Global Advocacy Director

Job Description

Job Summary: The Global Advocacy Director will elevate the cause of land rights on the global agenda through a variety of targeted and strategic advocacy avenues, working closely with Landesa’s global leadership. The Global Advocacy Director will deepen partnerships within the international development community, related sectors, with bi-lateral and regional actors to leverage historic windows of opportunity to more clearly position land rights as an effective way to alleviate global poverty and reach our development goals.

Reporting and relationships: The Global Advocacy Director reports to the Chief Program Officer and works closely with the Global Director of Communications.

Availability: The Global Advocacy, Director will be expected to work a standard workweek of 40 hours plus additional hours as necessary to get the job done. This position may require international and domestic travel of up to 40 days annually.

Essential Job Functions:

• Develops targeted annual advocacy strategies on land tenure and property rights for the poor focused on specific high level, strategic stakeholders (e.g. US Government; European bilateral donors; multilateral donors; international NGOs; corporations; global philanthropy)
• Leads Landesa’s participation in strategic global advocacy efforts related to changing UN norms, global agreements, US foreign policy, and regional initiatives to elevate the issue of land rights.
• Directs Landesa’s advocacy campaigns to connect land property rights to other global topics and movements (e.g. human rights, housing, climate change, women’s rights) through traditional and social media, high-level speaking engagements, briefings, etc.; responds to emerging global opportunities, elevating and mobilizing others to create awareness and support action through briefings meetings with policy partners and stakeholders.
• Develops expert issue briefs on high priority areas and develops dissemination plan within the international development and law and policy community.

• Identifies and pursues strategic opportunities to advance Landesa-specific policy and advocacy work using milestones from the regional, national, and global communities and leveraging across all Landesa geographies.
• With national offices and partners, identifies and leverages opportunities to launch property rights advocacy efforts with in key geographic regions and in front of regional and international bodies.
• Represents the organization at conferences, events, and stakeholder meetings, ensuring key global and regional events (particularly outside the land sector) integrate and elevate land property rights.
• Trains and equips staff to actively and effectively identify and advance advocacy opportunities.
  

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• A deep commitment to the mission of a better, safer future for the world’s poorest people through land ownership and secure land rights.
• Demonstrated commitment to working with dedication and persistence in a mission-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability as a land rights advocate.
• A seasoned track record in advancing issues through communications, policy, and partnership building; ability to develop and deliver high impact messages and content, specifically tailored for international development community.
• Experience working in developing countries on poverty alleviation; direct experience with land access and land tenure issues a plus.
• Professional network connected to agriculture and land rights and/or the International Development Community.
• An ability to collaborate at all levels, including executive leadership, Board Members, government officials, and donors.

• Strong organizational skills, ability to think strategically and execute tactically; a self-starter with an eye for impact.
• Nimble outlook and demeanor and an ability to work both responsively and proactively around communications and advocacy.
• A team-oriented approach with the ability to lead and participate as a member of teams demonstrating effective advocacy, consensus building and leadership.
• Excellent communication and writing skills; demonstrated public speaking skills and ability to coach staff around public speaking and advocacy.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal savvy to effectively influence others.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Suite of products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other software.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in public affairs, political science, communication, journalism or related field required; Advanced degree in law, communications, economics, or a relevant social science, preferred.
• 10+ experience of successfully managing policy and/or communications campaigns with proven impact.

Physical and Environmental Conditions: Work is primarily performed indoors with some potential for exposure to safety and health hazards related to electronics work. This position does not require unusual demands for physical effort. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of places such as offices, meeting or training rooms, residences, or commercial vehicles; e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations and traffic signals.

Work Environment and Working Conditions for Travelers to Developing Countries: While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to working conditions and hazards which are prevalent for the location and/or country of assignment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work is primarily performed indoors with some potential for exposure to safety and health hazards related to electronics work. The employee may be required to travel overseas and domestically. When traveling in a developing country, the employee may be exposed to: Physical Hazards (illnesses, noise, extreme temperatures, wet or humid climates, etc.) Road Hazards (unfinished/dirt roads, potholes, traffic-related accidents, etc.), and Atmospheric Conditions (odors, dust, fumes, smog, etc.).

Additional Comments: The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made in appropriate circumstances to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

To Apply: Qualified candidates may apply by submitting a resume and cover letter to jobs@landesa.org, with the title “AD-D” in the subject line. Eligibility to work in the USA required. No phone calls please. Due to the high volume of applicants, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Landesa is committed to diversity and gender equality in all of its operations and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About the Organization

For more than four decades, Landesa has championed the power of land ownership and secure land rights as the key to a better, safer future for the world's poorest people, those 3.4 billion chiefly rural people who live on less than $2 a day.

Founded in 1967 by former University of Washington Law Professor Roy Prosterman, and originally named the Rural Development Institute, we continue to be guided by the radically simple notion that secure property rights bring opportunity. While we recognize that land rights are not a panacea to poverty, we believe that they provide quite possibly the best first step. They are the foundation required for other development tools – education, public health, microfinance, sanitation, nutrition, among others – to take root.

We envision a world free of extreme poverty. We see a future in which all who depend on land for their well-being have secure land rights – one of the most basic and powerful tools for lifting themselves and their families out of poverty.

With the help of Landesa's global team of land tenure experts, and in partnership with governments around the world, more than 100 million families in 40 countries have obtained secure land rights.