| Description: |
March 2013
Founded in 1992, the Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is a non-profit organization that promotes women's equality worldwide by securing reproductive rights in constitutional and international human rights law. Its mission is straightforward and ambitious: to advance reproductive health and rights as fundamental rights that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect and fulfill. The Center is unmatched as a reproductive rights organization in its expertise in U.S. constitutional law, comparative law, and international human rights law.
The Center works across the globe on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, abortion services, and comprehensive sexuality information. It has brought groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. committees, and regional human rights bodies, and has built the legal capacity of women's rights advocates in over 50 countries. The Center?s groundbreaking litigation and advocacy have transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies, and its undivided focus on reproductive rights has given it unparalleled expertise in the use of constitutional, international, and comparative human rights law to hold governments accountable for failing to ensure women's access to critical reproductive healthcare services.
National-level courts, regional human rights courts, and United Nations bodies have increasingly recognized that a woman's right to reproductive autonomy and reproductive healthcare are basic human rights that must be protected. The Center for Reproductive Rights has played a key role in securing these legal victories and works with attorneys and advocates in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. In addition to its headquarters in New York, the Center has offices in Washington, DC, Nairobi, Bogotá, Kathmandu, and Geneva.
The Center's Government Relations Program, based in Washington, DC since 2009, focuses on both U.S. domestic and foreign policy, providing leadership within the community of reproductive rights allies. The Center informs the policy debate at the federal level by producing legal analysis of legislation, comments on regulations, polling data, and other materials to policymakers in Congress, the Administration, and the White House. It works to vigorously defend and expand access to a full range of reproductive healthcare; counter abortion stigma as it is reflected in federal policy; and ensure U.S. foreign policy reflects the full range of women's health needs around the globe.
Position Summary and Responsibilities: The Center is accepting applications for the position of Federal Policy Counsel. The Federal Policy Counsel will play an integral role in the Center?s federal advocacy work, developing and implementing strategies to ensure protection for reproductive health care in the U.S. by conducting legal and policy analyses and by working with coalition partners and members of Congress and the Administration.
Responsibilities of the Federal Policy Counsel will include:
-Advancing legislation and regulations that will restore the protections of Roe v. Wade and promote access to affordable reproductive health care;
-Monitoring and responding to legislative and other political developments, including hearings, markups, staff briefings, and other events;
-Drafting materials for use in lobbying activities, outreach and on the Web, including legislation, hearing testimony, bill analyses, fact sheets, and legal memoranda;
-Drafting comments for the docket on proposed regulations;
-Preparing internal and external updates, blog posts, op-eds, and other written analysis;
-Identifying inflection points and advocacy opportunities;
-Developing substantive expertise on the evolving domestic legal landscape;
-Presenting at professional and advocacy conferences and meetings to lead public discourse on reproductive rights;
-Advancing relationships with policy makers and coalition allies;
-Linking the Center's domestic litigation and state advocacy work to federal strategies and goals, and highlighting this work within coalitions and on the Hill;
-Collaborating with the Foreign Policy Counsel to ensure consistent advocacy goals and strategies, and to leverage the full range of the Center's work within coalitions and on the Hill; and
-Supporting the Director of Government Relations on program, managerial and operational matters as needed.
Candidate Requirements:
While no one person will possess all of the qualities listed below, the ideal candidate would have the following professional and personal characteristics:
-3-5 years of experience lobbying or working on Capitol Hill.
-A law degree is preferred; equivalent experience and training in legislative advocacy will be considered.
-Knowledge of, and commitment to, reproductive rights and human rights.
-Self-motivation and the ability to work independently, while also collaborating in a team setting.
-The ability to complete assignments in a timely manner, often under considerable time pressure, and to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
-Understanding and appreciation of different and opposing perspectives, and the ability to adapt approaches as the requirements of a situation change.
-Professionalism, excellent judgment, strong writing and public speaking skills.
Location of Position: Please note that this position is based Washington, D.C.
Additional Information About the Center: www.reproductiverights.org
To Apply:
Send cover letter and resume
Email (preferred): resumes@reprorights.org
Note: Applicants must indicate "Federal Policy Counsel" [LAST NAME] and Code 167as the subject of e-mailed applications. A cover letter and resume should be sent as attachments. Positions will be filled on a rolling basis.
The Center for Reproductive Rights is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply.
|