Chief Engagement Officer

Job Description

Summary

The Chief Engagement Officer at the World Justice Project (“WJP”) is responsible for building and strengthening the WJP’s global network of rule of law practitioners and for leading WJP’s efforts to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, and convenings, including the World Justice Forum; coordinated advocacy and campaigns; and support for innovative locally-led initiatives that have promising prospects for replication and scaling. The Chief Engagement Officer also serves as a member of the organization’s senior management team, responsible for implementing programming strategies that carry out the mission and policies set by the board of directors.

This position requires an entrepreneurial spirit, a strong international orientation, fluency across sectors, and practical experience leading policy-oriented initiatives. The position will manage a small departmental team and will work closely with the Executive Director, Chief Research Officer, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Director of Engagement, Director of Communications, and Director of Development. Preference is for the position to be based in WJP’s Washington, DC, office, although it may be possible to be based in WJP’s Seattle office, with regular time spent in the Washington, DC office.

The WJP is in a period of new leadership and growth and is implementing a new strategic plan aimed at strengthening knowledge about the rule of law, building broad-based awareness of its role and importance, and generating action to advance it. The successful candidate will have an exciting opportunity to lead a critical component of this work. The WJP workplace is an entrepreneurial, results-oriented, highly wired and closely integrated culture with staff and officers from diverse cultural backgrounds and time-zones.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Chief Engagement Officer will oversee the strategic design and implementation of WJP’s engagement and advocacy efforts globally and in the U.S. Through engagement with existing communities in the WJP network and cultivation of new community members and partnerships, this position will be central to connecting all aspects of the WJP’s work to an expanded global constituency.

Strategic Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead development and pursuit of WJP’s strategic engagement and advocacy objectives in coordination with WJP’s staff, board, and officers.
• Represent the WJP at events and in global, national, and local networks and organizations;
• Cultivate, develop, and steward strategic relationships, collaborations, and alliances that advance the WJP’s mission and align with our strategic objectives;

Management Responsibilities

• Recruit, coach, mentor, and manage a global team based in multiple jurisdictions.
• Manage Engagement initiatives to include development and maintenance of work plan, as well as collaborative planning and programmatic integration with other department heads;
• Manage Engagement budget;
• Prepare and present regular Engagement reports to the WJP Board of Directors;
• Serve as member of WJP senior management team;

Program Responsibilities

• Oversee the coordination, expansion and stewardship of WJP’s global network of highly effective rule of law organizations and practitioners, including developing approaches for interactive in-person and digital engagement;
• Develop and oversee the design, planning and logistics for organization-wide events, including the World Justice Forum, regional meetings, country dialogues, and other strategic convenings;
• In coordination with WJP’s Research Team, identify, analyze, and pursue opportunities for engagement with international organizations, governments, rule of law implementers, and civil society organizations to promote and support the implementation of proven and promising rule of law reforms and initiatives at the international, national and local level;
• Oversee the development and implementation of methodologies for monitoring and evaluating all Engagement activities to maximize sustained impact;
• In coordination with WJP’s leadership, develop and pursue strategy for regional and national WJP Representative presence.

Communications Responsibilities

• In coordination with WJP’s Research Team and Communications Team, expand activities to disseminate WJP knowledge to policy-makers, development agencies, rule of law implementers, the broader rule of law movement and the public;
• Develop and implement strategies to expand outreach to other sectors (e.g. public health, the environment, business) and identify collaborative educational initiatives;
• In collaboration with WJP’s Research Team and Communications Team, coordinate and lead advocacy campaigns on key thematic priorities both globally and in the U.S.

Fundraising Responsibilities

• In close coordination with development staff, cultivate donors for Engagement programs and oversee preparation of applications for new grants;
• Oversee preparation of reporting on outcomes of Engagement activities for program-specific or institutional grants.

Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of relevant experience working directly with diverse stakeholders, cultivating and nurturing organizational relationships, and catalyzing policy action on issues related to WJP’s mission;
• Demonstrated substantive expertise on issues related to WJP’s mission, e.g., international development, anti-corruption, justice-sector reform, human rights, etc.
• Demonstrated expertise managing complex relationships with public, private and civil society actors and spread between multiple jurisdictions, cultures and time-zones;
• Five to eight years of experience with international program management at organizational or project level, demonstrating the highest professionalism;
• Experience leading the conceptualization and implementation of strategic collaborations, campaigns, and events of a global nature;
• Advanced leadership skills for managing a team, as well as the ability to work within a team environment;
• Experience with preparation of applications for new grants, and reporting on outcomes;
• Experience with data-driven and evidenced-based development approaches, including a working knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods;
• Excellent problem solving skills; excellent written and oral communication skills; and keen attention to detail;

Essential Personal Qualities

• Encourages and practices critical and creative thinking.
• Demonstrates strong decision-making, good judgment, and discretion.
• Intellectually curious, creative, and open to innovative approaches.
• Maintains a respectful and accepting approach to others, and is appropriately attentive to protocol and confidentiality
• Is a self-starter with a positive, can-do attitude, and takes initiative balanced with following institutional priorities.
• Has a genuine interest in the mission and programs of the WJP.
• Has the capacity to work well with people from diverse cultures and for significant work-related travel around the world.
• Fluency in English language required. Preference given to applicants with additional oral and written language fluency in French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin or Russian.

Education Requirement

Graduate degree in business or non-profit management, international affairs, law, social sciences, or public service-related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Physical Requirements

While performing the responsibilities of the job, this person will frequently be required to use finger dexterity as well as sufficient hand dexterity to use a computer keyboard and be capable of reading a computer screen. This person may need to remain seated for long periods of time, have the ability to perform repetitive motions, grasp objects, including a writing instrument, stand, communicate verbally and hear well enough to detect nuances, and receive detailed information. This person may be required to walk, push or pull objects, bend, squat, reach, or kneel. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision for expansive reading and data analysis. This person will be required to meet the physical demands of frequent global travel, including to lesser-developed and remote locations.

Working Conditions

The work conditions described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing this job. This person will typically work indoors in a heated and air-conditioned office, with a mixture of natural, incandescent and fluorescent light with low to moderate noise levels.

About the Organization

The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to advance the rule of law worldwide. Effective rule of law reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. It is the foundation for communities of equity, opportunity, and peace—underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.

WJP works to build and support a global, multidisciplinary movement for the rule of law through three mutually reinforcing lines of business: data collection and analysis, including the Rule of Law Index, which advances a universal definition of the rule of law and tracks adherence globally; support for research, scholarship, and teaching about the rule of law, its relationship to development, and effective strategies to strengthen it; and engagement and support of a global network of policy-makers and activists through on-line and in-person strategic convenings, exchange of best practices and lessons learned, and locally-led programs to advance the rule of law.