Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy

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Join to apply for the Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy role at Center for Reproductive Rights Join to apply for the Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy role at Center for Reproductive Rights Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features. Direct message the job poster from Center for Reproductive Rights Title: Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy Unit: Policy and Advocacy, U.S. Program Division Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, and Washington, D.C.; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 2,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 64 countries, and 130 law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $30 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact:By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to www.reproductiverights.org The Job: Amid an escalating assault on reproductive rights in the United States, the Center for Reproductive Rights is urgently seeking a bold, strategic, and visionary leader to guide the next chapter of our U.S. policy and advocacy work. The Senior Director will play a pivotal role in driving the Center’s response to an increasingly hostile legal and political landscape and in advancing transformative policy solutions at a time when the stakes could not be higher. Reporting directly to the Chief Program Officer, U.S. Division, the Senior Director leads the Center’s U.S. Policy and Advocacy Unit. It is currently a team of 31 members, including 20 attorneys and 11 professionals working across policy, advocacy, and operations. This role is responsible for setting and executing the Unit’s programmatic vision, ensuring that the Center’s federal and state policy and advocacy efforts are strategically integrated with litigation and corporate engagement activities to advance the Center’s mission and maximize impact. The Senior Director also serves as a key external representative of the Center–engaging with donors, coalition partners, policy makers, media, and other stakeholders to drive changes, elevate our priorities, and cultivate support for our work. Within the Policy and Advocacy Unit, the Senior Director will lead a cabinet-style leadership structure, supported by an Associate Director and a team of senior leaders with defined areas of expertise and substantive responsibility. While the Senior Director will directly supervise this senior leadership team, the Senior Director is ultimately responsible for the vision, cohesion, and overall success of the Policy and Advocacy Unit. This includes ensuring strong execution across all levels of the team, making high-level decisions on priorities and resource allocation, and fostering a team culture grounded in collaboration, transparency, and accountability. The Senior Director will also lead efforts to integrate policy and advocacy strategies across diverse forums and levels of government, ensuring that the Unit’s work is coordinated, mutually reinforcing, and positioned to maximize the Center’s impact. This position will be based in the Center’s Washington DC office in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office, 2 days working-from-home. Primary Responsibilities: This is a summary of responsibilities, for the full description, please see the Center website. Strategy Development: The Senior Director, in partnership with the Chief Program Officer, U.S. Division, is responsible for developing ambitious federal and state policy goals and advocacy strategies that advance reproductive rights and justice in the United States. They will ensure the Unit’s work is forward-looking, responsive to the political landscape, and rooted in long-term Center objectives. The Senior Director will work closely with the Chief Program Officer, U.S. Division, to ensure alignment with the U.S. Division’s integrated strategy and will collaborate with leaders of the Litigation and Corporate Engagement teams to maximize impact. As a key member of the U.S. Division’s cross-functional leadership team, the Senior Director will also contribute to Division-wide planning and organizational decision-making processes. Programmatic Execution: Having set the policy and advocacy strategy, the Senior Director is responsible for driving its execution—ensuring that the Unit’s programmatic work is carried out with excellence, coordination, and urgency. They are accountable for translating strategic goals into impactful advocacy, overseeing the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of the team’s policy initiatives and external engagements. The Senior Director will ensure that the Unit’s work remains responsive to the evolving political landscape, aligned with organizational priorities, and supported by clear internal processes, strong team collaboration, and a culture of rigor and adaptability. External Engagement: Lead the Policy and Advocacy Unit’s external-facing strategy and represent the Center with a wide range of stakeholders, including donors, coalition partners, the media, advocacy communities, pro bono partners, and federal, state, and local elected officials, appointees, and their staff. The Senior Director will serve as a key public voice for the Center’s policy and advocacy work and play a critical role in strengthening external partnerships, enhancing the Center’s visibility, and advancing its strategic objectives. This role requires a strong presence in public and coalition spaces. Lead the Policy and Advocacy Team: The Senior Director will provide unified leadership for the Policy and Advocacy Unit, fostering a cohesive and aligned team while directly supervising the Associate Director and senior leaders who manage distinct teams and workstreams. The Senior Director is responsible for ensuring these leaders have the guidance, resources, and feedback needed to succeed, while cultivating a strong, inclusive team culture grounded in transparency, accountability, and collaboration. This role calls for someone who can address challenges proactively and create an environment in which all team members feel supported, empowered, and able to thrive. Requirements: 20+ years of professional experience with at least 15 years in a legal or policy setting, and at least 10 years supervising a team of 10 or more J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and active D.C. Bar membership, or eligibility and willingness to obtain D.C. Bar membership promptly upon hire Candidates must be located in or willing to relocate to Washington D.C. Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including for conferences, meetings with partners, donor engagements, and team retreats Qualifications: Strong commitment to the Center's mission, purpose, and values Strong understanding of the political landscape and the policy-making process. Significant experience influencing government policy is required Demonstrated experience in both federal and state legislative and policy advocacy, with the ability to advance strategic objectives across jurisdictions and forums strongly preferred Strong advocacy skills, including the ability to engage and persuade policymakers, build coalitions, and move partners and decision-makers through diplomacy, credibility, and strategic communication Demonstrated experience leading policy and advocacy teams or programs in alignment with broader organizational strategies, preferably in mission-driven, political, or advocacy contexts Experience in reproductive rights, health, or justice is preferred but not required. A strong track record of advancing social justice through work in nonprofit, government, or pro bono contexts. Experience may span issue areas such as racial and gender equity, LGBTQ rights, disability justice, democracy, economic justice, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, or health equity Ability to work in a multicultural, diverse, and highly performance-driven environment Compensation: The annual salary for this position is $245,000. Union Status: This position is not within the Center’s collective bargaining unit. FLSA Exempt Status: This is an exempt position. Job Band: Senior Director (L11) Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights . Seniority level Seniority level Director Employment type Employment type Full-time Job function Job function Legal Industries Non-profit Organizations and Law Practice Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Center for Reproductive Rights by 2x Inferred from the description for this job Medical insurance Vision insurance 401(k) Paid maternity leave Paid paternity leave Disability insurance Get notified about new Director of Advocacy jobs in Washington, DC . 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Location:
Washington, DC, United States
Salary:
$200,000 - $250,000
Job Type:
FullTime
Category:
Legal, Other