Senior Policy Advisor - Washington D.C., US

Location: Washington, DC - flexible work environment 

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular 

Salary: range $76,800 - $91,200  - commensurate on professional experience

Closing date: Please submit applications by september 14

Risk Level: ☐ Level 3       X Level 2 ☐Level 1 

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.  

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data) 

About Mercy Corps

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. In support of Mercy Corps’ global mission, the GPA team’s work  benefits Mercy Corps’ field programs. The U.S. Policy and Advocacy team focuses on the United  States government and select multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank to  change, influence and improve relevant policies, practices and decisions affecting communities living in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

The Position

The Senior Policy Advisor will lead Mercy Corps’ policy portfolio for the Central and South Asia region, including Afghanistan and Yemen, and the U.S. foreign assistance budget. The Senior Policy Advisor will seek, in collaboration with Mercy Corps’ GPA team and relevant internal teams, to drive U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance reforms in order to  advance Mercy Corps’ global goals. Specifically, this will include drafting and helping to pass relevant  legislation and engaging key Congressional leaders, as well as working with the United States  government, particularly with national security, humanitarian, and peacebuilding experts, to advance  key policies. S/he will track and analyze policy initiatives on priority countries in the Asia region and Yemen, including  through working groups with partner agencies to advance joint coalition advocacy and campaign  initiatives at domestic and international fora, including the United Nations. The Senior Policy Advisor  will also be responsible for raising Mercy Corps’ profile on policy positions including: representation at  external events, panels; developing written policy documents for external dissemination; supporting  Mercy Corps’ grassroots advocacy efforts; and liaising with and traveling to Mercy Corps field and HQ  teams. 

Essential Responsibilities 

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Shapes legislation and policies relevant to Mercy Corps’ mission to help people build secure,  productive, and just communities.
• Develops and leads the Global Policy and Advocacy team’s Central and South Asia, Yemen, and U.S. foreign assistance portfolios. 
• Develops strategies regarding influence and policy issues with relevant field teams in support of  country-focused advocacy efforts.

EXECUTION

● Develops and manages the Central and South Asia, including Afghanistan, Yemen, and budget portfolios by:

○ Implementing policy-focused advocacy and outreach strategies, in cooperation with Mercy Corps colleagues and partner agencies

○ Drafting policy documents in support of policy and advocacy goals: 

■ In cooperation with the Media Relations and Digital teams, support written 

products as appropriate for use with various audiences, including policymakers, 

web visitors, and the general public. 

■ For public dissemination, draft policy briefs, op-eds and case stories. 

■ Draft internal information and messaging for Mercy Corps staff.

○ Tracks legislative developments on Capitol Hill, including country-specific provisions in the annual appropriations act and National Defense Authorization Act.

● Leads advocacy efforts through collaborative work within the NGO sector and among other  NGO, governmental, and private partners.

● Publishes and speaks publicly, when appropriate, to advance thought leadership on Mercy Corps’ work throughout Asia and in Yemen

● Researches and analyzes selected issues through a variety of means, including field visits.

INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION

• Represents Mercy Corps with the US Administration and Congress as well as at public forums,  think/policy tank panel discussions and briefings, and relevant international and multilateral  institutional events.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with senior level USG officials, including State  Department, USAID, and Congressional staff.
• Contributes to or leads on written pieces including policy pieces, thought leadership and other  external facing communications.

RISK MANAGEMENT

• Engage and support countries across the region to ensure that adequate risk management  systems are in place;
• Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive  events;
• Engage with country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations;
• Engage with country level Ethics and Assurance managers as well as the global Ethics and  Assurance department to track and analyze trends and needs across countries;

Supervisory Responsibility

None, except for occasional interns.

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy

Works Directly With: Global Policy and Advocacy 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 

• Bachelors degree in international relations, development, public policy, law or related fields of  study. 
• 5 years of relevant professional experience working on climate, foreign assistance budget,  and/or Africa policy issues.
• Professional experience in humanitarian, development, and national security sectors.
• 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.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to effectively gather and utilize large amounts of  information from various sources towards 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  public constituents

Preferred Qualification 

• Graduate degree in international relations, development, public policy, law or related fields of  study. 
• Experience working in the U.S. Congress and/or the U.S. foreign affairs executive government  agencies
• Experience with international relief and development fieldwork, and familiarity with emerging  development and humanitarian issues
• Proficiency in one or more foreign languages
• Expertise and experiences working on South and Central Asia and/or Yemen development and foreign policy.

Success Factors 

Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, peer groups, officials and relevant  stakeholders. Motivation to seek out and establish new relationships. Motivation to find new solutions to  pernicious policy problems. A clear understanding of Mercy Corps’ mission and collaborative style of  operation. Ability to work simultaneously on multiple tasks in a fast paced, sometimes stressful  environment and meet deadlines under those conditions. Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with both HQ and global personnel. Computer literate with strong organizational skills. 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 travel up to 20% of his/her time to field  locations that may include insecure or harsh environments. Mercy Corps Policy and Advocacy team  members will work remotely until at least September 1, 2021, and no global travel is required before  that time. 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 MC's 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

Team Engagement and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).