Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) seeks an experienced lobbyist for the position of Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy.  The Legislative Director will lead our Congressional advocacy to achieve a more peaceful, just, ethical and effective U.S. foreign policy through greater emphasis on the prevention, mitigation and transformation of violent conflict.  The director will join our team of lobbyists who develop and lead strategies to advance our legislative priorities in Congress and with the administration.

We’re looking for someone who shares our Quaker community’s fierce commitment to a world free of war and the threat of war and is passionate about defending human rights and the rule of law both domestically and internationally. The Legislative Director must also have a clear-eyed understanding of what is possible with Congress and the administration, a demonstrated ability to focus and achieve legislative success and an ability to work collegially with a large, faith-based advocacy community around the country.

FCNL seeks to create a diverse workplace. We are actively soliciting applicants from different ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds.

The Organization

FCNL lobbies from a basis of spiritual and ethical purpose and seeks to change government policy and practice for the better, playing a key role in lobbying initiatives on Capitol Hill that focus on racial and economic justice, peace, stewardship of the environment, and election integrity.

FCNL’s lobbyists build extensive connections with congressional offices and conduct focused legislative campaigns on the following current priorities: peacebuilding, human rights, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, curtailing endless war, cutting Pentagon spending, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, gun control, solutions to climate change, economic justice and Native American issues. FCNL and Friends approach each of these priorities by identifying, exposing and working to eliminate institutional racism, sexism, and militarism in order to promote genuine equality of opportunity and communities in which everyone can safely live, learn, work, worship and love.

FCNL’s dedicated grassroots network brings constituent perspectives into congressional offices—both in Washington at two major lobbying events each year, and in local district offices. FCNL informs and educates its network through newsletters and collateral materials and activates its grassroots network through a robust website, email, and social media outreach.

FCNL’s national network includes people from many different faiths and backgrounds who are activists and donors. The organization is dedicated to growing the network with a particular emphasis on building effective relationships as a path to policy change. In the past three years, FCNL increased the number of in-person visits from its constituents to legislators by 50 percent. Headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, FCNL is governed by a General Committee of 190 Quakers from across the country and employs a staff of about 50, including 20 registered lobbyists.

FCNL has brought Quaker values to bear on national policy throughout its 75-year history through congressional testimony, Capitol Hill visits, grassroots lobbying, and educational initiatives. Its strategic direction in the coming years is to create a bigger presence for FCNL—through media and marketing, as well as through its growing and vibrant network of activists.

The Position

FCNL has a long history of advocating for the peaceful prevention of violent conflict.  The Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy is the lead FCNL lobbyist for specific, achievable steps that Congress can take to change U.S. foreign policy from one that is overly militarized to one that prevents, mitigates, and transforms violent conflict.  The director identifies the problems that perpetuate violent conflict and promotes legislative initiatives for  specific tools of peacebuilding – diplomacy, community-based development, and conflict mitigation – to Congress and the administration.

The Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy should expect to spend most of the time on Capitol Hill, lobbying members of Congress and their staff members on the benefits of investing in prevention and civilian protection policies, which includes investments in community-based conflict prevention, peacebuilding and sustainable development programs, early warning and early response initiatives, conflict mitigation and transformation, peacebuilding, and sustainable economic recovery, among others. The director will also help to mobilize FCNL’s constituents around the country to advocate on these issues in their districts.

In addition to educating and sensitizing Congress and the administration to the impact of specific conflicts, the director addresses deficiencies in U.S. peacebuilding policy and capacity by proposing specific legislative solutions.  The director lobbies for U.S. budget accounts that support peacebuilding, as well as for changes to budgets, policies, and programs that complicate and distract from peacebuilding efforts, such as arms sales and security assistance.

The Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy is a vital member of FCNL’s legislative team, reporting to the Legislative Director for Foreign Policy.  The director will also work closely with the Strategic Advocacy team to develop focused campaigns in the states of senators and districts of representatives who are key decision-makers on peacebuilding priorities.

Key Priorities and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive legislative, media and grassroots strategy for advancing peacebuilding as a core pillar of U.S. foreign policy.
• Identify areas of opportunity to prevent and mitigate violent conflict and develop legislative proposals to enable a more ethical and effective U.S. response.
• Build support for peacebuilding, conflict prevention and atrocities prevention policies, capacity, institutions and leadership in Congress and the administration, using grassroots and media pressure as well as direct lobbying.
• Track and analyze budgets and appropriations for peacebuilding.
• Improve congressional oversight of arms sales and security assistance.
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant congressional and executive branch staff of all parties and political leanings, including by providing ideas, strategy and feedback for legislation, hearings and floor action.
• Provide direct supervision to the Legislative Representative for the Prevention of Violent Conflict and the Program Assistant for Peacebuilding Policy, including helping them to develop key skills and promoting their overall professional development.
• Oversee the coordination of the Prevention and Protection Working Group, a coalition of human rights, religious, humanitarian, anti-genocide, peace and other organizations dedicated to improving U.S. government policies and civilian capacities to reduce violent conflict, prevent mass atrocities, and protect civilians threatened by such crises.
• Maintain relationships with international Quaker peacebuilding organizations such as the Quaker UN Office, American Friends Service Committee, Friends Church Peace Teams and others, working collaboratively to build support for locally-led peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts as appropriate.
• Write updates, background papers, commentary, and calls to action for the FCNL website, as well as for internal FCNL and donor use.
• Represent FCNL on social media and with traditional media, including through posts and tweets, live and print interviews, and opinion pieces.
• Represent the FCNL peacebuilding policy program to Quaker audiences across the country, and represent Quaker priorities on Capitol Hill.
• Monitor, evaluate and assess progress towards legislative goals, and adjust approach to reflect lessons learned.
• Build and maintain relationships with foundations and other major donors in collaboration with FCNL’s fundraising staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience and Attributes

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Three or more years’ legislative experience, either as a congressional staff member or as a lobbyist or policy advocate, and a solid familiarity with congressional process
• Deep knowledge of U.S. diplomatic and peacebuilding institutions and U.S. relationships with international organizations
• Familiarity with U.S. arms sales and security assistance policies and programs
• Creativity and imagination in developing legislative solutions
• Strong, bipartisan Congressional contacts, particularly focused on the Foreign Affairs/Foreign Relations and Appropriations committees
• High motivation and demonstrated ability to design and lead effective change strategies
• Excellent research, analytical, writing, editing, public speaking and media skills
• Prior experience managing junior level staff or interns
• Flexibility and organization to manage numerous tasks and deadlines and adjust to rapid and unpredictable change
• Collegial and consultative approach to preventing and solving problems. 
• Readiness to take initiative and responsibility.
• Familiarity with and dedication to Quaker values and practices.
• Commitment to involving, promoting and respecting participants from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Compensation

Salary:   Depending on experience.

Work Week: This is a full-time exempt position, based on a 37.5-hour work week, with some travel. Because of the focus on Congress, we expect this individual to work out of our Washington, DC office. Some compensatory time will balance evening and weekend work and travel.

Benefits: Health/dental insurance; disability insurance; life insurance; paid vacation and sick leave plus holidays; parental leave; retirement plan.

Apply

Send cover letter and resume to jobs@fcnl.org with subject line: Legislative Director for Peacebuilding Policy.