Advocacy and Campaigns Manager( Crisis Action) - Employment, career opportunity in USA

Job Title: Advocacy and Campaigns Manager
Organization: Crisis Action
Country: United States of America
Deadline: 13th Oct 2013
Advocacy and Campaigns Manager, Washington DC

Salary: Competitive commensurate with experience
Benefits: 25 days of vacation; health insurance paid in full; 403(b) matching contribution and other benefits
Starting date: December 2, 2013
Title: Campaigns and Advocacy Manager
Responsible to: Washington Director
Location: Washington DC (applicant will be expected to have relevant permissions to work in the US)
Deadline to apply: October 13, 2013
Interviews: Late October

About Crisis Action

Crisis Action is a pioneering organization, launched in London in 2004 to enable civil society to respond more effectively to international conflict. Our aim is to help prevent suffering caused by armed conflict, to change the calculations of decision makers and to ensure the protection of civilians.

To achieve this aim Crisis Action works behind the scenes to catalyze, coordinate and support strategic coalition campaigns by our civil society partners. Our work enables more effective joint advocacy and campaigning on conflict by our partners, which include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Oxfam, International Rescue Committee, CARE International and many others.

We aim to complement our partners’ existing work on conflict prevention, resolution and early warning by increasing their collective influence on foreign policy, especially as it affects specific country/regional conflicts. Crisis Action draws together existing strengths and capacities into effective joint action that has impact.

A decade ago Crisis Action was little more than an idea on paper. We are now an international organization with a growing track record of successful, conflict-related campaigns.

Our latest annual report (available at www.crisisaction.org) summarizes Crisis Action’s achievements during 2011-2012. Earlier reports are also available on our website.

In just under 10 years, Crisis Action has grown to about 30 staff in 8 offices around the world. It’s a dynamic stage of its organizational growth and has recently been awarded the 2012 Macarthur Foundation Award for Effective and Innovative Institutions and the 2013 Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

Principal Roles

    Development and Implementation of campaigning towards US government and globally: Working with the Director of the Washington DC office to expand and enhance Crisis Action’s work with our partner organizations in Washington, and globally, to drive forward, develop and coordinate campaigns and advocacy to stop conflict. You will involve DC based partners in our global campaigns. This process will involve advising on strategy, proposing tactics and then implementing diverse advocacy activities. These could include traditional and new media work, campaign stunts, insider advocacy, preparing reports and briefings and identifying and building relationships with potential allies inside and outside the US government.

    Strategic use of the media and social media: In coordination with Crisis Action’s London-based Media and Campaigns Officer, you will lead the development of our relationships with the US media by strengthening existing connections and forging new ones. As an exceptional communicator, you will provide guidance to Crisis Action staff and partners on the most strategic use of the media to achieve campaign goals including when and how to influence the media agenda and drive coverage of our issues. You will also help draft and place media products such as opinion pieces and press releases in key DC and US-based media outlets.

    Washington DC Political Analysis: Focusing on particular conflicts, you will provide sophisticated intelligence and exceptional analysis on the position of US government policy makers to our partners on strategy and suggestions for action in Washington and globally. You will also be responsible for feeding this intelligence into our global campaign groups, strategies and analysis.

Person Specification

The following are essential:

• A proven track record in media relations, advocacy, and campaigning.
•Proven ability to analyze complex political issues, to identify advocacy opportunities and to define sophisticated strategies for achieving policy change.
• High level relationships across key US media and exceptional media skills including ability to write articles, prepare media releases, brief journalists, promote stories, and coordinate large-scale media drives.
• Knowledge and experience of using a range of popular campaigning tactics, including stunts, photo ops, social media, advertising etc to achieve campaign aims.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with conflict issues and serious human rights violations.
• Knowledge of US government policies and processes both in relation to Congress and the Executive.

• First-rate project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent political judgment and instincts, especially with regard to foreign affairs.
• Ability to instill trust and confidence in partner organizations and colleagues from a variety of backgrounds.
• First-class interpersonal and communication skills, including excellent writing skills and the ability to cultivate and maintain high-level contacts within governments, the media and the voluntary sector.
• Experience of working with global teams and with people from varied cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to identify advocacy opportunities and suggest innovative campaign activities.
• The drive and initiative necessary to take ideas forward to fruition in a coalition setting.
• High levels of energy, enthusiasm and ambition.
• Resilience and an ability to cope with multiple internal and external demands.
• Excellent administrative and information technology skills.

The following are desirable:

• Understanding of the challenges involved in organizing NGO coalitions.
• Additional languages.

Equal opportunities: Crisis Action values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, personal disability or sexual orientation.

Disabilities: We are committed to making every reasonable adjustment to the workplace or working arrangements so as to accommodate people with disabilities.

How to apply:

If you are interested in applying, please download the full job description and complete the application form, send along with your CV to dc2@crisisaction.org with Advocacy and Campaigns Manager in the subject line.

The closing date for receipt of all applications is October 13, 2013. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews are scheduled to take place in Washington in late October.