Job Description

The Associate Vice President, US Advocacy leads CARE USA's engagement with all branches of the US Government to advance policy goals that improve lives globally. Reporting to the Chief Global Policy Officer, and working closely with the CEO, the AVP develops and executes advocacy strategies, leads Congressional budget and appropriations efforts for international aid, and serves as a key external representative to Congress and the Executive Branch. The AVP directly manages the Government Relations team, the Director of Learning Tours, and the Director of Mobilization and Partnerships, while fostering staff development and high performance. This role also cultivates relationships with policymakers, represents CARE on high-level advocacy coalitions, and engages corporate partners in advocacy efforts while also leading and managing the government relations, policy-maker travel, and grassroots mobilization teams.

This position is ideal for a seasoned federal affairs professional with deep Capitol Hill experience, credibility across the political spectrum, excellent leadership abilities, and a proven record of advancing international affairs priorities with whichever party holds the majority. The successful candidate will bring an expert degree of political acumen, operational / personnel management, and communications skills to this highly dynamic and visible role.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy, Planning, and Management

• The AVP is responsible and accountable for CARE USA’s engagement with all branches of the United States Government on all topics.
• The AVP works closely with the Chief Global Policy Officer (CGPO), the CEO, and other stakeholders across the department, organization, and federation to set clear policy goals for USG advocacy that will have the greatest chance of impacting the lives of millions of people around the world.
• Once clear goals are set, the AVP works closely with his/her teams to develop effective strategies and tactics to achieve policy goals.
• The AVP consults with the CGPO on changing goals, making strategic pivots, adjusting major tactics, assessing progress, and measuring the impact of policy wins.

• Identifies and analyzes external dynamics that impact CARE and acts quickly to position the organization to effectively respond and exert influence to secure the most favorable outcomes.

Budget and Resource Management

• Works with Director, Finance and Business Operations and the CGPO to create budgets, ensure excellent stewardship of available funds, that spending is timely, strategic, impactful, kept within the limits of the budget, and that restricted grant funds are spent in keeping with the terms of the grants.

Fundraising

• The AVP is responsible and accountable for working with the CGPO to set and reach reasonable fundraising targets and proactively pursue donors working with the Resource Development teams.
• S/he leads the development of funding proposals and grant reporting for the department, engaging team members as needed.
• The AVP ensures that donor reports are completed on time and that these excite donors to continue to invest.

Congressional Budget and Appropriations Advocacy

• The AVP is the lead advocate and representative influencing the Congressional budget and appropriations processes for international aid.
• S/he orchestrates the department’s strategies and activities to influence annual budget and appropriations cycles and supports the sector/topic specific appropriations advocacy led by GR team members (e.g., health, women and girls, humanitarian, etc.)

Personnel Management

• The Associate Vice President directly manages the Director of Learning Tours, the Director of Mobilization and Partnerships, the members of the Government Relations team and provides indirect management of 5-6 others.
• S/he is responsible for ensuring the teams are functioning at the highest level, working well with other parts of the organization, and building strategic internal and external relationships.
• The AVP supervises, leads, guides, mentors, assesses, supports and holds accountable the US Advocacy team. Also leads equitable and consistent professional development of staff, including co-creating and managing staff development plans.
• The AVP ensures that performance management activities are done in a timely manner including performance planning, monitoring and performance appraisals. S/he leads or supports disciplinary actions, when necessary, based on staff performance, including managing performance improvement plans and/or making final decisions on staff retention based on performance.

External Representation

• The AVP serves as a key and frequent external representative of CARE's advocacy with the US Government for both Congress and the Executive Branch.
• Actively manages relationships with policymakers and influencers key to furthering CARE’s policy agenda.
• S/he represents CARE on high-level advocacy coalitions relevant to CARE's policy agenda. Serves as co-chair and/or strategy lead on InterAction’s Public Policy Committee’s Steering Committee.
• S/he leads in engaging CARE’s corporate partners in advocacy efforts and is part of the team that identifies and cultivates corporate partnerships generally.
• Represents CARE’s US policy agenda with other key external stakeholders, including advocacy partners, major donors, corporate partners, media, and coalitions. Has authority to speak on the record with the media and speak at external events as a senior representative of CARE.
• Seeks out opportunities to raise CARE’s visibility and credibility as a leader among NGOs and as the organization.