World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world's leading conservation organization, seeks a Senior Program Officer, US Government Relations in our Washington, DC office. The position will analyze and interpret policy, institutional, and operational changes in key government agencies and institutions that may influence or affect WWF programs, policies, and resources. Identify and engage stakeholders who can change policy, and identify approaches and opportunities for influencing emerging leaders and policies. Work with VP and other WWF leadership to rank and prioritize issues to be addressed through outreach to the U.S. Government. Strategically think, plan, and execute WWF’s participation and influence in relevant US Government (USG) policy streams. Explore and effect successful partnership opportunities with donor agencies.
- Develop and execute outreach strategies for WWF engagement with US Government donor agencies with focus on USAID, State Department, and other agencies based on priorities defined by WWF-US and the WWF Network. Understand WWF priorities and how they are impacted by USG policy, resource, and programmatic changes.
- Establish and maintain professional and collegial relationships with USG staff, and actively promote and facilitate relationship building between USG and WWF leadership. Liaise with US administration officials and staff on behalf of the VP for US Government Relations (USGR) and WWF leadership, working flexibly and collaboratively with colleagues who have relationships with USAID and other agencies.
- Promote discussions with USAID on future year funding streams in any given political climate for active and future project funding. Convene cross-team discussions to calibrate WWF strategies that anticipate and capture changing USG priority trends, sensitivities, and nomenclature.
- Identify leading USG policy trends and new initiatives important to WWF’s goals, and guide, facilitate, and support WWF expert involvement in all appropriate phases, including conceptual, planning, resourcing, partnering, implementation, and impact assessment.
- Promote conservation, environmental, and related development priorities within and across US Government agencies through major initiatives and strategies, and reflected in conceptual frameworks, resource allocation, selectivity, goals, activities, benchmarks, and measures of impact.
- Spotlight WWF best practices, innovations, and signature initiatives with third-party organizations and networks that influence USG policies by convening, leading, or contributing to meetings, briefings or conferences on relevant conservation topics.
- Responsible for written and oral communication of WWF’s positions in timely response to USG timelines.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- Must possess 6 to 8 years of experience working in US government relations, international conservation, or international development. Close familiarity with USAID agency processes is helpful; experience working with USAID, State Department and/or other US government agencies is a plus.
- Strong understanding of the US policy process.
- Flexible, adaptive, and collaborative team-player in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
- Goal oriented with a friendly and professional approach.
- Able to identify and effectively target agents of policy change.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to craft clear messages that resonate with intended targets audiences.
- Strong organizational, facilitation and negotiating skills.
- Strategic planning skills and demonstrated experience.
- Strong diplomatic and cross-cultural experience.