Policy and Advocacy Director

About Refugee Congress:

Refugee Congress (RC) is a national nonpartisan organization, built and led by leaders who have experienced forced displacement, that promotes the well-being, inclusion, and dignity of refugees, asylees, and other forcibly displaced peoples (FDPs). At Refugee Congress, we use the term “Forcibly Displaced People” to emphasize that FDPs arrive or remain in the U.S. through a variety of protection pathways. The shared identity of the community we serve is not grounded in a legal definition of forced displacement, but in the shared experience of having left countries of origin because of persecution, armed conflict, state violence, climate displacement, and other situations that endanger lives and livelihoods.

Refugee Congress envisions a world where forcibly displaced people are treated with dignity and respect, their contributions are recognized, and their voices are integral to shaping policies that affect their lives. Our mission is to promote the well-being, inclusion, and dignity of refugees, asylees, and other FDPs through leadership development, public education, and advocacy. Through our work, we aim to ensure that policies and programs are more inclusive and equitable by involving those who have experienced forced displacement in their creation.

Position Overview: Refugee Congress is seeking an experienced Policy and Advocacy Director with a strong commitment to our mission who will work closely with our Delegates, staff, and core partners to develop and implement a policy and advocacy strategy that increases the impact of Refugee Congress to further its vision that forcibly displaced people are shaping the policies, programs, and practices that impact refugee communities.

The Policy Advocacy Director (PAD) is a full-time position that oversees Refugee Congress’ policy advocacy agenda from local to global levels, forming the connective tissue between these layers of advocacy and reflecting the priorities of our membership. The PAD will support our member engagement in key coalition activities and support our close coalition partners in our collective strategy. The PAD will provide limited support in coordination to the US Refugee Advisory Board. Lastly, the PAD will have a contributing role to the Refugee Advocacy Lab in enhancing policy development and advocacy efforts to ensure they are driven by and in partnership with forcibly displaced people.

The Policy and Advocacy Director will have overall responsibility for implementing a policy advocacy strategy that a) connects the local, state, national, and global priorities of Refugee Congress members, and b) supports Refugee Congress members to advance its implementation. The Policy and Advocacy Director will work in close collaboration with the Director of Programs (DP), Director of Communications (DC), and the Delegate Task Force.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop and coordinate Refugee Congress’ strategic engagement with congressional offices, state and local elected officials, relevant federal administration entities, and key global NGO partners;
• Develop and coordinate a strategy for Refugee Congress members effective involvement in national advocacy campaigns, and support Refugee Congress Delegates in local and state advocacy;
• Create a tracking system for Refugee Congress Congressional engagement, and support the Refugee Advocacy Lab with tracking of policy advocacy activities at state and local levels;
• Support the DC and Refugee Congress Delegates in development and execution of policy advocacy events, panels, and conferences;
• Work closely with DP and DC to create resources and tools for Refugee Congress Delegates to support their policy advocacy engagement;
• Actively participate in and contribute to key coalition activities, with special emphasis on Refugee Council USA, Welcome With Dignity, and the Refugee Advocacy Lab;
• Provide briefings for Refugee Congress members on emerging legislation and policies of the U.S. government and/or NGOs as they affect forced displacement issues;
• Produce written reports and briefings as needed on key policy and advocacy agenda items;
• Support the Executive Director in engagement with existing and potential funders and support the drafting of funder reports and proposals as related to policy and advocacy activities;
• Work closely with the DP and DC on strategic mapping of current and potential partners at local, state, and national levels;
• Supervise 1-2 Refugee Congress Interns and additional policy advocacy staff, as recruited;
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

• 6-8 years experience working on refugee and/or displacement issues and/or policy advocacy and campaigns in the United States and/or globally;
• Extensive experience building relationships with Members of Congress, state elected officials, and federal agencies;
• Master’s degree in a relevant field of study such as public policy, international relations, or migration issues preferred but not required;
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including demonstrated experience managing coalition and partner dynamics;
• Extensive experience working with - and an understanding of the complexities of - a deeply diverse membership base;
• A deep understanding of immigration and refugee policy trends in the US;
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to translate complex material into clear, compelling communications;
• Experience developing policy advocacy campaigns across a wide array of partners;
• Demonstrated experience in policy and advocacy research a plus;
• A self starter with strong attention to detail, and ability to initiate and juggle competing tasks simultaneously and independently;
• Strong preferences for individuals based in the DC Metropolitan area.