JOB DESCRIPTION

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 recommendation and programmatic solutions and an Advocacy & Influence team (“Advocacy Team”), responsible for securing tangible and durable change for IRC clients through strategic advocacy.  You will work collaboratively with a network of policy analysts and experts 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 will be responsible for leading our influence strategy globally. This includes 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. You will also be a leading voice in IRC’s public relations, helping to shape our narrative in the media and gain alignment on IRC’s key messages and voice. This team is 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 recommendation 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 Director and Advisors, and Program Leaders (e.g., Executive Directors, Country Directors) to develop influence strategies that advance IRC’s profile and fundraising goals.
• Collaborate with Leadership Board and Chief Marketing & Mobilization Officer to develop IRC’s strategic position and voice, informed by our influence priorities, political analysis, and deep understanding of complex humanitarian issues.
• 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.
• Lead IRC’s Washington, D.C. Office and cultivate a positive, inclusive culture amongst IRC’s DC workforce.

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. 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.
• Expand IRC’s legislative reach and be IRC’s foremost expert in how our policies support or clash with political agendas and positions in IRC’s key global influence markets, and lead execution of strategies to ensure these solutions are adopted.
• Amplify IRC’s influence priorities by developing surgical media and public relations 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 key policy makers in key influence markets globally and, 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:

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!

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements