Associate Director/Director U.S. Policy

About the Position

This is an exciting position with a small, dynamic team working to achieve equitable access to treatment and care for people living with HIV around the world. As the Associate Director/Director of U.S. Policy & Advocacy, you will advance Health GAP’s work to win increased resources for the global HIV response despite years of flat funding, to ensure opposition to trade policies that undermine access to affordable essential medicines around the world, and to ensure continued U.S. political will and leadership at a critical moment when science indicates that the end of the AIDS epidemic is within our reach. 

You will provide bold and creative leadership to ensure synergy between policy advocacy on Capitol Hill and grassroots mobilization and pressure across the United States that helps us win bold, ambitious victories. When you’re not walking the halls of Congress and other government agencies working directly with decision-makers to achieve universal treatment for people living with HIV worldwide, you will be working alongside other Health GAP staff and partners to help mobilize and equip people living with HIV and other concerned advocates (including college students and other young people) with the skills and knowledge they need to ensure their elected officials and other policymakers are accountable to people living with HIV.   

Working at Health GAP

We’re looking for a policy-wonk and fierce social justice activist with a deeply-rooted commitment to advancing an evidence-based HIV response and/or experience working on other social justice policy issues. The candidate will either already be based in or willing to move to Washington D.C. 

At Health GAP, we have a clear goal: to be a place where a diverse group of passionate, high-impact people who want to come and do their best work. Health GAP recruits, employs, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, socioeconomic status, marital status, sexual orientation, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

Our dedication to diversity, multiculturalism, inclusion, and equity is core to our mission. We know that to end the HIV pandemic, we must fight to dismantle the systems of oppression—racism, sexism, colonialism, ableism, homophobia, and other forms of injustice—that fuel HIV. Our team is one place where we are committed to doing this work. Health GAP has a compensation policy that aims to undo structural inequity by setting pay according to the position, not the individual. We also provide a competitive package of benefits and paid time-off, including fully employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance. 

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and curriculum vitae to jobs@healthgap.org. Please include which position you are applying for in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for this position include: 

Shaping U.S. Government policies

• Develop and oversee policy and advocacy campaigns to secure sufficient U.S. global HIV spending 
• Develop and oversee implementation of policy campaigns regarding access to medicines (including U.S. intellectual property and trade policy), sexual and reproductive health and rights, and other initiatives that contribute directly to advancing Health GAP’s goals 
• Track U.S. government and policy developments across core campaigns
• Contribute to overall advocacy strategy and campaign development
• Build relationships with key members of Congress and their staff
• Conduct direct advocacy with U.S. policymakers
• Formulate policy recommendations, help draft regulations and legislation
• Provide strategic policy analysis
• Produce policy briefs, analyses, action alerts, blog posts, opinion pieces, “Dear Colleague” letters, and other written materials
• Convene, coordinate, and strengthen the networks of allies in Washington, D.C., and around the country, working to influence U.S. policy and action on global AIDS
• Facilitate direct access to decision-makers by local activists whenever possible

Strengthening U.S.-based grassroots advocacy

• Work with the Health GAP team to inform Health GAP’s national grassroots mobilization strategy to advance U.S. campaign goals 
• In collaboration with Health GAP’s staff and volunteers responsible for grassroots mobilization, provide ongoing strategic and tactical support to grassroots groups, including groups of students, people living with HIV/AIDS, labor unions, trade justice advocates, and religious groups

Contributing to wider Health GAP organizational goals 

• Contribute to the development of organizational strategy and activity plans, as well as budgets, for US Policy & Advocacy. At the Director-level, lead the development of strategic and activity plans for US Policy & Advocacy work. 
• Develop advocacy tools for D.C.-based and grassroots in-district, lobbying including issue briefs, leave-behind memos, fact sheets, talking points, etc. 
• Draft public-facing communications including blog posts, action alerts, social media content, and more. 
• Assist with fundraising efforts, including writing proposals and activity reports, to support future U.S. government policy and advocacy efforts as needed. At Director-level, play a significant role in fundraising efforts related to U.S. government policy and advocacy efforts, including identifying new funding opportunities, building and maintaining relationships with funders, and developing proposals and concept notes. 
• Represent Health GAP’s U.S. campaigns to donors and other stakeholders. 
• Participate in weekly staff calls, regular in-person staff meetings, and bi-annual organizational retreats
• Actively engage Health GAP’s steering committee of volunteers 
• Assist with large-scale mobilizations and solidarity efforts in collaboration with allies in the Global South when needed
• Manage interns, fellows, and other staff, as assigned. 

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience working to advance policy on HIV or related global health and health rights issues 
• Excellent writing skills, including comfort drafting public-facing communications such as blog posts, action alerts, social media content, and more 
• Experience tracking and generating rapid analysis of congressional bills & policies, especially during the budgeting process and providing organizational strategic direction 
• Experience developing, implementing, and winning complex, multi-nodal, ambitious advocacy campaigns with multiple partners 
• Experience in grassroots advocacy, community organizing, and social justice movement building 
• Experience working on campaigns focused on influencing the U.S. Legislature and Executive
• Experience using data and scientific evidence to support complex advocacy campaigns targeting U.S. decision makers 
• Strong knowledge of the U.S. legislative and federal budgetary process
• Previous experience as a grassroots organizer is strongly preferred
• Experience working on U.S. trade policy is a plus
• Excellent oral communication skills
• Strong teamwork skills, comfortable in a highly collaborative team culture
• Comfortable working with or a willingness to learn and use digital communication tools and project management software. 
• Professionalism, efficiency, and results-oriented delivery on short timelines
• Proven track record of a commitment to global social justice
• Willingness to work remotely from the Washington, D.C. metro area and to collaborate with a virtual team 
• Willingness to travel, primarily within the U.S. 

Compensation, Benefits, & Reporting

Compensation is competitive and will be determined based on a combination of factors, including level of experience. The annual salary for this position in Washington D.C. will be between $68,900-87,400.

We offer significant benefits, including the ability to work from home, flexible hours, four weeks’ vacation time per year, additional paid-sick/personal leave, paid parental leave, fully-employer paid health and dental insurance for the employee and any legal dependents under the age of 18, access to flexible spending and dependent care accounts, and opportunities to travel internationally. 

This position will report to the Executive Director.