Global Communities

Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

Senior Manager, Public Affairs

Posted over 1 month ago · Full time

Job Description

Global Communities is an international development non-profit organization. Our mission is to create long-lasting, positive and community-led change that improves the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people across the globe.

 

Global Communities is seeking a Senior Manager, Public Affairs to join the Communications team at the headquarters in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.

 

The Senior Manager, Public Affairs performs important internal and external functions for Global Communities. The Senior Manager monitors news coverage, relevant articles, trends, initiatives and legislative or policy developments relevant to the international development industry and prepares reports, including media, policy, or legislative briefs, to support organizational policies and strategies, including advice to executive management and other senior staff. The Senior Manager oversees Global Communities’ engagement with policymakers and stakeholders in the Executive and Legislative branches of the U.S. government, as well as media outlets, journalists, think tanks, thought leaders, and other related audiences, and helps advance organizational thought leadership and brand awareness in the United States and internationally. Works to support the advocacy goals and positions of the international development community through active engagement in stakeholder groups, umbrella coalitions and working groups. As an excellent writer and editor, quickly produce high-quality documents for external release, such as press releases, op-eds, learning briefs, success stories and talking points for senior leadership.

Responsibilities

Responsibility Area: Advocacy and Government Relations

  • Advances organizational brand by developing and maintaining strong relationships with external stakeholders, including policymakers in the Legislative and Executive branches of the U.S. government, opinion leaders at think tanks, peers at partner organizations and journalists in targeted markets around the world.
  • Monitors for developments in policy, politics, or legislation with direct impact on the work of Global Communities and prepares timely briefing materials to support organizational response to these developments, focusing on issues of concern to the development and humanitarian assistance community, including but not limited to upholding humanitarian principles and access in conflict zones.
  • Provides advice on organizational public affairs strategy, including time and other resource allocation for panels, presentations, U.S. Congress, and other engagement.
  • Manages outreach to U.S. Congress. Undertakes outreach to relevant Congressional staff and members as needed. Acts as point of contact for Congressional staff who are requesting information, building relationships, and serving as a resource.
  • Engages in key discussions around humanitarian policy, such as the Grand Bargain; provides reports and analysis on these discussions and their impact on/ implications for Global Communities’ work. Serves as primary point of contact for Global Communities memberships with professional organizations (such as InterAction and USGLC) from a public affairs / Congressional perspective.
  • Trains staff in U.S. and country offices in communicating with policy level stakeholders.

Responsibility Area: Thought Leadership and Brand Awareness

  • In coordination with other relevant departments, positions Global Communities’ expertise and thought leadership in relation to current trends and policies.
  • Works with executives, technical experts, country directors and senior managers to prepare them for public events, including media interviews, panel discussions and presentations as relate to thought leadership, as well as Congressional testimony, briefings, round tables, luncheons, and other high-level appearances.
  • Analyzes past and present programs to provide insights and advice on which and how best to highlight for advancing thought leadership and brand awareness among targeted external audiences.
  • Proactively works to connect global staff, their experience and successes, with U.S. based policymakers.
  • Builds, develops, executes, and launches creative thought leadership opportunities, including but not limited to in person or virtual events, to showcase Global Communities’ work to high-profile audiences.
  • Develops strategies to highlight aspects of Global Communities’ work most likely to reach target audiences and proactively create opportunities to position Global Communities as a publicly recognized expert on these topics.

Responsibility Area: Media Engagement and Press Relations

  • Manages day-to-day media relations on behalf of the organization. Maintains an expert-level knowledge of news outlets covering international development and humanitarian assistance, and regularly engage in targeted outreach to advance Global Communities brand in the news media.
  • Builds and maintains working relationships with journalists, editors, and public commentators to share information about Global Communities’ work and success.
  • In crisis communications situations, supports the VP, Communications to prepare organizational response.
  • Provides expert guidance on media relations, including managing the organization’s media policy and regularly training global staff on components of the policy while advancing their ability to effectively engage with the media.
  • Manages internal distribution of relevant media and policy updates to Global Communities staff.

Responsibility Area: Writing, editing and content creation

  • Writes and edits public-facing documents for release to the media or external stakeholders, including op-eds, press releases, talking points, briefing documents, policy papers and success stories.
  • Works in close coordination with internal stakeholders to develop topical thought leadership content for distribution across a diverse range of publications and outlets.

POSITION SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • International and U.S. travel required, expected less than 10% of the time, as needed.
  • Promote a culture of excellence, inclusion, learning, support, diversity and innovation.
  • Oversees data and analytics related to areas of expertise.
  • Ensures all external contacts are tracked, stored, and updated in central databases (CRM).

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with a minimum of six years of related work experience or specialized knowledge of the work discipline with a minimum of 10 years of related work experience.
  • In-depth knowledge and understanding of international development, foreign policy, international affairs required. Direct experience covering foreign policy, international development or humanitarian assistance issues on Capitol Hill, at a federal agency, think tank, or policy shop or as a member of the media strongly preferred.
  • Understanding of how national and international policies are developed.
  • Knowledge of the U.S. Congress and Administration, including congressional budgeting processes and policy development.
  • Proven experience working with journalists and members of the news media, including demonstrated knowledge of journalistic concepts and principles. Previous experience providing background or on-the-record statements for publication strongly preferred.
  • Experience creating events and opportunities to successfully promote brand awareness, thought leadership, advocacy or policy positions.
  • Proven superior ability to write for public audiences, including ability to distill complex, technical programmatic content for consumption by non-technical audiences.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with ability to proofread copy for accurate style and grammatical usage. Proven impeccable editing skills.
  • English fluency required. Ability in Spanish, French, or Arabic preferred.
  • Ability and willingness to travel internationally to areas of political instability to complete discrete projects and provide technical assistance.
  • Ability to work independently with minimum supervision to complete projects and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to manage a broad portfolio of projects simultaneously.
  • Proven ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
  • Superior interpersonal and relationship building skills, including proven ability to build collaborative, impactful relationships with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Accuracy, attention to detail.
  • Ability to read and interpret documents and ability to sit at a computer and operate a keyboard.
  • A passion for the mission and values of Global Communities.
  • Must have U.S. work authorization.

 

Global Communities is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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