Director, Federal Policy & Advocacy job in Washington, DC

Description:

The Role: The Director of U.S. Federal Policy and Advocacy leads the Center's U.S. federal policy and advocacy program. The Director provides strategic vision and oversight for the program and is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the Center's multi-faceted reproductive rights federal policy initiatives and strategies. The Director is a senior leader in the Government and External Relations (GER) Division and the Center as a whole.

The Director is accountable for developing and executing federal policy and advocacy strategies; developing a results-oriented framework and metrics for evaluating this work; assessing staffing requirements; collaborating closely with Global Advocacy team on US foreign policy strategy and related US government engagement; facilitating and advising on external relations opportunities; advising on institutional advocacy strategies; and collaborating across Center programs and departments, as well as with outside partners, to ensure the Center accomplishes its goals. The Director manages the 10-15 attorneys and staff on the U.S. federal team and is responsible for fostering an inclusive, positive team culture, identifying opportunities for staff to grow and develop, and modeling open communication practices.

The Director will work closely with the leadership of the Government and External Relations Division, U.S. Programs, the Office of the President, Communications, and Development to align strategies and successfully implement projects.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. in a hybrid model of 3 days working in-office, 2 days working from home. Covid-19 Vaccination is required for all U.S.-based employees of the Center.

Primary Responsibilities:
Lead Strategy, Development, and Implementation of U.S Federal Policy and Advocacy Work

Develop and lead the effective implementation of U.S. federal legal and policy advocacy strategies to advance the Center's strategic plan.
Help increase the Center's profile as a leader in policy development, administrative law analysis, and administrative and legislative advocacy.
Expand reach of advocacy work by maximizing the impact of Center and coalition-led campaigns and initiatives, including the Women's Health Protection Act and other advocacy campaigns and efforts.
Expand policy development and administrative law advocacy strategy by identifying and pursuing new areas of work where the Center can lead within coalition spaces.
Liaise with US program teams, including litigation and state policy and advocacy, to advance access to comprehensive reproductive health care at the federal level.
Work closely with the Director of Pro Bono to cultivate new and existing pro bono partnerships and projects with law firms, law associations, and law schools.
Participate in strategy development across the Government and External Relations Department, with U.S. programs and the Center's other regional programs, and lead internal and external efforts to implement those strategies.
Collaborate with GER leadership, program, communications, and digital teams, among others, to develop program content and messaging strategies.

Serve as an Ambassador, Collaborator, and Thought Leader

Represent the Center externally and translate complex policies and practices into accessible communications for diverse audiences including lawmakers, advocates, coalition partners, funders, and the media.
Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to Center leadership.
Build and maintain relationships with key federal policy stakeholders including administration officials and Members of Congress and staff.
Collaborate with coalition partners in the reproductive rights and justice movements and develop new relationships to advocate for policy change at the federal level.
Collaborate across social justice organizations to ensure the Center's priorities are represented within the broader social justice coalitions and identify leadership opportunities within these spaces.

Lead an Effective Team

Lead, mentor, and supervise members of the Federal Policy and Advocacy team.
Manage work planning, staffing requirements, and budgeting process for the Federal Policy and Advocacy team.
Create an environment and culture that fosters constructive problem-solving, good communication, flexibility, and a “can do/will do” attitude, with honesty, respect, and good humor.
Support the Chief Government and External Relations Officer to ensure that key federal policy program outcomes are evaluated and leveraged for maximum impact.

Qualifications:

Strong commitment to the Center's mission, purpose, and values.
JD required with at least 15 years legal or advocacy experience.
Bar membership in the District of Columbia required or a commitment to obtain membership within 18 months of assuming the position.
Significant experience leading a team and supervising, training, or mentoring junior attorneys or individuals with different levels of experience and expertise; experience working with executive leadership or C-suite a plus.
Successful experience in developing and implementing policy initiatives in the U.S. at the federal level; political, legislative, or administrative advocacy experience strongly preferred.
Experience in working or building coalitions; leadership within coalitions of social justice and/or human rights movements preferred.
Dedication to intersectional advocacy and the Center's human rights-based approach.
Exceptional communication and advocacy skills, both orally and in writing; ability to communicate complex issues to a lay audience clearly, concisely and powerfully.
Creative and strategic thinker with good judgment and excellent analytical capabilities.
A high level of energy, self-confidence, initiative, and follow-through; ability to recognize and act on opportunities in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to give and receive feedback and resolve conflicts constructively.
Demonstrated track record of effective people management.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Don't meet every single requirement? At the Center, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Leadership Competencies:

Leading the Work (Strategy & Implementation): Generates new ideas, develops long-term objectives and strategies that align with institutional priorities, and translates them into actionable plans.
Leading Others: Inspires commitment;?develops and empowers staff;?identifies and mentors the next generation of organization leaders;?establishes results-oriented culture in teams.
Leading by Personal Example: Models organizational values; takes action and is courageous; projects confidence and steadiness; learns from experience and is self-aware.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Attracts,?develops?and retains a?diverse team;?recognizes the many dimensions of diversity and?the particular harms of anti-Black racism and colonialism; considers equity in decisions and processes internally and externally; demonstrates inclusive leadership behaviors