Director, Policy & Advocacy

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 and for the populations Mercy Corps serves. The U.S. Policy and Advocacy team influences the United States government and select multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank to adopt and improve relevant policies, practices and decisions affecting vulnerable communities living in fragile, conflict-affected and disaster-impacted countries.

The Position

A senior leader within the agency, the Director for Policy and Advocacy is a public thought leader and policy expert – influencing the policy and practices of the U.S. government’s Congressional and Executive branches and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank. They bring voices, stories, evidence, and analysis from the countries where Mercy Corps works in order to shape policy debates and decisions in Washington and globally.

The Director supports the USPA team’s implementation of Mercy Corps’ Pathway to Possibility strategy through strategically shaping and executing the organization’s policy and advocacy agenda for the US market. The Director is experienced in translating research findings into policy arguments and can move easily among different stakeholders – in the field, Congress, the State Department, USAID, other U.S. governmental agencies, and with private sector colleagues. The Director understands the complex interconnections between diplomacy, development, and defense and can translate humanitarian concerns across the civilian-military divide. The day to day functions include: support the USPA’s organization, strategy development and execution across portfolios, high-level representation and advocacy toward the U.S. Administration, Congress, and United National officials; development of reports, briefing papers, and opinion pieces; support to Mercy Corps’ grassroots advocacy efforts; and lead liaison efforts with Mercy Corps field teams, TSU and HQ teams on refining the PA’s work plan and annual priorities.

This person will track and analyze relevant policy issues, independently and through working groups with partner agencies to advance joint coalition advocacy and campaign initiatives in U.S. and international fora, including those involving relevant United Nations agencies (e.g. OCHA, WFP, etc).

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Supports the USPA in developing US market policy priorities, identifying and addressing gaps in USPA team coverage, reviewing USPA team products for quality, appropriateness, and clarity,
• Supports the Senior Director in the organization and running of the USPA team, including internal MC relationships with General Counsel, Comms and Marketing, and other teams as appropriate.
• Collaborates as appropriate with the Humanitarian Response Team (HRT), technical and research teams to develop Mercy Corps influence approaches to the US government and relevant stakeholders.
• Ability to think strategically and develop plans on how to advance USPA team’s and broader Mercy Corps priorities.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, peer groups, officials and relevant stakeholders. Collaborates with policy advisors in the global policy and advocacy team, HLR and relevant regional and country teams to craft strategies and messaging to influence P2P-identified policy priorities.

  EXECUTION

  • Assists in designing and carrying out policy focused advocacy and outreach strategies, both unilaterally and/or in cooperation with Mercy Corps colleagues and partner agencies. Drafts documents in support of policy and advocacy goals (for influence both in the US and globally) with the input of relevant teams and stakeholders within Mercy Corps including:

    ○ Policy briefs, talking points, op-eds and Congressional testimony

    ○ Internal and external messaging

    ○ Web materials and products for the general public as needed

    • Stays abreast of policy and practice developments and approaches within the US government
    • Tracks legislative developments on Capitol Hill, including hearings, authorizing bills, country-specific provisions in the annual appropriations act and National Defense Authorization Act.
    • Shapes legislation and policies relevant to Mercy Corps’ mission to help people cope, adapt and thrive in fragile, conflict and disaster affected places.
    • Leads the USPA’s work on the P2P pillar Economic Opportunities, including cash at scale, market systems development, and other areas as appropriate, with support from the TSU, program staff, and others as appropriate.
    • Leads advocacy efforts through collaborative work within the NGO sector and among other NGO, governmental, and private partners.
    • Researches and analyzes selected issues through a variety of means, including field visits.
    • In cooperation with the Global Policy & Advocacy Team, Communications and Web teams, helps craft the agency’s legislative advocacy strategies and messaging for mobilizing grassroots audiences.

      INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION

      • Represents Mercy Corps with the U.S. Administration and Congress as well as at public forums, think/policy tank panel discussions and briefings, and relevant international and multilateral institutional events.
      • Represents Mercy Corps in collective advocacy efforts through InterAction and other coalitions.
      • Builds and maintains strong relationships with senior level US government officials, including in the State Department’s Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and relevant Congressional committees and staff.
      • Supports Mercy Corps senior leadership’s engagement at high level events, through media engagement, and other fora, including through drafting remarks, developing policy positions, and providing staffing assistance.

        Supervisory Responsibility

        📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

        ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

        Manage and direct the team in the Senior Director’s Absence. Manage Policy Advisor focused on development policy and appropriations, and occasional interns.

        Accountability

        Reports Directly To: Senior Director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy

        Works Directly With: Global Policy and Advocacy Team (including USPA, MCE, and other global positions); Humanitarian Leadership and Response 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

        • Master’s degree preferred in relevant field (international development, international relations, public policy, etc.).
        • A minimum of 7 years’ relevant experience in the public policy and international humanitarian arenas. Experience with relief and development fieldwork, the US Administration or Congress, and/or development-related advocacy preferred.
        • Specific experience working in or on Mercy Corps priority countries (such as Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and the Middle East), or priority issues (cash assistance, humanitarian access, the foreign assistance budget, food security, and the humanitarian/development nexus) preferred.
        • 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.
        • Previous people management experience with two or more direct reports strongly preferred.
        • Strong analytical skills and the ability to effectively gather and utilize large amounts of information from various sources towards shaping 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 internal and external constituents.

          Success Factors

          • Ability to view and analyze USPA priorities, products, and activities through the lens of advancing MC’s influence and the individual strengths of the USPA and GPA teams.
          • Strong organizational skills and ability to identify and operationalize/execute solutions developed in concert with GPA leadership.
          • Ability to identify team gaps and opportunities to engage, both internally and externally, collaborating with the Senior Director to integrate into the team’s working approach.
          • A clear understanding of Mercy Corps’ mission and collaborative style of operation.
          • Commitment to the USPA and GPA’s ways of working, including collaborative team culture and flexibility to support others.
          • Ability to work simultaneously on multiple tasks in a fast paced, sometimes stressful environment and meet deadlines under those conditions.
          • Motivation to seek out and establish new relationships, and find new solutions to policy problems.
          • Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with both HQ and global personnel. 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

            This position is based in Washington, DC with the expectation of spending 1 day per week in the DC office. This position may include travel up to 10-15% of the time to field locations that may include insecure or harsh environments. Travel may include short-term deployment to Mercy Corps field locations experiencing acute humanitarian need. Mercy Corps US Policy and Advocacy team members are expected to be based in Washington, DC, with opportunities for periodic remote work, as appropriate. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

            Ongoing Learning

            In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

            Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

            Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

            We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.