Assistant Director of Public Policy

JOB SUMMARY:

Serves as Assistant Director responsible for public policy at National Headquarters. Leads Public Policy team in advocacy efforts with the federal government.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: This job description should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this position. You may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this job description.

• Serves as the director of the public policy work at National Headquarters and directs the team of Senior Policy Analysts and Policy Analysts.
• Engages in long term planning of legislative policy development, analysis, and strategies and recommends priorities, including educational targets. Develops advocacy plans for the department at the federal level.
• Carries the lead role in public policy planning and strategy. Supervises all Policy Analysts as they manage their area(s) of responsibility and gives guidance and direction as needed.
• Develops and facilitates a process to receive input on the annual legislative priorities from staff members, Capitol Hill, and closely related organizations. Coordinates with the section staff and Policy Analysts to monitor proposed legislation and regulations that impact The Salvation Army. Develops a reporting system to maintain records that measure and track outreach to, and follows up with, elected officials, government administrators, and their supporting staff.
• Monitors and analyzes national legislative and administrative policy impacting The Salvation Army. Prepares policy reports identifying public policy issues and their impact on families and society at large. Prepares and/or directs the review and development of public policy priorities and materials for internal and external dissemination, including policy reports, comment letters, briefs, articles, one-pagers, testimonies, and other documents conveying The Salvation Army position.
• Prepares written and/or verbal reports as requested to the National Public Policy Council, the National Advisory Board, the National Social Services Commission and others. Serves as a member of the Public Policy Council.
• Coordinates advocacy events at the federal level of government. Coordinates either virtual or in-person Hill visits for territorial efforts, NHQ staff and officers, national groups and others. Coordinates in-district site visits with legislators and their staff.
• Develops, organizes and maintains a system of responding to advocacy alerts in a timely manner. Plans development and implementation of an advocacy alert system.
• Educates staff and others through webinars, resources on the Red Shield Toolkit, and through virtual means of appropriate and acceptable advocacy. Serves as a convener and facilitator of conference calls and webinars within The Salvation Army and with external stakeholders to include non-profit affiliates, government employees and elected officials and their staff.
• Serves as a national liaison to all levels of government.
• Responsible for public policy focus in monthly newsletters, weekly TSSD memorandums, and monthly webinars as scheduled.
• Provides consultation and guidance to staff, making certain so far as possible that they know and understand what their duties and responsibilities are.
• Holds staff accountable for deadlines related to scheduled events, programs or assignments. Reviews staff work regarding quality and conformity to expectations. Monitors and keeps the staff focused on the purposes of projects. Handles all routine employee issues and requests for public policy staff.
• Represents The Salvation Army at various assigned coalitions, councils and working groups. Prepares and presents reports as an advocate for social services and public policy issues pertinent to the mission of The Salvation Army.
• Presents at national, territorial, and divisional Social Services conferences, as well as at outside conferences as appropriate. Attends national conferences, and conducts and participates in discussions, lectures, seminars, and workshops.
• Consistently considers and advocates/promotes ways the National Social Services & Public Policy Section can improve service to the four territories, focusing extensively on the fulfillment of The Salvation Army mission in new and meaningful ways.
• Supports the National Secretary for Social Services & Public Policy in the operation of the Department.
• Co-leads annual departmental strategy meeting. Holds personnel accountable for meeting goals set.
• Participates in Thought Leadership work with NCRD and LERMA.
• Creates and maintains specific promotional material that can be shared with interested parties, legislators, government personnel, national groups, etc.
• Works cooperatively with LERMA, NCRD and other groups, internal and external, to position and speak for The Salvation Army in social service programming.
• Performs other related work as required.

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT USED:

Standard office/computer equipment: computer, telephone, photocopier, LCD projector.

Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Fiscal Note and CQ Knowlegis.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Public Policy, Political Science, Social Work, Public Administration, or related fields; and three to five years’ experience working in public policy and advocacy field (preferably at the federal level); and three years’ supervisory experience; additional social services experience a plus;

or

any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:

Valid driver’s license and travel required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Extensive knowledge of Salvation Army programs. Ability to make sound, logical interpretations of Salvation Army guidelines, regulations, policies, and mission in order to represent the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to represent a national organization to the government, peer agencies, and coalitions consistent with The Salvation Army’s mission.
• Demonstrated knowledge of congressional policymaking processes and of agencies of the federal government.
• Demonstrated ability to lead meetings, motivate a team and work collaboratively.
• Highly self-motivated, with organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain effective and professional relationships with key stakeholder groups, such as NHQ staff, Salvation Army territorial staff, professional affiliates, and members of congress and their staff.
• Demonstrated experience in building bi-partisan support around issues among elected officials, and working with those lawmakers in a bi-partisan fashion to move legislation.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently work on multiple deadline projects at the same time without becoming frustrated or disorganized.
• Demonstrated skill in developing materials and resources for training purposes as well as the ability to demonstrate significant experience in presentation skills for individual, small and large group presentations.
• Demonstrated track record of working well within a team setting, building healthy relationships with subordinates, and supervisors.
• Ability to integrate and interpret data from various sources in a concise manner, and to plan, develops schedule, monitor, evaluate, and prepare reports.
• Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES:

• Ability to meet attendance requirements.
• Ability to work nights/weekends and travel intermittently (domestically and internationally) as required.
• Ability to write, read, and effectively communicate in the English language.
• Excellent researching, reporting and organizational skills.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Ability to prepare and make verbal presentations.
• Ability to exert mental/visual effort required for sustained periods of concentration, working under pressure of deadlines, and continual interruptions.
• Ability to operate general office equipment, scanner, computer, printer, photocopier, etc.
• Ability to effectively use required software.
• Duties are usually performed seated. Sitting may be relieved with brief or occasional periods of standing or walking.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Most work takes place in a normal office environment where there are little or no physical discomforts associated with changes in the weather or discomforts associated with noise, dust, dirt, and the like. However, working conditions may vary during times of travel.

The Salvation Army reserves the right to revise the job or to require that different or additional tasks be performed based on the organization’s need or when circumstances change.

All employees recognize that The Salvation Army is a church and agree that they will do nothing as an employee of The Salvation Army to undermine its religious mission.