VP, Policy & 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.

Job Overview: The International Rescue Committee has recently redesigned and globalized its approach to policy and advocacy, placing greater focus on robust policy and solution development, while also refining the discipline of advocacy at the IRC. You will be responsible for leading two distinct, yet inter-related teams: a Policy & Solutions team (“Policy Team”), responsible for developing scalable, high-impact and pragmatic policy recommendations and programmatic solutions and an Advocacy & Influence team (“Advocacy Team”), responsible for securing tangible and durable change for IRC clients through strategic advocacy. You have a network of policy analysts and experts, and can work collaboratively across the IRC and partners to bring together a brain trust than can unlock solutions for our clients. You will be the leading IRC specialist on a prioritized sub-set of these solutions – IRC’s global influence priorities – and will lead a team of advocacy experts in different global markets to build the political salience of these priorities. You are responsible for leading our influence strategy globally, building political will to act by strategically leveraging IRC’s programmatic and research evidence, surgical policy and practice solutions, political intelligence, advocacy partnerships, and trusted brand. These teams are bold, quick moving, open to new ideas, and collaborative, working in lockstep with IRC’s broader External Relations Department to deliver on shared policy, profile and fundraising objectives.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead two high-impact global teams: a policy team, responsible for developing scalable, high-impact and pragmatic policy recommendations and programmatic solutions and an advocacy team, responsible for securing tangible and durable change for IRC clients through strategic advocacy.

• Work with IRC’s CEO, Leadership Board and cross-functional counterparts to set IRC’s Policy and Advocacy Priorities based on impact, feasibility and IRC added-value. Act as key advisor to IRC leaders on policy and advocacy strategies.

• Together with External Relations Department Leaders, partner with IRC CEO, Leadership Board, Board of Directors and Advisors, and Program Leaders (e.g., Executive Directors, Country Directors) to develop influence strategies that advance IRC’s profile and fundraising goals.

• Steward Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion both in the culture of IRC, as well as in the policy solutions we develop and ways we wield influence – including through client-led engagement and advocacy.

Analysis and Policy Development

• Create open and adaptive ways of working with IRC teams (especially programs, technical and research teams) to continually assess the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients, IRC’s most effective solutions, and corresponding barriers to scale. Be the foremost expert on assessing relevance of policy solutions to unlocking these barriers.

• Apply deep knowledge of political and power systems to co-develop surgical, specific and creative solutions in IRC’s priority policy areas. Develop partnerships and relationships that advance and refine solutions

• Lead cross-functional development of IRC’s signature annual policy products. Oversee analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to build a rigorous annual analysis of accelerators and decelerators of conflict and resettlement. Identify corresponding solutions to unlock impact at scale. Partner with Marketing & Mobilization leaders to translate analysis into best-in-class products and reports to guide both IRC’s internal priorities and to influence policymakers.

• Collaborate with IRC’s Emergency Unit to lead IRC’s global crisis analysis capacity to deliver real-time insights as well as analytical products such as the annual “IRC Watchlist”.

External Engagement and Influence

• Advance IRC’s key influence priorities by leading the development and implementation of robust advocacy strategies across markets and regions. Oversee the development of comprehensive power maps for priority issues to identify advocacy targets at global, regional and national levels and ensure IRC capitalizes on external opportunities.

• Develop, launch and sustain strategic influence tactics, including with non-traditional partners, that inspire and activate policy makers and publics and align with IRC’s brand and programmatic priorities.

• Amplify IRC’s influence priorities by developing public advocacy strategies that leverage earned media, communications partnerships, and IRC channels including digital advocacy.

• Represent the IRC in high level policy-related meetings, committees and fora with donors and policy makers in key influence markets globally and, as IRC’s foremost thought leader across government and multi-lateral agencies and policy-making bodies.

• Act as IRC’s foremost influence spokesperson, communicating with journalists, thought leaders and the public to showcase IRC’s policy solutions and amplify our advocacy messages and strategies.

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports to: Senior Vice President, External Relations

Position directly supervises: Manages policy and advocacy teams

Internal contacts: Technical Excellence leads; Program leadership; Marketing & Mobilization, Awards Management; President’s Office

External contacts: Key experts in academic, research/think-tanks, multi-laterals, governments, INGOs and beyond, key opinion formers and policy makers globally

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Graduate degree in Public Policy, Law, International Relations or related field

Work experience, skills and competencies:

• 15 years of experience working on sophisticated humanitarian and/or development issues, preferably in the areas of conflict and fragility, forced displacement and refugee response, and overseas development aid reform.

• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional and global teams and integrating perspectives from diverse team members to ideate and problem solve.

• Demonstrated experience and leadership in policy analysis and development and familiarity and networks within institutions that will be targeted to achieve policy change objectives.

• Excellent political judgment and an understanding of political and policy dynamics in the US, Europe and the countries where IRC delivers programs, as well as deep political relationships.

• Demonstrated experience leading effective global advocacy strategies which have mobilized teams in multiple capitals to deliver tangible results.

• Outstanding interpersonal, organizational, analytic, and oral and written communication skills with a demonstrated capacity to translate complex material and data into coherent narratives that resonate with diverse groups of policymakers, business leaders and influencers.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision-makers, and colleagues in the migration/protection pathways, humanitarian and development fields.

• Ability to think strategically and creatively, being solutions-oriented when traditional advocacy means do not suffice.

• Fluency with key parts of the IRC’s organizational strategy and existing policy and influence priorities.

• Demonstrated dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion and a strong passion for our mission!

Working Environment: Standard office work environment. Up to 25% travel required

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. 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.

US Benefits:

The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.