Senior Domestic Policy Advisor

Position description

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To 100,000.00 Annually

DEPARTMENT: Policy & Research Institute

REPORTS TO: Director of Policy & Research Institute 

Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger. Our mission is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.  

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Provide organizational leadership and policy expertise on U.S. food security, nutrition, and the root/structural causes of domestic hunger, and advise on policy advocacy strategies related to the U.S. federal government and administrative agencies.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACTIVITIES:

• Leads Bread for the World’s analysis and strategy development on U.S. public policies and programs related to hunger and malnutrition, and equitable outcomes, with special attention to specific populations such as women, racial and ethnic minorities. Subject matter areas include: policy and research related to federal nutrition programs, monitoring and implementation of safety net programs, U.S. food systems, jobs, climate change/justice, racial/gender/class equity.
• Guides organizational understanding and development of solutions to the root causes of poverty and hunger in various marginalized communities. 
• Measures the implementation, oversight, and impacts of policy solutions and positions Bread as a leader in this space. 
• Conducts research, analysis, and synthesis on issues within the portfolio to develop and inform Bread’s policy positions/recommendations, including planning and executing field research, and cultivating relationships with groups of those most affected by hunger, poverty, and malnutrition, including but not limited to populations historically marginalized based on race, gender, and class and who face disproportionate hunger and poverty rates. Collaborates with other departments and Bread staff as needed in areas of overlap.
• Conducts research, analysis, and synthesis on issue areas covered by this portfolio as they relate to equitable outcomes for most affected populations and provides analysis and frameworks for understanding the structural causes of hunger and poverty.
• Produces memoranda, papers, web content, blogs, and other educational materials to disseminate policy analysis/synthesis and positions to Bread staff, members, the stakeholder community, and government staff, and collaborates with relevant department and Bread staff to do so.
• Presents, interprets, and advocates analysis, synthesis, and policy positions to Bread members, staff, board, and others, including civil society, opinion-shapers, and policy makers. Leads and organizes consultations, briefings, and other events as needed, ensuring participants represent a diverse mix of experiences.
• Develops, collaborates on, and implements plans of action for advocacy strategies for issues within the portfolio.
• Exercises leadership and plays a convening role in the NGO stakeholder community on issue areas within the portfolio and represents Bread for the World in key stakeholder working groups, coalitions, and professional conferences, and to the media and U.S. government actors.
• Cultivates and deepens existing relationships with NGO stakeholder organizations, relevant U.S. government staff, and key groups of those most affected by hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
• Collaborates internally with relevant staff to develop and implement advocacy strategies; develop digital communication materials; draft op-eds, letters to the editor, articles, and other media pieces; respond to journalists and other outside inquiries.
• Leads and/or participates in organizational planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation for campaigns on issue areas covered by this portfolio.

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACTIVITIES:

• Assists in the development of grant funding proposals; contributes analysis and outcome-based data to narrative reports required by funders; represents Bread for the World in meetings convened by program officers that are relevant to issue areas covered by this position.
• Serves as department representative on staff task forces, as assigned by the Director.
• Answers inquiries regarding issue areas covered by this portfolio and provides research and writing support to others as needed.
• Shares in routine tasks, meetings, correspondence, and record-keeping as determined by the Director.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Interns, fellows, or volunteers specifically assigned to work with the Senior Policy Advisor by the Director.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum eight years of work/lived experience on issues related to hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
• Strong knowledge of hunger, poverty, and malnutrition issues, programs, and policies.
• Strong understanding of racial and gender inequities exacerbating hunger and poverty rates and ability to research and communicate viable technical solutions to redress these inequities.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, including conducting research and in-depth policy analysis related to Bread’s issues and making data-driven recommendations and decisions.
• Strong research, writing, and editorial skills; ability to write for general and technical audiences, including ability to identify and engage target audiences and communicate complex ideas or issues tailored to the audience, using appropriate formats and media.
• Demonstrated strong written and oral communication skills; ability to write for general and technical audiences.
• Highly motivated self-starter with ability to prioritize complex tasks, set objectives and measure progress toward meeting official and internal organization deadlines.
• Ability and experience in working cooperatively within and leading teams, including developing collaborative relationships internally and externally which require a high degree of diplomacy and judgment to address and resolve substantive conflicts or escalate concerns to senior management.
• Ability to lead and manage projects, including working as part of hybrid remote/in-person teams.
• Ability and desire to work collegially with diverse religious, racial/ethnic, cultural, and income groups.
• Appreciation of diverse points of view (including of a controversial nature), and ability to articulate points of view that reflect organizational policy.
• Ability to work independently.
• Strong functional knowledge of computer, desktop, and phone applications used in communication, research, and publishing.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity.

DESIRED:

• Experience of working or living in low-income communities.
• Familiarity with the United States legislative process, U.S. government administrative agencies, and/or state-level legislative processes.
• Familiarity with a Christian faith perspective on advocacy to end hunger.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Must be responsive to emails and phone calls off-site during evenings, weekends, and holidays to support time-sensitive matters. 
• Some domestic and international travel required. 
• Bread is a hybrid organization. Staff in the metro DC area, operate on a hybrid schedule coming into the office 2 days per week, with Tuesdays being anchor day. This hybrid schedule may be subject to change at management discretion.

CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS: Bread is committed to advancing racial equity externally and internally, and all staff members play a vital role. In the course of our work, each staff person should work to apply a racial equity lens to their work and practices; and participate in racial equity on-going training. Bread is also committed to being an equal opportunity employer.

Application instructions

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