Mines Advisory Group - MAG America
Job Vacancy Announcement
Position Title: Policy & Advocacy Officer
Reporting to: Director of U.S. Strategic Partnerships
Location: Washington, DC
Salary Range: US$75,000 - $90,000 p/a
MAG America is significantly expanding its policy, advocacy and influencing work and is seeking an experienced and dynamic Policy & Advocacy Officer to lead MAG America’s congressional advocacy, and executive branch liaison and advocacy.
Mines Advisory Group (MAG) America is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, with an independent staff and Board of Directors. MAG America is MAG’s partner organization in the United States, based in Washington D.C. and responsible for raising awareness and funds to support MAG's work.
Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is an international humanitarian nongovernmental organization with a mission to save lives and build safer futures by clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance from countries that have experienced conflict. Our vision is a safe future for men, women, and children affected by conflict and insecurity. Since 1989, we have helped over 20 million people in 68 countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war. MAG currently works in 27 countries, across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Our programs vary in scale, age, and complexity, but each presents its own unique opportunities and challenges. https://www.magamerica.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/. MAG has its global headquarters in the United Kingdom.
The Policy and Advocacy Officer (PAO) will be an integral part of the MAG America team in Washington, D.C. and will have lead responsibility for building relationships with congressional offices to inform, update and educate on the work of the Department of State’s Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program (PM/WRA) and the US Army’s office of Humanitarian Demining Research and Development (HDR&D), and the vital work these programs enable MAG’s humanitarian mine action (HMA) and weapons and ammunition management (WAM) programs to deliver. They will raise the profile of MAG’s work with key staff and members on the Hill, providing support to the relevant caucuses and other key stakeholders as required. S/he will work with relevant staff in MAG America and MAG to develop public policy/advocacy strategies in the US designed to complement and enhance MAG’s international policy and advocacy efforts. The PAO will perform research on pending legislation, law and regulations, monitor progress toward programmatic advocacy goals, report on same and design successful advocacy campaigns to advance policy goals. The PAO will report to the Director of US Strategic Partnerships.
Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain a broad knowledge of issues related to Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and Weapons and Ammunition Management (WAM) policy, as well as related humanitarian/development initiatives.
- Design, implement, and evaluate an advocacy strategy for MAG America that advances its influence and mission.
- Support the Director of US Strategic Partnerships to ensure that their government relations objectives are achieved.
- Inform and advise the Director of US Strategic Partnerships (DSP), Executive Director and MAG Leadership team about relevant federal policy developments, and identify viable opportunities to influence policy change.
- Advise on which governmental actors to target and the best strategies to influence the respective actor’s decision-making (e.g. coalition building, technical assistance, research and analysis of proposed legislation/regulations, direct advocacy, etc.).
- Monitor and influence the federal budget and appropriations process, building relationships with the Office of Management and Budget and key congressional appropriators.
- Lead development of MAG America policy and position statements, papers, testimony, and other advocacy materials, ensuring coordination between key staff at MAG and MAG America.
- Manage key federal partnerships to secure stable funding for technical assistance work by communicating project and country successes to federal officials in both the executive and legislative branches in various formats. Design and implement successful advocacy campaign to advance this work.
- Serve as a liaison between MAG America staff and Legal Counsel to ensure full compliance with relevant federal and state lobbying, disclosure, and ethics rules
- Work with the Director of US Strategic Partnerships to cultivate relations with US government agencies beyond MAG’s traditional donor base, particularly the Department of Defense and National Security Council.
- Work with the MAG America board and Executive Director to identify priority congressional offices and develop long-term relationships with key staff.
- Identify opportunities for staff from MAG field offices to engage with Washington-based decision-makers, and facilitate/support such engagements.
- Work with peer organizations to raise the profile of HMA and WAM with key congressional offices, and to advocate for mine action concerns through briefings, testimony, budget reviews, constituent mobilization, etc.
- Support the MAG policy and advocacy teams and MAG Executive Director with US-facing advocacy and communications initiatives, as needed.
- Identify and take advantage of opportunities for partnership with advocacy organizations beyond the mine action sector that will highlight MAG's work for a larger audience.
- Design US domestic grass roots advocacy campaigns to promote MAG’s work, landmine/Unexploded Ordnance issues, and the vital role of US Government funding, working with the MAG and MAG America communications teams.
- Engage in ongoing professional development.
- Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
Requirements:
- Deep commitment to MAG America’s vision, mission and values and the ability to model those values in relationships with colleagues and partners.
- Master's degree in related field (International Relations, Political Science, Regional Studies, Public Policy)
- One-to-two years of demonstrated experience in government, foreign policy, or humanitarian affairs. Familiarity with US federal legislative processes and foreign assistance funding processes is desirable.
- Record of engagement with key legislative offices, relevant federal agencies, and US-based advocacy networks and organizations.
- Experience convening groups of policy makers, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers and other constituencies.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships and support efforts to develop consensus and move toward a desired outcome.
- Experience with and commitment to working in a diverse environment.
- Ability to travel within the United States and globally, if required.
- Strong political and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written and oral communications skills, including an ease in reaching out to policymakers and their staff, and in communicating complex concepts in a clear effective fashion.
- Recognized ability to meet multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization and experience managing complex projects and issues.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively, adjust to changing circumstances, remain attentive to details and exercise sound judgment in problem-solving.
- Prior to commencing employment with MAG America, candidates for this position who were registered to lobby in any jurisdiction must certify termination of previous registration(s) and provide copies of termination notices with said jurisdiction(s) to MAG America.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States