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AGS for Policy and Advocacy

Employer
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Location
Washington, Dist. of Columbia, US
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
May 15, 2022

View more

Sector
Consultancy/Private Sector
Field
Policy / Legal
Discipline
Climate Change
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Full time
The Associate General Secretary (AGS) for Policy and Advocacy is responsible for integrating and growing all aspects of FCNL's lobbying by staff and volunteers in Washington and around the country. This position leads FCNL's work to advance our legislative agenda and develop specific change strategies based on priorities identified by our governing board and reflecting concerns of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Employing an approach to advocacy grounded in Quaker faith and practice, the AGS for Policy and Advocacy is focused on expanding the political power of our community to change federal policy in Washington and nurture a nationwide network of advocates.

Using investments made over the last ten years, FCNL has grown both the quantity and quality of our advocacy in Washington and around the country. Our lobbyists provide leadership for important coalition efforts in Washington and are a core resource for many of our faith partners and colleague organizations. Our growing network of volunteers now engage members of Congress in all 50 states and are developing relationships of trust and influence with elected officials across the political spectrum. Our non-partisan approach to advocacy, grounded in Quaker faith and practice, is recognized as a powerful, faith-based force for change in Washington.

The AGS for Policy and Advocacy is a key leader and interpreter of the lobbying priorities for our lobbyists and network, providing strategic guidance to our team of expert lobbyists, determining geographic priorities for our network, and establishing clear priorities for our growth and expansion. This position is also responsible for ensuring that FCNL's advocacy work is coordinated effectively with the other parts of FCNL that are engaging communities around the country to advocate. This will include, but not be limited to, developing strategies to achieve synergies with communications, our development team, and a new culture and community department that guides our efforts to become a more diverse, inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist organization. This is a newly designed position bringing together our Washington-based lobbyists and our grassroots advocacy efforts under one department.

A core priority for the next stage in this work is integrating the many facets of our lobbying work, setting strategic priorities to use our resources effectively, and developing systems to scale up our support for advocacy around the country.

The Organization

FCNL lobbies from a basis of Quaker spiritual and ethical purpose and seeks to change government policy and practice for the better. We play a crucial role in lobbying initiatives on Capitol Hill that focus on social and economic justice, peace, stewardship of the environment, and good government. Our team of lobbyists has extensive connections and conducts focused legislative campaigns on legislative priorities discerned by more than 200 Quaker meetings, churches, and organizations.??

We currently have the following legislative priorities: peacebuilding, nuclear disarmament, and non-proliferation; curtailing endless war; justice sentencing reform; migration justice; solutions to climate change; gun violence prevention; economic justice; and Native American issues; and voting rights.?

Our dedicated grassroots network brings constituent perspectives into congressional offices both here in Washington at two major lobbying events each year and in local district offices throughout the year. We inform and educate our network through our newsletters and other materials. We activate our grassroots network through a robust website, email, and social media outreach.?

Our national network includes people from many different faiths and backgrounds who are activists and donors. We are dedicated to growing the network, emphasizing effective relationship-building as a path to policy change. In the past five years, we have increased our constituents' number of in-person lobby visits by 50%.??

Headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, FCNL is governed by a General Committee of 190 Quakers from across the country and employs a staff of 60, including 20 registered lobbyists.?

For 79 years, FCNL has brought Quaker values to bear on national policy through congressional testimony, Capitol Hill visits, grassroots lobbying, and educational initiatives. We are wrapping up our five-year Forward Plan and will soon embark on planning our next five years as an organization.?

In the last five years, we have grown rapidly and continue to evolve as a modern advocacy organization grounded in Quaker faith and practice. As we evolve, our community and culture have also been evolving, including significant efforts to become a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist organization.?

Key Priorities And Responsibilities
  • Provide strategic leadership and ensure effective organizing for the focused advocacy efforts of FCNL lobbyists and volunteers around the country.
  • Develop and grow strategies to integrate the Hill focused lobbying work by our staff with the powerful network of volunteer lobbyists we are building around the country.
  • Expand our network of volunteer lobbyists around the country and deepen their engagement.
  • Guide the development of policy positions and specific advocacy goals based on priorities set by Friends around the country.
  • Support the training and development of our lobbying and advocacy staff as a learning community.
  • Manage the planning of lobbying for Spring Lobby Weekend and the Quaker Public Policy Institute in cooperation with the Young Adult Program Manager and the Quaker Leadership program, the events manager, and the appropriate lobbying team.
  • Working with the Organizing Data Strategist, continue improving our data, monitoring, and evaluation systems to allow the entire organization to both understand and utilize the power that we have.
  • Contribute to senior leadership and management of the organization through participation in the Associate General Secretary Team and the Senior Leadership Team.
  • Ensure the General Secretary is kept up to date and effectively engaged as appropriate in our policy and advocacy work.
  • Engage with and provide support to FCNL's governing bodies in relation to policy and strategy work, including the Executive Committee and General Committee.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements
  • 10 plus years of successful advocacy, organizing and management experience, ideally with a national organization, with metrics that illustrate the success of that work.
  • A demonstrated leader who is enthusiastic about providing Quakers and others around the country with the training and tools they need to change public policy.
  • Knowledge of Congressional process and comfort in the intersection between professional Hill lobbying and mobilizing grassroots volunteers and advocates around the country.
  • A strong organizing background with experience in developing long-term, grassroots campaigns for change.
  • Experience with and comfort working in a religious or faith-based environment and commitment to Quaker values and ways of working.
  • Comfort working on a range of foreign and domestic issues.
  • Demonstrated ability to frame public policy issues for Congress and the administration and ability translate and interpret these issues simply and directly to individuals around the country with widely varying levels of knowledge and interest.
  • Experience managing multiple projects and coordinating with outside stakeholders.
  • Strong planning, project implementation, quantitative and qualitative data management and evaluation skills. Demonstrated success in working with others in a large, multi-issue organization.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Willingness to travel extensively in the U.S.
  • Ability to be a team player and collaborator on cross departmental projects.
  • An ongoing interest in continued learning and adaptation based on shared best practices.
  • Demonstrated ability to be nimble, adaptable and thrive in a fast-paced, campaign-like environment.
  • Ability to do significant work during evenings and weekends, including travel

Compensation Package

FCNL offers a robust benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability, generous retirement plan contribution, paid time off plus holidays, parental leave, and more.?

This is a full-time exempt position. The job requires significant travel around the country, public speaking, and leadership of staff and volunteers in challenging political times. Some compensatory time may balance evening and weekend work and travel. This position is expected to be in the office a minimum of 3 days/week, with the option for regular telework up to 2 days/week.

This position is ranked at Grade I, with a starting salary of $140,000 annually DOQ. The salary is negotiable, based on skills and experience, and in relation to other similarly sized non-profits in the Washington, D.C. market.

At FCNL, we embrace having a multitude of voices and talents working together to strengthen our impact in the world. In keeping with the Quaker testimony of equality, we strive to be an organization that welcomes, values and respects the different perspectives of every individual. We are actively soliciting applicants from different ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, gender identity and religious backgrounds.

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