Deputy Director, Policy & Advocacy

Deputy Director, Policy & Advocacy

Freedom House

Washington, D.C., United States

POSITION SUMMARY

The Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy for Transnational Repression reports to the Vice President of Policy and Advocacy and will play a leading role in crafting Freedom House’s policy agenda and advocacy strategy for responding to transnational repression (TNR), or the targeting of exiles and diasporas by the states they have left. This is a full-time position based in Washington, DC. At present, the Policy and Advocacy team is working in hybrid format, with occasional in-office days required.

Working in close coordination with Freedom House’s in-house experts on TNR, international programs department, and external partners, the Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy for TNR will play a key role in determining Freedom House’s policy agenda, partner on the crafting of advocacy strategies to advance that agenda, and coordinate the implementation of the advocacy strategies. The advocacy focus for this position will be international and multistakeholder advocacy, as well as national government (including US government) engagement. This position is contingent upon project award; the title, qualifications, and responsibilities may be adjusted based on donor’s final requirements for the position.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead development of advocacy strategies related to transnational repression (TNR), in close coordination with subject matter experts and within the framework of Freedom House’s institutional strategic plan;
• In consultation with internal subject matter experts, determine policy positions to take, which USG and foreign government officials and advocacy targets to meet with, which written advocacy products to produce, how to promote existing publications and move existing policy recommendations forward, etc.;
• Author policy recommendations, policy briefs, congressional testimony, op-eds, press releases, talking points, and other advocacy materials as necessary;
• Monitor developments related to TNR, including legislative proposals and advocacy initiatives in key democracies around the world, to keep colleagues informed and recommend policy positions and advocacy interventions;
• Review and recommend whether Freedom House should sign on to advocacy and coalition letters with partner organizations and other stakeholders around these issues. In addition, identify and oversee opportunities for Freedom House to draft and lead on coalition letters;
• Organize and lead meetings, roundtables, and events, and represent Freedom House at high-level engagements related to TNR;
• Develop relationships with civil society organizations and policymakers focused on addressing transnational repression and expanding the work of the coordination group on countering TNR run by Freedom House;
• Prepare human rights defenders working on TNR and Freedom House staff for meetings, hearings, briefings, or speaking engagements on these topics;
• Respond to incoming requests from policymakers for information related to TNR.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, political science, human rights, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.

Experience:

• 9-12 years of directly relevant experience, including of hands-on policy or advocacy experience and the ability to demonstrate success at moving legislation or policy agendas;
• An eagerness to grapple with complicated policy questions, and previous experience working on human rights issues and advocating to US and international policymakers. Previous employment in legislatures/parliaments or TNR-relevant executive branch departments/ministries strongly preferred, especially European, Canadian, or Australian;
• Understanding of TNR; familiarity with related issues such as protection of vulnerable populations, diaspora engagement, security policy, foreign interference, and protection of civil liberties; and experience working on policy to address emerging human rights issues;
• Proven ability to research, analyze, and report on policy issues, including demonstrated experience drafting legislation, policy memos, and other written products relevant to policy and advocacy work;
• Proven ability to build consensus amongst a variety of diverse stakeholders;
• Track record of strategic leadership;
• Experience working on sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East a plus.

Technical Skills and Abilities:

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail;
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize work, and multitask to meet tight deadlines;
• Ability to distill large amounts of complex information into short summaries preserving key points;
• Ability to assess and recommend policy positions based on Freedom House’s lens toward bipartisan, pragmatic solutions;
• Ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing;
• Proven ability to build consensus amongst variety of diverse stakeholders; demonstrated success with coalition work a plus;
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence;
• Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality and exhibit unquestionable integrity, honesty, and forthrightness;
• Must be able to successfully work collaboratively with all levels of employees, management, external partners, and funders;
• Familiarity with social media for advocacy;
• Familiarity with the MS Office suite of applications;
• Familiarity with Salesforce, KnowWho, and AirTable a plus.

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