Director of Government Relations

Full Time Regular

Management

Washington, DC, US

DEPARTMENT:  Government Relations 

REPORTS TO:  Managing Director 

Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger. Our mission is to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.   

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Lead Bread’s policy and legislative efforts to end hunger by developing 1) policy proposals in collaboration with the Policy & Research Institute department to respond to the U.S. Congressional agenda; and 2) alongside the Organizing & Faith Engagement department, developing and implementing a legislative strategy to continue the gains made for people experiencing hunger and poverty in the United States and globally. Provide overall leadership and direction for the Department, Government Relations. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACTIVITIES: 

1. Provide leadership in the development and implementation of legislative strategy, including priorities, congressional targets, and responses to Congressional action.  
2. Provide leadership in developing and implementing the organization’s campaign strategies and tactics, including assisting in the development of Bread’s legislative, grassroots, and digital advocacy strategies in coordination with the President/CEO, Managing Director and Strategy Council members.   
3. Provide thought leadership on the development and prioritization of the organization’s public policy agenda, and the impact of public policies on communities disproportionately impacted by hunger and poverty, including historically marginalized communities based on race, gender, and class. 
4. Work with the directors to deploy Bread’s grassroots, media outreach, church contacts, and coalition partners to maximize the impact on legislative priorities and strategy, including Bread’s digital advocacy network.  
5. Manage the Government Relations team and encourage cross-departmental collaboration with all departments.  This includes supervising and mentoring GR department staff members, fellows and interns; assigning management responsibilities as appropriate to the Deputy Director; overseeing the departmental budget including managing grant budgets and deliverables; and supporting collaborative interdepartmental relations.     
6. Develop and manage a network of key stakeholders to achieve Bread’s policy and legislative agenda, including but not limited to members of Congress, congressional staff, executive branch officials, and trade associations and non-governmental organization colleagues.  Lobby and oversee Bread’s relationships with congressional offices and administration officials, especially at high-level meetings.    
7. Promote and oversee Bread’s coalition work; and strengthen partnerships with think tanks and other advocacy organizations both secular and faith-based.  
8. Inform the management team on legislative issues, facilitate policy discussions related to legislative and policy positions, and collaborate on institutional priorities. Support Bread’s President/CEO and Managing Director in their lobbying, public speaking, and media work. 
9. Help develop and oversee messaging directed to Congress, the administration and Bread members. 
10. Review, edit, and ensure the accuracy and policy consistency of Bread publications and internal documents as they relate to policy. Work closely with Policy & Research Institute Co-Directors to address any discrepancies.  
11. Ensure the accurate and timely tracking of activities in the organization’s information systems through ad hoc and standard reports, including the Evaluation Report.  
12. Prepare materials for and represent the department at board meetings.  
13. Serve as a member of Strategy Council and chair internal work groups as needed.  
14. Other duties as requested by the President/CEO and Managing Director. 

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACTIVITIES:     

1. Represent department in internal or external meetings as required. 
2. Participate in public speaking engagements and media interviews to promote Bread’s policy priorities. 

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: 

Oversee department staff members, including the deputy director, domestic and international policy advisors, interns and fellows. 

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED: 

• Bachelors degree is required; a Masters degree is preferred. 
• A minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience, with at least 5 years’ experience of management experience.  Work with ecumenical organizations preferred. 

• Commitment to the mission and faith basis of Bread for the World and ability to communicate the case for supporting Bread. 
• In-depth knowledge of the legislative process; demonstrated lobbying success and campaign wins; strong experience on Capitol Hill, in the executive branch, and/or with policy making organizations; and established congressional and executive branch contacts. 
• Pragmatic, strategic thinker.  Personable, trustworthy, diplomatic, and perceived as such by colleagues and direct reports.  
• Proven track record of creating a test and learn culture of experimentation and implementation.  Ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas - a sense of inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity.  
• Solid understanding of hunger and poverty issues and an ability to communicate these issues to members of Congress, the executive branch, and Bread’s grassroots. 
• Strong understanding of racial and gender inequities exacerbating hunger and poverty rates and ability to communicate viable policy solutions to redress these inequities. 
• Experience managing and coaching a diverse team with strong, collaborative management and cultural competency skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment on a multitude of issues simultaneously.  
• Ability to communicate highly complex information at a national level to external contacts to influence results and achieve strategic goals for multiple units.  
• Articulate, with proven ability to write effectively and speak persuasively to groups of all sizes and types, including ability to identify and engage target audiences and communicate complex ideas or issues tailored to the audience, using appropriate formats and media.  
• Experience approving decisions that commit financial and human resources to a course of action (60% tactical; 40% strategic decision-making), which is subject to executive review. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT ISSUES: 

• Must be responsive to emails and phone calls off-site during evenings, weekends, and holidays to support time-sensitive matters.  
• This position is based in Washington, D.C. Some travel required.  
• Bread is a hybrid organization.  

• Proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with CDC guidelines is required to enter our offices. Reasonable accommodations will be considered on a case-by-case basis for exemptions to this requirement in accordance with applicable law. 

CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS: 

Bread is committed to advancing racial equity externally and internally, all staff members play a vital role. In the course of our work, each staff person should work to apply a racial equity lens to their work and practices; and participate in racial equity on-going training. Bread is also committed to being an equal opportunity employer. 

OUR VALUES: 

1. We value our faith. Our faith in Christ compels us to love our neighbors near and far and is the foundation for our hope, story, mission, and values. 
2. We value human flourishing. We believe that every human being, created in the image of God, has inherent dignity that affords an opportunity to thrive in relationship with God, self, neighbor, and the environment; and to access enough nutritious food for good health. 
3. We value justice. We seek to establish effective systems, structures, and policies that affirm equality and advance equity among all human beings to alleviate hunger and poverty. 
4. We value courage and prophetic voice. In a spirit of wisdom and love, we will be bold in articulating and pursuing our vision of a world without hunger. 
5. We value nonpartisanship. We believe that effective and sustainable public policies are made when, in good faith, we employ a civil and bipartisan approach to develop and implement laws and programs to achieve our mission. 
6. We value collaboration. We believe in working alongside and building community with a diversity of churches, interfaith communities, institutions, and individuals, including people experiencing hunger, to achieve our mission. 
7. We value impact. We strive for excellence in our work and hold ourselves and our nation’s leaders accountable in the pursuit of public policies that render measurable results and meaningful change for people everywhere affected by hunger. 

DISCLAIMER: 

Background and reference checks will be conducted on all final candidates. The information in this job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain, nor to be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job. 

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