Advocacy Partnership Senior Officer

Job Description The RAI Policy and Advocacy Department is a dynamic team combining the IRC’s Policy and Advocacy efforts both at the field and national level with a coordinated strategy. Its core purpose is to develop the IRC as a thought leader and drive transformational change in the humanitarian sector, and specifically to dramatically increase the effectiveness of humanitarian response and its ability to achieve outcomes for people living in and displaced by conflict and crisis. The RAI P&A team has a lead role in coordinating external advocacy strategies for refugees, asylees, and victims of trafficking/survivors of torture. Our efforts include direct coordination and leaderships of coalition efforts such as RCUSA and the Refugee Advocacy Lab (a multi-stakeholder partnership to grow the diverse constituency for US leadership on refugee protection). This role will contribute significantly to Lab initiatives, lending expertise in identifying key partners and validators with regional and national perspective and influence, and in states beyond the IRC network. Job Overview/Summary: The RAI Policy and Advocacy team supports federal and state advocacy on U.S. resettlement policy and practice (as well as wider issues of concern) to the IRC’s U.S. Programs team, including 25 U.S field offices across the United States. In the past several years, US field offices have witnessed the strengthened organizational and political influence of anti-resettlement grassroots actors. In early 2016, fuelled by attacks against refugee resettlement in the U.S. Congress as well as moratoriums on resettlement declared by 31 Governors, the IRC witnessed a barrage of state legislative attacks on refugee resettlement. In the years since, IRC field offices throughout the United States have strengthened their education, outreach, and advocacy work at the state and local levels- passing legislation, securing funding, or gathering resolutions of support, due to efforts to lift up the contributions of refugees and the strong support of local communities that our programs enjoy. A key component of state and national advocacy success has been the ability to incorporate external voices and validators in our advocacy work. The Senior Officer, Advocacy Partnerships (RAI) will serve as a bridge between these grass tops leaders and their grassroots members/constituencies, the national Advocacy team, and the RAI field offices, strengthening the Policy and Advocacy team’s capacity to provide direct advocacy support throughout the network and providing tools, resources and learning for these new partners while also connecting them with opportunities for engagement on refugee issues at the state and national level. The Partnerships Senior Officer will also take on a unique role with the Refugee Advocacy Lab, coordinating partnership engagement for states beyond the IRC network and identifying high-impact partnerships across states and regions. Major Responsibilities: Coordinating with the RAI Policy and Advocacy team, the US field network and the newly formed Refugee Advocacy Lab and its partners, the Senior Officer, Advocacy Partnerships will lead on engagement with external partners in support of state and national advocacy deliverables. Targeted partnership development and engagement should reflect a range of sectors including but not limited to: business; religious; security; ethno-professional organizations; education; etc.

Coordinate with the RAI Advocacy team and the US field offices to research, identify, and advance new relationships in support of refugee advocacy efforts nationally and in support of state initiatives.
Coordinate with state advocacy leads to broaden the constituency of support for advancing inclusive policy goals.
Facilitate education, training, and advocacy opportunities for new partner engagement.
Develop and execute meetings and events to facilitate learning, partnerships, and collaboration with external partners
Develop and implement outreach tools and resources (e.g., factsheets, tailored outreach materials, etc.) for education, providing those trainings as necessary.
Coordinate with the Refugee Advocacy Lab team to facilitate partnership engagement beyond the IRC network.

Qualifications Education:

Bachelor degree or higher in a related field

Work Experience:

6+ years working in politics or community engagement.
Experience developing and implementing successful partner engagement strategies with both grassroots and grasstops groups.
Experience coordinating efforts within a larger policy and advocacy team- facilitating connections across states and federal-state-local work.
Experience in using strategic communications including digital channels for advocacy would be an asset
Experience working in coalition to build support amongst various stakeholders

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

Understanding of the U.S. resettlement program and/or and knowledge of policy issues related to U.S. immigration is highly desirable
Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material and data into coherent and sensitive narratives
Ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically with non-traditional partners
Strong public speaking, presentation and networking skills
Ability to work as a team player with remote supervision and multiple lines of internal communication and accountability
Initiative and ability to work independently on fast-paced issues
Commitment to the IRC’s vision, missions and values

Language Skills: