Background: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, we now work in over 40 crisis-affected countries as well as communities throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

The External Relations (ER) Department was created two years ago to Mobilize external audiences to raise the requisite funds, influence policies and achieve practice changes to improve outcomes for our clients, while growing  and protecting  our global brand. The Global Advocacy & Influence unit is a dynamic part of the ER team that uses the power of IRC’s ideas to solve the biggest challenges facing IRC’s clients. From the drivers of conflict to the needs displaced people, the team partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to bring these solutions to life. We take pride in being solutions-oriented and creative. We are precise in our tactics, and messages. We lead change year over year, knowing that system change takes dedicated focus while maintaining the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Finally, we are collaborative, working not only with programs, strategy, research and innovation, and communications teams across the IRC, but also externally, constantly seeking to source new ideas and perspectives from others in the humanitarian sector and beyond.

Job Overview: The International Rescue Committee has recently redesigned its approach to policy and advocacy. This is an exciting moment to lead a team that is changing the way it works with partners with politicians, policy makers and civil society to create impact on behalf of our clients. As the Vice President of Advocacy and Influence, you are the IRC’s leading external specialist on our global influence priorities. You are responsible for shaping our influence strategy globally, using IRC’s programmatic and research evidence, surgical policy and practice solutions, and trusted brand to inspire collective action. You will be somebody who thrives on challenge, thinking differently, and inspiring others to do the same. While your team will be co-located in influence capitals across the globe, you will build a culture that integrates the diversity of our voices and partners that is greater than the sum of our parts.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Launch and lead a new Advocacy & Influence function placing emphasis on surgical, sustained, creative and collaborative strategies that result in measurable change in our key influence areas
• Build alongside the VP, Policy & Solutions vibrant new ways of working on a flexible, project basis to make meaningful change for our clients
• Develop influence vision and corresponding key messages that inspire and activate policy makers and publics and align with IRC’s brand and programmatic priorities.
• Inspire alignment between IRC’s advocacy positions globally between leaders, experts, and spokespeople throughout IRC and regularly brief CEO and IRC Board of Directors and Advisors on progress
• 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, funding and fundraising goals.
• Actively advance IRC’s broader External Relations Department strategy and culture as a member of External Relations Leadership Team.

External Engagement and Influence

• Develop, launch and sustain key messages and influence tactics 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.
• Amplify IRC’s influence agenda by developing surgical media strategies that leverage earned media, communications partnerships, and IRC channels including digital advocacy
• Represent the IRC in high level policy-related meetings, committees and for a with donors and key policy makers
• Contribute to policy generation by providing specific insights that increase the credibility and efficacy of our solutions through constant collaboration and in focused policy roundtable.

Innovation & Change

• Identify new influence and advocacy tools, tactics and strategies that can be piloted and scaled to enhance IRC’s impact for clients
• Actively work to shift power in NGO sector by developing and scaling opportunities to raise client voice in our influence strategies
• Actively cultivate and scale partnerships with private, public, and nonprofit sector organizations, including community-based NGOs, to inspire collective action on our key advocacy priorities.

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports to:  SVP, External Relations

Position directly supervises: Manages advocacy teams, and policy communications team

Internal contacts: Policy Solutions Network, Technical Excellence leads; International Programs leads; Communications; Awards Management; President’s Office

External contacts: Key Opinion Formers and policy makers globally

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Graduate degree in relevant field such as Public Policy, Law or International Relations

Work experience:

• 15 years of demonstrated success working on complex humanitarian and/or development issue
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy and advocacy strategy development

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• Demonstrated success in leading teams
• Extensive knowledge of relevant multilateral and government institutions and familiar with leverage points within these institutions that can be targeted to achieve policy change objectives
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, being solutions-oriented when traditional advocacy means do not suffice
• Understanding of humanitarian aid and refugee issues, particularly around long-term displacement
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with experts, high level decision-makers, and colleagues in the humanitarian and development fields
• Fluency with key parts of the IRC’s strategy and existing policy strategy

Working Environment:  Standard office work environment. Up to 15% travel required. 

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Application: https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/35008?c=rescue