Location: Washington, DC – flexible work environment
Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular
Salary: range $76,800 – $91,200 – commensurate on professional experience
Closing date: Please submit applications by september 14
Risk Level: ☐ Level 3 X Level 2 ☐Level 1
(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.
Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.
Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
The Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) team advances policy changes to achieve transformational impact in the countries where we work. In support of Mercy Corps’ global mission, the GPA team’s work benefits Mercy Corps’ field programs. The U.S. Policy and Advocacy team focuses on the United States government and select multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank to change, influence and improve relevant policies, practices and decisions affecting communities living in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
The Position
The Senior Policy Advisor will lead Mercy Corps’ policy portfolio for the Central and South Asia region, including Afghanistan and Yemen, and the U.S. foreign assistance budget. The Senior Policy Advisor will seek, in collaboration with Mercy Corps’ GPA team and relevant internal teams, to drive U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance reforms in order to advance Mercy Corps’ global goals. Specifically, this will include drafting and helping to pass relevant legislation and engaging key Congressional leaders, as well as working with the United States government, particularly with national security, humanitarian, and peacebuilding experts, to advance key policies. S/he will track and analyze policy initiatives on priority countries in the Asia region and Yemen, including through working groups with partner agencies to advance joint coalition advocacy and campaign initiatives at domestic and international fora, including the United Nations. The Senior Policy Advisor will also be responsible for raising Mercy Corps’ profile on policy positions including: representation at external events, panels; developing written policy documents for external dissemination; supporting Mercy Corps’ grassroots advocacy efforts; and liaising with and traveling to Mercy Corps field and HQ teams.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND PLANNING
- Shapes legislation and policies relevant to Mercy Corps’ mission to help people build secure, productive, and just communities.
- Develops and leads the Global Policy and Advocacy team’s Central and South Asia, Yemen, and U.S. foreign assistance portfolios.
- Develops strategies regarding influence and policy issues with relevant field teams in support of country-focused advocacy efforts.
EXECUTION
● Develops and manages the Central and South Asia, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and budget portfolios by:
○ Implementing policy-focused advocacy and outreach strategies, in cooperation with Mercy Corps colleagues and partner agencies
○ Drafting policy documents in support of policy and advocacy goals:
■ In cooperation with the Media Relations and Digital teams, support written
products as appropriate for use with various audiences, including policymakers,
web visitors, and the general public.
■ For public dissemination, draft policy briefs, op-eds and case stories.
■ Draft internal information and messaging for Mercy Corps staff.
○ Tracks legislative developments on Capitol Hill, including country-specific provisions in the annual appropriations act and National Defense Authorization Act.
● Leads advocacy efforts through collaborative work within the NGO sector and among other NGO, governmental, and private partners.
● Publishes and speaks publicly, when appropriate, to advance thought leadership on Mercy Corps’ work throughout Asia and in Yemen
● Researches and analyzes selected issues through a variety of means, including field visits.
INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION
- Represents Mercy Corps with the US Administration and Congress as well as at public forums, think/policy tank panel discussions and briefings, and relevant international and multilateral institutional events.
- Builds and maintains strong relationships with senior level USG officials, including State Department, USAID, and Congressional staff.
- Contributes to or leads on written pieces including policy pieces, thought leadership and other external facing communications.
RISK MANAGEMENT
- Engage and support countries across the region to ensure that adequate risk management systems are in place;
- Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events;
- Engage with country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations;
- Engage with country level Ethics and Assurance managers as well as the global Ethics and Assurance department to track and analyze trends and needs across countries;
Supervisory Responsibility
None, except for occasional interns.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy
Works Directly With: Global Policy and Advocacy Team; Washington DC office staff; Research and Learning Team; Media Relations Team, Digital Team; Regional and Country Teams; and Technical Support Unit.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelors degree in international relations, development, public policy, law or related fields of study.
- 5 years of relevant professional experience working on climate, foreign assistance budget, and/or Africa policy issues.
- Professional experience in humanitarian, development, and national security sectors.
- Strong political and strategic skills, with a demonstrated ability to advance policy priorities including through coalition work.
- Proven ability in researching, analyzing, and reporting on policy issues.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to effectively gather and utilize large amounts of information from various sources towards clear policy goals.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Demonstrated sensitivity, skill and experience in working diplomatically and effectively within different cultural settings and in public relations and correspondence with a wide variety of public constituents
Preferred Qualification
- Graduate degree in international relations, development, public policy, law or related fields of study.
- Experience working in the U.S. Congress and/or the U.S. foreign affairs executive government agencies
- Experience with international relief and development fieldwork, and familiarity with emerging development and humanitarian issues
- Proficiency in one or more foreign languages
- Expertise and experiences working on South and Central Asia and/or Yemen development and foreign policy.
Success Factors
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, peer groups, officials and relevant stakeholders. Motivation to seek out and establish new relationships. Motivation to find new solutions to pernicious policy problems. A clear understanding of Mercy Corps’ mission and collaborative style of operation. Ability to work simultaneously on multiple tasks in a fast paced, sometimes stressful environment and meet deadlines under those conditions. Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with both HQ and global personnel. Computer literate with strong organizational skills. Ability to operate with a significant degree of autonomy within agreed upon parameters. Flexibility, commitment to transformative change, and sense of humor.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions