Vice President, Advocacy

Mission

To represent the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora living in America in a survivor-led movement for gender-justice and to honor the collective and inherent power of all survivors of violence.

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1989, Sakhi for South Asian Survivors (Sakhi) is a nonprofit that works to eradicate gender-based violence in the South Asian and Indo-Caribbean diaspora. Led by and centering survivors, we provide trauma-informed direct services, actively push for change, and stand as a go-to resource for allies and advocates. Sakhi is a trailblazer – agile, and inclusive of all South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans regardless of how they identify. With the collective strength of survivor voices united for justice, we are shaping a world where gender-based violence has no place. Learn more about our historic ringing of the Nasdaq Closing Bell, Iftar with the Mayor, 2026 Gala Honoree and more here and here.

What distinguishes Sakhi is not only what we do, but how we do it. Cultural responsiveness and trauma-informed practice are not programmatic add-ons—they are embedded in everyday interactions, internal decision-making, language access, and community relationships.

Sakhi recently underwent a values-informed rebrand, broadening our articulation of inclusion and reaffirming our commitment to all survivors of gender-based violence. Our work is relational, values-driven, and deeply trusted within community networks.

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Sakhi is at a pivotal point in its history, shifting from being a hyper-local organization with a strong direct-service footprint to building a national platform. That national platform has two primary dimensions: advocacy and narrative change that sit within an interconnected ecosystem that includes development.

What makes this moment particularly unusual is the level of investment behind that transition. It is the first time in the history of the GBV movement that a hyper-local organization has received a significant infusion of capital specifically to take components of its work to national scale. Other organizations have grown from local to national, but this kind of one-time investment expressly intended to enable that scaling has not existed before and sets Sakhi and this VP of Advocacy (VPoA) role apart.

Position Overview:

As Sakhi contemplates team expansion and broader service delivery, the organization must ensure that its internal systems evolve alongside its external ambitions. Scaling a trauma-informed, culturally grounded organization requires more than adding headcount.

GBV and survivor justice are the leading public health issues of the South Asian and Indo Caribbean communities. The Vice President of Advocacy (VPoA) is central to Sakhi’s tri-fold strategy and will be responsible for creating Sakhi’s policy platform across the country as the organization develops its national presence.

The Vice President of Advocacy (VPoA) will oversee Sakhi's internal and external strategy and implementation for all advocacy, policy, and government relations efforts. Reporting to the Executive Director, the VPoA will play a key role in shaping and advancing Sakhi's policy positions and movement-building work within a local and national effort to end gender-based violence and support survivors in the South-Asian and Indo-Caribbean communities. The person filling this role will be responsible for strategy and decision-making related to the development, execution, and coordination of advocacy campaigns, coalition partnerships, and policy engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Advocacy Strategy and Implementation

• Lead efforts to advance Sakhi’s policy priorities and strengthen the organization’s voice in order to propel Sakhi and the GBV movement more squarely onto the national stage
• Develop and execute an integrated advocacy strategy that advances Sakhi’s mission, impact, and policy positions across legislative and community-facing platforms
• Lead external advocacy and serve as a spokesperson and representative with policymakers and public officials
• Track, analyze, and respond to relevant policy developments, potential legislation, and current events at the local, state, and federal levels
• Partner with team members to lead and support advocacy campaigns, public education efforts, and grassroots mobilization initiatives in alignment with organizational priorities
• Use careful analysis to identify and prioritize policy opportunities, and prepare policy briefs, testimony, talking points, and other supporting materials as needed
• Coordinate organizational responses to rapidly changing community and policy developments, and proactively conduct advocacy planning
• Ensure all advocacy efforts reflect accessibility, cultural competency, equity, and the ethical standards of a trauma-informed organization
• Design and implement stakeholder-facing communications and engagement materials in partnership with communications, development, and program staff
• Oversee advocacy components of organizational events, public convenings, and coalition-hosted activities

Coalition-Building and External Partnerships

• Serve as an organizational ambassador, representing Sakhi among coalition partners, community stakeholders, elected officials, government agencies, and national networks
• Build, maintain, and deepen Sakhi’s relationships with allied organizations, coalition partners, advocacy organizations, and community-based groups at the local, state, and national levels
• Represent Sakhi in formal and informal coalitions, task forces, working groups, and national networks working to advance policy related to gender-based violence and immigrant rights
• Identify and cultivate new partnership opportunities that strengthen Sakhi’s advocacy reach and deepen its community impact
• Ensure Sakhi’s participation in coalitions reflects its values, voice, and the interests of the communities it serves

