing demands
• Self-motivated

Working Environment: Remote

Compensation: ($130,000 - $156,000 - annually). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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Benefits: IRC offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. Highlights include 10 paid sick leave, 10 U.S. holidays, 20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163/month, dental starting at $6.50/month, and vision starting at $5/month, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter), a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting), disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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