DEPUTY DIRECTOR , GOVERNMENT RELATIONS At CARE USA

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.

The Deputy Director for Government Relations (DDGR) works closely with the Senior Director of U.S. Government Advocacy to develop and oversee CARE’s U.S. policy agenda. The DDGR manages a team responsible for setting policy goals and delivering CARE’s position on key priorities to the US Congress and the Administration, and with peer organizations and coalitions in Washington. They serve on the Advocacy Department’s senior leadership team (SLT) where they help shape and manage the implementation of strategic and annual operating plans.

With a passion to defeat poverty and empower women and girls, the DDGR is proactive in making and leveraging connections, has dynamic team management skills, a background in appropriations and has strong existing relationships on the Hill.

Responsibilities:

• Manages the work of the Government Relations (GR) staff to develop policy positions and implement related USG advocacy strategies in the areas of health, gender, humanitarian and food and nutrition security
• Sets the overall direction of the GR team, raising the visibility of CARE’s policy positions, and influencing US international development, relief and other related policies and programs
• Coordinates closely with the Sr. Director for USG Advocacy and Sr. Director of Mobilization and Engagement to ensure alignment and collaboration among teams and effective 360-degree approach to US advocacy
• Works closely senior leadership to develop a Congressional target list and conduct effective outreach to achieve advocacy goals
• Serves as a key senior representative of CARE in Washington, with external audiences, including Congress and the Administration, the NGO community, other key players and the media, and in managing and strengthening these critical relationships
• Works in collaboration with the Sr. Director for US Advocacy on the preparation of public information strategies and communication products that serve to inform the USG, the public, donors and peer organizations of CARE’s policy positions.
• Manages the GR budget and actively engages with the Sr. Director for of Policy, Planning and Resource Development in securing funds to support advocacy efforts

Qualifications:

• Masters’ degree in international relations, public policy or a related field or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• 7+ years government relations and/or Congressional experience
• 2-3 years hands-on management and budgeting experience
• Experience working on Capitol Hill in a legislative or committee office preferred