AVP, Policy & Advocacy

OVERVIEW  

Since 1972, Covenant House has served and advocated for youth and young families experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and exploitation. Our overarching goal is to end homelessness among youth and young families by helping them achieve housing stability, heal from trauma, tap into their innate resilience, and hone their interests and skills to forge new pathways to independence. This work is carried out across Covenant House sites in 34 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Our mission has never been more important than it is today. Join us to be part of an incredibly innovative, and constantly evolving team working to end youth homelessness. 

LOCATION REQUIREMENTS - HYBRID   

The position is remote, but the ideal candidate will be Washington, D.C. based.  Travel to our NY headquarters may be required periodically. 

PRIMARY FUNCTION OF POSITION 

The AVP, Policy and Advocacy is responsible for developing and implementing a federal public policy strategy in support of Covenant House’s policy and advocacy goals. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, the successful candidate will represent the organization as a primary representative on Capitol Hill and engage with the Covenant House sites throughout the U.S. to support federal legislative and policy priorities. 

SALARY RANGE: $100,000 - $130,000  

The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining a team member's base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., location, specialty, service line, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, negotiated contracts, budget and internal equity). 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Reporting directly to and working closely with the SVP, the AVP will 

• Develop and oversee implementation of a public policy strategy to advance Covenant House’s diverse portfolio of federal legislative and policy issues. 
• Develop and lead outreach to Capitol Hill and federal agencies and departments, including: 
• Monitor and analyze legislative activities for Covenant House priority issues.  
• Lead writing on letters, testimony, talking points, fact sheets, and other congressional correspondence. 
• Represent Covenant House at meetings on Capitol Hill with Members of Congress and staff. 
• Participate in Covenant House Capitol Hill briefings and other related events. 
• Participate in the planning and coordination for Capitol Hill Day, in-district advocacy activities, and Hill-focused policy/legislative briefings. 
•  Plan and support strategy for engagement of local Covenant House’s to support federal legislative and policy priorities,  
• Support drafting and implementation of public policy statements, press releases, social media messages and other communications strategies. 
• Identify visibility opportunities for Covenant House representatives at press conferences, Capitol Hill activities, coalition briefings, and other events. 
• Develop materials to support advocacy engagement efforts (e.g., fact sheets, advocacy toolkits, recommended messaging, talking points, and social media posts). 
• Oversee departmental lobbying reporting with external pro bono lawyers. 
• Contribute, as assigned, to other cross-departmental projects, conferences, and training events.  
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

• Commitment to mission and purpose.  Commitment to CH mission and Experience working on social justice issues and/or issues which support preventing and ending youth homelessness, for example, economic empowerment, human trafficking, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and gender-based violence. 
• Communicates Effectively – Effective communicator (both in writing and verbally) with the ability to provide information to people to engage and educate on complex issues. 
• Thinks Strategically, Executes Skillfully – A strategic thinker with the ability to craft strategic short- and long-term efforts that are aligned with organizational and department goals. No job is too small or too big. 
•  Is Goal Oriented – A doer, with a determination and commitment to reach a goal and a strong bias toward action. You always find a way to help make it happen. 
• Collaborates & Values Relationships –Understands the importance of listening, asking probing questions, and allowing others to be heard.  Is a collaborator who brings existing relationships to the cause and is open to forging new relationships to move the agenda. Demonstrates professionalism and maturity to connect with diverse individuals and coalitions effectively. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate/advance level degree preferred. Academic studies in the areas of political science, public policy, law and/or communications is preferred. 
• Minimum five years of public policy experience in legislative, regulatory, nonprofit, or other policy setting. Experience as Congressional staff on Capitol Hill and/or as public policy staff for an advocacy organization or association is preferred. 
• Strong understanding of federal policy and government relations, including House and Senate policy and procedure. 
• Familiarity with one or more of Covenant House’s priorities is required, appropriations experience a plus. 

OUR COMMUNITY   

Our critical mission demands that we have all voices at the table. A team of diverse people, perspectives, and experiences is smarter, stronger, and more effective for our young people. At Covenant House, every team member is valued, respected, heard, and supported, and we welcome honest and courageous self-reflection on any aspects of our work that are based on biased or outdated viewpoints. We deliberately create opportunities for our staff to grow and thrive.  

Covenant House International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind: CHI is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CHI are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, family or parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CHI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourages all qualified applicants to apply. Our offices are located in Manhattan; however, this position will ideally be located in Washington, DC. 

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• A defined contribution retirement savings plan (403b) with employer match and an annual employer contribution
• Medical, dental, and life insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Long-term disability plan
• Flexible spending accounts
• Up to 4 weeks’ vacation, 4 personal days, 13 sick days, and 11 paid holidays during the year