About ICRW:
The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) advances rights and opportunities for women and girls to ensure a more gender-equal world. For 45 years, ICRW has been the world’s leading non-profit building evidence and promoting solutions for how to improve the lives of women, girls, and other marginalized people.
Our research, advocacy, and advisory programs focus on economic opportunity, women’s health, gender norms, positive youth development, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, and equitable workplaces. Our partners and clients include community-based and nongovernmental organizations; bilateral and multilateral agencies; foundations, philanthropists, and corporations; governments; and academic and financial institutions.
Overview:
The Director of Policy & Advocacy will provide day-to-day management, strategic direction, technical oversight, and quality assurance for ICRW’s global and U.S. foreign policy and advocacy team and serves as a thought leader and expert on key issues championed by the policy & advocacy portfolio. Working with the Business Development (BD) staff, the Director will have fundraising responsibilities, including cultivating and engaging current donors, ensuring reports and deliverables are executed in a timely manner, and generating new concepts and proposals.
The position will require the ability to develop and execute strategy in an unpredictable political environment, and the Director must have strong skills in policy analysis, coalition building/management, direct advocacy, strategic communications for new and traditional media, staff management, and partnership building. The role will require subject-matter expertise and professional experience in gender and foreign policy and development at the global and national levels, especially with regard to ICRW’s priority research and advocacy areas, such as women’s economic empowerment; global gender architecture; feminist foreign policy; and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Resumes received by June 8 will be given priority, and those received after that date will be reviewed on a rolling basis
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree or additional equivalent experience preferred.
Experience:
- Minimum of thirteen (13) years of relevant experience with increasing levels of management responsibility.
- Significant experience in policy analysis, coalition management, and direct advocacy/lobbying within legally permissible parameters for 501©3 non-profit organizations.
- Significant experience and successful track record in project and personnel management.
- Significant proposal writing and grant and budget management experience.
- Fundraising/business development and donor cultivation experience.
- Media experience, publications, and experience serving as an institutional spokesperson.
- Experience advocating towards or working with the U.S. government and the United Nations in a policy/advocacy capacity on gender issues (preferred).
- Experience building and maintaining high-level relationships with diverse stakeholders and donors, and the ability to leverage existing trusted relationships with policymakers and experts.
Primary Duties:
- Directs and/or provides technical assistance to projects in the Policy & Advocacy portfolio, assuring the quality of all aspects of project execution, donor/partner relations, and staff and administrative management.
- Manages the Policy & Advocacy budget, and works with project directors to plan and execute advocacy projects effectively.
- Provides leadership and strategic guidance in the recruitment, supervision, and mentoring of Policy & Advocacy staff.
- Represents ICRW externally as a primary spokesperson, including with donors, partners, the press, and in coalitions, conferences, events, and networks.
- Represents ICRW externally as our primary representative on Capitol Hill with U.S. Government agencies, and in UN/G7/G20 and other global fora, as appropriate.
- Leads and/or provides strategic direction to ICRW’s priority coalitions, such as the Coalition for Women’s Economic Empowerment, WeProsper, Feminist Foreign Policy Coalitions, and International Family Planning Coalition.
- Provide recommendations to the Global Executive Management Team and different divisions on policy and advocacy considerations, in alignment with ICRW’s new vision and strategy for greater impact, sustainability, and global leadership in gender equality.
Skills:
- Solid understanding of the global and national-level policy landscape for gender and development and foreign policy issues in ICRW’s thematic areas of expertise.
- Sound skills in strategy development, policy analysis, coalition management, direct advocacy, and lobbying.
- Outstanding written skills, including editing for appropriate audiences, and a demonstrated track record of producing high-quality deliverables in a timely fashion.
- Excellent oral communication skills, including media and events (such as panels or other high-level public speaking roles).
- Demonstrated people management, supervisory, and mentorship skills demonstrating maturity and diplomacy.
- Ability to package and communicate complex and technical information in accessible forms for lay audiences—in both written and verbal communication.
- Versatility, flexibility, and adaptability in strategic approach in a complex and evolving political environment.
- Sense of confidence and comfort level with guiding donors, clients, and partners with clear direction and recommendations in mind.
- Increasing levels of experience and comfort with fundraising and business development.
- Demonstrated supervisory and mentorship skills.
- High-level proficiency in English is required.
Compensation Information:
The pay range for this position is $102,900 – $128,600 per year, however, the actual offer will be based on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, experience, qualifications, and an assessment of internal and external equity review.
This position is eligible for ICRW’s full benefits package.
Covid 19 Recruitment Information:
Currently, ICRW staff and our new hires working from our Washington DC office are encouraged to come into the office twice per week.
ICRW expects its employees who engage in any work-related in-person interactions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. New hires must also provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination at the time of hire, and offers of employment will be contingent on compliance with ICRW COVID-19 vaccination policy. Any documentation received by an employee will be kept confidential to the extent consistent with U.S. law.
Additional Information:
ICRW has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All employment offers are conditional upon the receipt of satisfactory references and the signing of our code of conduct, Safeguarding Policy with a particular focus on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding. This position will also be subject to robust reference and background screening checks.
ICRW is committed to promoting a culture of equity through our recruitment processes, staff training, policies & procedures, Board membership, and research programming. We believe that all people deserve an equal opportunity for employment, advancement, and fulfillment – regardless of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity & expression, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We are committed to expanding our definition of what diversity means, moving beyond the binaries, and setting new standards for ourselves and across sectors.
ICRW is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law, where applicable.
ICRW is an E-Verify Employer.
Due to the large volume of responses we receive, ICRW is not able to provide candidacy status on an individual basis. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted
