Advocacy Director

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Capital Area Food Bank
Washington, District of Columbia

About Capital Area Food Bank

The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) Advocacy and Community Outreach Department serves to inform, educate, and empower the community by providing and promoting information on Federal and local supplemental nutrition programs; assisting community members and organizations in applying for these programs; leading education discussions and workshops to increase the awareness and understanding of hunger and poverty; increasing awareness in the community of CAFB's mission and programs; and providing a voice for those who suffer from hunger and poverty.

 

Position Description

Employ strategic, legislative, political, and interpersonal skills to create and implement an advocacy agenda in a multi-jurisdictional system that increases awareness of CAFB's mission to reduce hunger in the Greater Washington area. Serve as CAFB's expert and spokesperson on hunger and poverty in the District of Columbia (DC) metro area; bring CAFB to a position of leadership in the community through strong relationships with partners at the local, state, and national level; work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders; promote nutrition, health, and access to supplemental nutrition assistance programs for low-income residents of the region; shape the direction of the Department’s structure, strategy, and goals over the short and long term.

Job Responsibilities

Advocacy and Public Policy

·         Drive the anti-hunger movement to influence public policy initiatives;

·         Advocate for improved nutrition programs and services in DC and surrounding service areas;

·         Track key anti-hunger, anti-poverty, and nutrition-related legislation;

·         Develop and cultivate relationships with local and national level public officials, hunger coalitions; partner agencies; and other appropriate organizations;

·         Create and distribute policy briefs, talking points, action alerts, and support materials.

Public Relations

·         Collaborate internally to develop and maintain external visibility of the Food Bank;

·         Contribute to the development of facts sheets, media releases, newsletter articles;

·         Represent CAFB at meetings, functions, and public events.

Internal Education

·         Manage internal education about hunger issues, advocacy activities, and partner relationships;

·         Build and maintain an internal database with research on hunger, poverty, and federal programs;

·         Serve as CAFB’s expert on local and national hunger and poverty statistics

·         Attend policy conferences, forums, and similar events and share acquired information with employees and other stakeholders.

Public Education

·         Educate agencies on public policy and partner with key agencies to build their advocacy capacity;

·         Increase awareness of hunger issues among donors, volunteers, legislators, and agencies;

·         Facilitate select educational workshops with corporate, religious, and community groups.

Program Management

·         Lead strategic planning for the Advocacy  and Community Outreach Department

·         Develop measurement and evaluation methods and tools for the department;

·         Oversee the Food Stamp Initiative and Face Hunger programs and update as needed;

·         Conduct other key department management activities including supervising staff, securing grant funding, creating an annual work plan and budget, and maintaining expense and income records.

Application Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

·         Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year university required, advanced degree in public policy, nutrition, or non-profit management highly desirable

·         Minimum five years management experience in a not-for-profit environment with a significant advocacy or outreach component

·         Demonstrated commitment to social justice issues and sensitivity to the needs of low-income populations

·         Willingness to work a varied schedule beyond core office hours, including some evening and weekend commitments

·         Valid driver's license and ability to navigate by car around the DC area

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Technical & Subject Matter Expertise

·         Expertise in Federal supplemental nutrition programs, including Food Stamps and WIC, as well as state and local programs to address poor nutrition

·         Deep understanding of DC area history, neighborhoods, demographics, and complex, multi-jurisdictional political environment; roots in DC preferred

·         Proficiency in Microsoft Office software and internet applications

·         Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish a plus

Behavioral & Communication

·         Outstanding communication and presentation skills; ability to persuasively convey and build support for the mission of CAFB to diverse groups including donors, board members, government administrators, and the public; experience starting or leading grass-roots movements

·         Ability to adapt quickly and effectively to a variety of settings

·         Ability to communicate in an effective and culturally sensitive manner with diverse audiences, rapidly gain trust, and build strong alliances with varied organizations and individuals

·         Proven track record in effectively navigating a complex political system in the capacity of an advocate, including testifying before councils or committees, interacting with the press, and meeting one-on-one with elected officials to bring about legislative change

Leadership & Management

·         Ability to juggle a large number of short- and long-term priorities and projects of varying nature

·         Experience working both independently and collaboratively, delegating responsibilities, managing staff, coordinating activities, and following through on multiple projects and responsibilities to meet specific timelines with a proven record of acuity and agility

·         Demonstrated ability to establish a vision and establish related goals, objectives, activities, and programs to meet community needs

·         Familiarity with logic models, program evaluation, and experience demonstrating the impact and value of difficult to quantify programs

Deadline

6/15/2009

How to Apply

Send cover letter and resume to johnsonl@cfoodbank.org

Application Contact

Les Johnson

johnsonl@cfoodbank.org