Policy & Advocacy Officer

Position description

Reprieve US is a registered 501(c)(3) assisting victims of extreme human rights abuses carried out by governments. We are made up of lawyers, policy and media experts and investigators who are helping people facing detention without trial, execution and extrajudicial execution. We are a small team, but we are fearless in our fight for justice.

We work closely with our sibling organization, Reprieve, a UK charity founded in Reprieve US uses strategic interventions to end the use of the death penalty globally and to end extreme human rights abuses carried out in the name of “counterterrorism” or “national security”.

About the Role

Reprieve US is seeking a Policy and Advocacy Officer to help coordinate our engagement with key stakeholders including policymakers, politicians, and partner organizations. The Policy and Advocacy Officer will work across Reprieve US’s core work areas, supporting Reprieve’s strategic engagement on the use of the death penalty in the US and internationally, and representing Reprieve US in key coalitions on human rights in the context of “national security”. They will be a point person for all of Reprieve US’s casework and project teams when they are looking to conduct advocacy work in the United States, including on the use of the death penalty, unlawful detention – including in Guantánamo Bay and other unlawful detention sites – and extrajudicial execution by the US and by other countries around the world.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will be based in Reprieve US’s Washington, D.C. office. They will be supervised by the Deputy Director of Reprieve US.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will be responsible for monitoring significant developments in domestic US debates around Reprieve US’s core issues. They will communicate relevant developments to the relevant casework and project teams, and provide local insight and intelligence to inform Reprieve’s responses to these issues.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will track prospective legislative and policy changes which could impact Reprieve US’s work. They will draw on their networks and knowledge to analyze any such proposals and make recommendations for action. Where necessary, they will engage with legislators and political stakeholders in line with Reprieve US’s objectives and policies.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will establish, maintain and develop relationships with stakeholders who may help advance Reprieve US’s work on a state and federal level, such as partner organizations, business representatives, lawmakers, government representatives, journalists, diplomats, and funders. They will be responsible for sustaining these relationships so that allies can be called upon for support when necessary.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer may help coordinate public campaigning on Reprieve US cases and issues, whether that campaigning is publicly led by Reprieve US partners or by Reprieve US itself. This may involve preparing written materials, engaging with lawyers, experts and family members, and engaging with third parties who may be willing to make public or private interventions on behalf of the prisoners in question.

The Policy and Advocacy Officer will be comfortable working on new and emerging areas and will be receptive to learning from those around them. The role may require significant travel within the United States and occasional travel to Reprieve’s London office, as well as work performed outside of normal office hours. Applicants must have the current right to live and work in the US.

Responsibilities

1. Support Reprieve's casework and project teams on case-specific engagement
   1. Maintain a good working knowledge of the cases and issues Reprieve is working on;
   2. Advise the casework and project teams on how Reprieve's work on individual cases may intersect with the organization's wider US work and strategic advocacy nationally and in key states;
   3. Work closely with the team to identify where there is a need for strategic advocacy around individual cases and issues;
   4. Support the wider team in identifying and engaging influential third parties who could make valuable interventions on individual cases or advance Reprieve US' mission and goals;
   5. Draft and support the development of advocacy materials articulating Reprieve's key messages to target audiences, including briefings, opinion pieces, media pitches, presentations and letters on behalf of interested third parties;
   6. Proactively coordinate team members' input into public-facing documents and communication with decision makers, and obtain authorization as needed from the relevant members of the casework team and managers.
2. Maintain relationships with key stakeholders
   1. Establish and maintain contact with the leading groups working on Reprieve's issues in the US, and coordinate with these partners to ensure Reprieve's advocacy efforts complement and enhance ongoing efforts;
   2. Engage with stakeholders including but not limited to: think tanks and research organizations; business representatives; Reprieve clients, family members; third parties, and advocacy groups affected by Reprieve's issues;
   3. Build and maintain a network of contacts in offices of US Congress and in state legislatures strategic to Reprieve's work, as well as in relevant departments and agencies of the US government and key state governments;
   4. Maintain relationships with foreign governments' diplomatic representatives in DC and in relevant consulates, keeping missions up to date with Reprieve's work and ensuring Reprieve remains plugged into relevant activities;
   5. In collaboration with the Joint Executive Directors, Deputy Director, and the Development and Outreach team, ensure funders are kept up to date with Reprieve's work and spot opportunities to engage new potential funders;
   6. Actively coordinate with the relevant teams and managers within Reprieve to ensure they can feed into engagements with key US stakeholders and are kept up to date with this activity.
3. Conduct political engagement in support of Reprieve's strategic objectives, in line with Reprieve's policies
   1. Draw on public sources and private networks to closely monitor state and national political developments which may impact our work;
   2. Identify where there is a realistic prospect of changing law or policy on issues affecting our work;
   3. Make recommendations to the Director, Deputy Directors, and Project Leads as to possible strategic approaches to political engagement around potential changes to law or policy, in line with Reprieve's policies;
   4. Prepare materials on prospective law or policy changes for dissemination to political stakeholders either directly or via local partner organizations, in line with Reprieve's policies;
   5. Conduct or support political engagement via direct meetings with elected representatives or their staff as well as members of the executive branch (including, for example, in the Department of State, Department of Justice, the National Security Council, and the Food and Drug Administration) or via participation in hearings, in line with Reprieve's policies;
   6. Coordinate joint advocacy with local groups around prospective legislation or policy changes;
   7. Coordinate with the Deputy Director and Director of Operations to ensure any and all political engagement is conducted in a manner which complies with state and national regulations.
4. Conduct media engagement in support of Reprieve's strategic objectives
   1. Where needed, support the media team in preparing materials for engagement with journalists, either directly or via local partners;
   2. Coordinate with local partners to establish whether and how media engagement should be conducted to serve our goals.

Key Contacts

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Reprieve US, the Policy and Advocacy Officer will work closely with the Policy and Media Teams, the regional casework and project teams, Directors and Deputy Directors, Fellows and others engaged by Reprieve, partner organizations, and external teams.

Person Specification

Essential

Right to live and work in the US currently and for the duration of the role.

A genuine interest in human rights and a commitment to Reprieve's goals.

Demonstrable professional experience in an advocacy, lobbying, grassroots organizing or communications role.

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Highly organized with attention to details.

Ability to progress multiple streams of work independently.

Ability to maintain and develop stakeholder relationships.

Ability to think creatively and problem solve.

Excellent knowledge of US government and politics.

Proven ability to juggle multiple tasks and exercise good judgment in a high-pressured environment.

Sound judgment and discretion with respect to highly confidential and sensitive information.

Ability to work harmoniously and collaboratively in a small team.

Ability to manage a remote working arrangement efficiently by taking responsibility for effective communication systems and showing respect for colleagues' time.

Proficiency with MS Word, MS Excel, and MS Outlook.

Desirable

Prior experience working on human rights issues relating to the death penalty, extrajudicial killings, torture, or arbitrary detention.

Prior experience working on issues related to US Congress and/or working on state-level advocacy.

Familiarity with WorkPress and basic web design.

This is a full-time role. The candidate will be based in Reprieve US' offices in Washington, DC and will work in-office a minimum of two days per week. Applicants must have the current right to live and work in the US. Reprieve US is an equal opportunity employer.

Application instructions

To apply, please send the application form to [email protected] by 11:59pm Eastern on October 28, 2024. Ensure your email has the subject heading "Policy and Advocacy Officer - Reprieve US". Please do not include any other documents.

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