SENIOR POLICY ADVOCATE FOR GENDER ADVOCACY AT CARE USA

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.

CARE is seeking an experienced Senior Policy Advocate for Gender Advocacy (SPA) who will work closely with the US Policy and Programming department to perform CARE USA’s USG advocacy on gender issues. The SPA will operate within the Government Relations team to advance CARE’s policy advocacy on gender priorities with the US government (USG).

The Sr. Policy Advocate will maintain a dedicated lobbying portfolio and liaise with the Deputy Director of Government Relations and other Government Relations colleagues on cross-cutting advocacy work, including on identified priority gender issues, of gender-based violence and gender in emergencies, as well as other areas critical to gender advocacy such as women’s economic empowerment. The SPA will participate in the Cross-Departmental strategy meetings as needed.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Government Relations, the Senior Policy Advocate will be a key member of the Government Relations (GR) team that handles multiple development policy issues that impact millions of people around the world and ensure that CARE’s annual public policy priorities and advocacy agenda are accomplished vis-a-vis Congress and the administration. S/he will work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment within the Policy and Advocacy Department. The individual in this position is expected to register as a federal lobbyist.

Responsibilities:

• Perform Government Relations work on gender equality issues identified as priorities for the department through functions, such as e.g., policy analysis, lobbying/legislation, lobby day preparation, COSLO, events/hearings/briefings, etc.)
• Liaise with the Deputy Director of Government Relations and other members of the GR team on cross-cutting gender issues
• Lead 1-2 coalitions related to CARE’s strategic interests and priorities
• Represent CARE at meetings, consultations, and events with USG policymakers related to priority gender advocacy issues
• Serve as a focal point for departmental functional teams on gender advocacy goals and messaging
• Liaise as needed with Gender Justice team, Global Advocacy team, the Communications and Marketing Department, and CARE country offices/regional offices/members to amplify program/field experience in USG advocacy

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in women’s studies/gender equality, political science, public policy, international development, public health law, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 5-7 years government relations and/or congressional experience
• Extensive background and knowledge of legislative environment on Capitol Hill and related executive branch departments
• Knowledge and understanding of issues surrounding global gender equality, international development assistance policy and programs as well as its accompanying budget and appropriations processes
• Must have a sound technical understanding of global gender equality policies and field-based approaches
• Must possess advanced written and oral communication skills, particularly to convey information effectively and to write persuasively in a variety of styles for a variety of audiences
• Excellent data organizational skills including analysis and synthesis
• Demonstrated visionary and strategic development skills
• Experience in organizational learning and knowledge management
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate well with others and develop and maintain positive working relationships