National Wildlife Federation Seeks Policy Specialist, Resilient Coasts and Floodplains
You will also represent NWF’s water and coastal resilience work and positions in both internal and external campaign team meetings, contribute to development and maintenance of relationships with partner organizations, conduct Congressional and Administrative tracking and outreach, and develop educational and advocacy materials for activists, agency & congressional staff. Other responsibilities include policy research and development of blogs, social media and action alerts on relevant topics, fact sheet and report preparation, organizing workshops, lobby days, and other events as needed. You will cultivate and leverage knowledge of relevant aspects of administrative and legislative policy on topics including but not limited to: national flood insurance and disaster policy, natural infrastructure and resilience policy, coastal and watershed restoration activities, and marine conservation policy. At times you will be asked to assist with team coordination activities, including scheduling and facilitating meetings.
You will be part of a federally-focused team based out of NWF’s National Advocacy Center (NAC), but will collaborate frequently with staff at other NWF regional offices working on related issues, and will at times be asked to do state-specific research and outreach in addition to federal advocacy.
Your major areas of responsibility:
Flood and Disaster Policy: Play a leadership role in NWF’s campaign development and implementation related to flood and disaster policy and hazard risk reduction for communities. Conduct related policy research and legislative tracking of relevant developments at both the federal and state level, advise on identification of federal policy priorities, coordinate with partner organizations, and develop relationships with strategic offices on Capitol Hill and with key agencies including Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This includes developing a detailed understanding of legislative and administrative issues related to federal disaster policy including the National Flood Insurance Program and Stafford Act, pre-disaster mitigation efforts and post-disaster recovery as administered by relevant Federal and state agencies, as well as other related resilience-building efforts, with an emphasis on natural infrastructure and promoting equitable and just outcomes for communities pre- and post-disaster.
Natural Infrastructure and Coastal Resilience: Assist program director with efforts to track, analyze, and develop federal policies and legislation related to natural infrastructure and coastal resilience, including annual appropriations. Participate in Congressional and Administrative outreach on related topics.
Marine Conservation: Advise the program director on the development of policy positions related to marine conservation, including potentially the creation or expansion of marine protected areas, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and plastics/marine debris. Conduct related policy research to inform NWF positioning on above issues, track legislative and Administrative developments, participate in coalition calls with NGO partners, help to coordinate marine policy work internally, and cultivate relationships with relevant Congressional offices.
Lobby Team Support: Expand Water and Coasts Team capacity to track and engage with Congress. This includes tracking relevant hearings and team priorities in the budget and appropriations process, designing and sending Hill blasts, scheduling and participating in visits to Hill and Administration offices, as well as researching, developing and updating fact sheets and other advocacy materials for activists and Congress. This position also includes educating Congressional and agency staff on organizational priorities, including natural infrastructure, national flood insurance reform, disaster policy, and marine conservation priorities.
Management: Potential to assist with the cultivation and management of team fellows and/or interns, and help promote cohesion and coordination among NWF regional offices and among National Advocacy Center teams.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Experience working with coalitions or NGO partnerships.
- Experience working with or for Congress and/or conducting Congressional outreach
- Ability to manage a multitude of projects and meet deadlines
- Fast and detail-oriented learner
- Ability to communicate positions clearly both verbally and in writing
- Self Starter
- Strategic thinker
- Literacy in coastal and floodplain resilience/disaster policy and/or marine conservation policy issues preferred
- Five years or more of work or equivalent experience in natural resource policy, advocacy campaigns, or other relevant field preferred. A Master’s or other advanced degree in a relevant field can count towards experience.
Travel:
There will likely be 3-4 trips per year when deemed safe and appropriate.
Compensation and benefits:
This position pays between $60,000 - $70,000 annually, dependent upon qualifications and experience.
The National Wildlife Federation values work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere. Our paid time-off includes 3 weeks of vacation leave, open wellbeing leave, 10 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, a week-long winter break, and additional leave options, per year. In addition, our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, 16 weeks of paid FMLA leave, 403b retirement plan with employer matching and annual contribution, adoption benefits, and flexible work options including telecommuting, non-traditional work hours, and compressed work weeks. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.
COVID Consideration:
The National Wildlife Federation closely follows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease and has implemented processes that promote the safety of our employees, candidates, and communities. Because the health of our employees and candidates is a top priority, we conduct our hiring process virtually via phone or video until further notice. We are currently starting our positions as remote, but will transition to onsite work when our offices re-open, expected to be in early 2022. Proof of vaccination will be required as a condition to join the National Wildlife Federation.
Application:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.
We strive to increase equity and justice in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to equity and justice at nwf.org/equity.
If you have a disability and require an accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 703-438-6244.
The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and if you have 75% of the qualifications listed we encourage you to apply. Your experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, which helps build the competencies, knowledge, and skills that translates directly to our openings. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.
If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.