Overview of AJWS: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to promote human rights and end poverty in the developing world. AJWS advances the health and rights of women, girls and LGBT people; promotes civil and political rights; defends access to food, land and water; and aids communities in the aftermath of disasters. We pursue lasting change by granting approximately $40 million annually to more than 500 grassroots and global human rights organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and by mobilizing the Jewish community in the U.S. to advocate for global justice at the federal and international levels. Working together, we strive to build a more just and equitable world.
Overview of Department: The Advocacy Department is charged with leading AJWS’s advocacy efforts with the U.S. government, multilateral and philanthropic institutions. It is comprised of an integrated Government Affairs (GA) team, which advocates in Washington, DC on U.S. foreign policy, and an International Advocacy team that works with multilateral diplomatic, development and philanthropic institutions, based in New York. Over the past decade, AJWS has taken leadership on a broad range of foreign policy issues—including responding to the genocide in Darfur, reforming the international food aid portion of the U.S. Farm Bill, pursuing robust U.S. foreign aid and debt relief after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and resisting anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda—and the Advocacy Department has led AJWS’s “inside the Beltway” strategy and implementation on these priorities. AJWS’s current issues include:
• Advancing the Rights of Women, Girls and LGBTI People;
• Protecting Access to Food, Land and Livelihoods; and
• Defending Civil and Political Rights
• Responding to Disasters and Humanitarian Crises.
Job Summary:
The Advocacy Coordinator ensures the smooth and efficient operations of a satellite office to our New York headquarters. Primary tasks include general administrative support, research, event planning, special project assistance and frequent formal and informal collaboration across the organization for the team in both DC and New York. There may also be opportunities to be assigned programmatic policy work, for which s/he is responsible for tracking policy debates, identifying opportunities for impact and implementing government affairs strategy.
Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Administrative
• Oversee all administrative aspects of the Washington, D.C., office, including ensuring the office functions efficiently by managing all external vendor/account relationships, management of database and other information systems, maintenance of office, including general tidiness, supplies and paper and e-files;
• Scheduling both internal and external meetings and calls, making travel arrangements, preparing agendas, note-taking, etc.;
• In partnership with the Director(s), overseeing all financial and budgetary processes relating to the Government Affairs and International Advocacy teams, including tracking spending and filing expense reports on behalf of all Advocacy staff in DC and NY.
• Serve as the primary liaison with AJWS’s New York headquarters on administrative, HR and finance functions, including tech support, recordkeeping and budget compliance; and
Programmatic
• Monitor and engage on key advocacy issues as assigned, including attending briefings and hearings, tracking the policy state of play, and representing AJWS in coalition spaces and meetings on these topics;
• Research and prepare materials on advocacy issues for a wide range of audiences, including grassroots activists, policymakers, AJWS staff and others;
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the department, routing external and internal advocacy requests as appropriate to the appropriate policy staff;
• Assist staff members with special projects as needed, such as coordinating visits from AJWS grantee partners and AJWS senior management as well as event planning.
Qualifications:
• One or more years’ relevant work or campus experience, ideally in an advocacy organization, Capitol Hill, or in a federal agency focused on U.S. foreign policy.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required;
• Detail-oriented and well-organized, able to manage multiple complex tasks;
• Motivated self-starter capable of working independently as well as with a team;
• Flexible work style with the ability to work under tight deadlines and shifting priorities;
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office suite including MS Excel.
• Exceptional writing, editing and proofreading skills required;
• Prior research experience and familiarity with the legislative process preferred;
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• Experience working with faith communities a plus;
• Experience working on global justice issues and/or living in the developing world a plus; and,
• Passion for and commitment to AJWS mission and values.
Additional Considerations:
People of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, trans and gender non-conforming people; women; and differently abled people are encouraged to apply. We also encourage applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
How to Apply:
For immediate consideration, apply here: https://hcmapp02.epicorhcm.com/AJ2900CSS/Default.aspx?Requisition=91
Applications submitted without a resume and personalized cover letter will not be considered.
We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with AJWS. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
AJWS is an equal opportunity employer and provides competitive salaries and benefits.