Leadership

• Serve on the Sakhi Steering Committee, contributing to organizational strategy, policy priorities, and inter-departmental alignment
• Collaborate across program, development, and communications teams to plan and execute advocacy campaigns, coalition work, and national initiatives
• Promote and model a culture of excellent performance and continual improvement among the advocacy team and across the organization
• Exercise excellent judgment in recognizing organization-wide advocacy-related challenges and risks, while identifying opportunities and solutions
• Establish measurement frameworks and reporting to evaluate impact, inform strategy, and present results to leadership, board members, and stakeholders
• Function effectively as a self-directed leader who takes initiative, exercises independent judgment, and practices accountability

Team Development and Management

• Supervise one Coordinator-level direct report and external consultants or volunteers as applicable
• Recruit, hire, mentor, and manage performance and professional development of team members
• Set goals and objectives for the team, establish priorities, conduct periodic performance appraisals, and implement accountability measures while contributing to a collaborative and mutually supportive culture

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, social work, law, or a related field
• 7–10 years of progressive experience in advocacy, coalition-building, policy, or government relations; at least 3 years in a senior role in the nonprofit or social justice sector
• Demonstrable impact with national advocacy, policy work, or systems-level change essential; candidates with broad-scale state or regional coalition experience will also be considered
• Proven track record of building and sustaining coalitions across diverse organizational and community stakeholders
• Experience working with South Asian communities, Indo-Caribbean populations, or immigrant communities more broadly, with a deep understanding of the cultural and structural contexts that shape their lived experiences
• Experience in the area of gender-based violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or interpersonal abuse, whether in a direct service, advocacy, or policy context
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively and independently in a role that requires significant self-direction, and to keep leadership appropriately informed without requiring close guidance on technical or policy matters

Advanced degree preferred.

Personal Characteristics

• Commitment to diversity, equity, equity, inclusion, trauma-informed practice and the mission to end gender-based violence through systems-level change
• An orientation to listen well, with empathy and curiosity that permits authentic, trusting relationship building; ability to handle sensitive content with care and respect
• A self-starter who thrives in an environment that requires creativity, initiative, adaptability, and the ability to set direction without extensive top-down guidance on policy or advocacy matters
• Successful track-record working cross functionally, creating opportunities for and managing diverse groups through collaboration, constructive problem-solving, and respectful compromise
• Self-awareness, humility, and the ability to lead effectively in the fore-or background, as well as the inclination to share credit
• Practice of kindness and care-centered leadership
• Willingness to travel as needed and to represent Sakhi at events, coalition meetings, legislative sessions, and public forums
• Demonstrated history of working with communities of color, immigrant populations, and/or survivors of violence strongly preferred

Skills

• Strong policy analysis and research skills; ability to synthesize complex legislative and regulatory content for diverse audiences
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft clear, persuasive advocacy materials, testimony, and messaging for varied stakeholders
• Data-informed approach with the ability to use outcome metrics, stakeholder feedback, and advocacy analytics to shape strategy and demonstrate impact

Reporting Relationships:

The Vice President of Advocacy will report to the Executive Director and will have one Coordinator-level direct report.

Location:

Sakhi’s hybrid officing policy requires eight days/month in the organization’s Brooklyn office, with the option to work remotely for the remainder of the time when in-person collaboration is not required. Staff members have the flexibility to organize their 35 hours over a four day work week. Some evenings and weekends will be required and, therefore, the Vice President of Advocacy is expected to live in the NYC/NJ region,with easy access to the Sakhi office.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time role (35+ hours a week), with a salary range of $160,000-$165,000, commensurate with experience. Sakhi offers a generous benefits package, including unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and health and dental insurance. Additionally, all full-time staff have access to clinical supervision.

At Sakhi we offer a unique work environment that is collaborative, fun, and committed to social justice. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, persons of color, and bilingual/bicultural applicants and applicants with marginalized caste identities are strongly encouraged to apply. At Sakhi, we have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, stay, and do their best work. Sakhi is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Sakhi offers a generous benefits package, including unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and health and dental insurance.