Senior Program Officer, US Federal Government Relations

Washington, DC
Posted on  

Job Description

The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.
The Team
The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation's work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation's objectives nationally and globally. Because the foundation's resources alone are not enough to solve the challenges ahead, GPA also supports advocacy efforts to engage diverse stakeholders and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, U.S. and Gender Equality programs and Foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives.

Within GPA, the North America Team develops and executes policy, advocacy, communications and government relations strategies to build political support and advance domestic and global programmatic priorities that are funded by, or executed within, the United States, Canada, and the United Nations.
Your Role
As a Senior Program Office (SPO) on the US Federal Government Relations team, you will be responsible for developing and executing an advocacy strategy to advance key foundation priorities in global development, particularly gender equality and economic recovery. To achieve these goals, you will develop and maintain relationships with key US Government decision-makers who are directly involved in areas of interest to the foundation. In this role, you will also manage one or more portfolio of grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, monitoring and evaluation. Finally, you will monitor policy developments within your portfolio and be prepared to take appropriate opportunistic actions based on recommendations from the leadership of the team. As a key advisor on strategy, you’ll contribute to the continued development of the team’s strategic vision, while partnering closely with team leadership to set the overall strategy and goals for the team.
  • This is a full-time role with salary and benefits that is 9 months in duration (LTE). This role is based in our Washington, DC office where employees work on a flexible, hybrid schedule with 2-3 days in the office per week.
**Applications accepted until EOD on Monday, November 11, 2024.

What You'll Do
  • Monitor and track issues across foundation’s global development priorities as they show up at the US federal level
  • Establish and sustain relationships with key decision-makers that support funding and policy decisions on our priorities
  • Collaborate as needed with other internal foundation teams to identify policy and funding priorities that are ripe for USG action
  • Develop, implement, and coordinate USG-facing global development advocacy that aligns with foundation strategy and is operationally integrated with other foundation teams.
  • Update NAT and other leadership as needed about political and policy trends within the portfolio
  • Identify potential advocacy partners; assess their alignment with foundation strategies; evaluate capacity, and lead grants, assessing performance over time
  • Represent the foundation to key external constituencies

Your Experience
  • Advanced degree in relevant field or equivalent experience
  • At least 7+ years of experience in either the Legislative or Executive Branch with an emphasis on roles that align with foundation global development priorities
  • Deep dedication to global development issues
  • Ability to synthesize and share political intelligence in a clear, succinct manner
  • Dedication to working as part of a highly collaborative team
  • Recognized internally and externally by professionals on the Hill or in the Executive Branch as an expert in some aspect of global development policy
  • Deep knowledge of the US federal budget and decision-making processes
  • Access to senior level staff and/or government officials with proven ability to expand networks as needed
  • Proven ability to lead and influence others in a constructive manner and to build and sustain collaborative relationships.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus.
  • Applicants for this role will only be considered if they are able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
The salary range for this role is $182,600 to $283,100 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle, WA and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $199,000 to $308,400 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.