Sr. Advocacy Director

ABOUT ZERO TO THREE

Founded in 1977, ZERO TO THREE works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development. Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At ZERO TO THREE, we envision a society with the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential. Our Core Values Statement: We believe that how we do our work is as important as what we do. To learn more about ZERO TO THREE, please visit our website at zerotothree.org.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

ZERO TO THREE is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring, advancement, and professional development. It is dedicated to diversity in its work, its staff, and community partners. This is an exceptional opportunity for a professional who shares our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and supports our mission to enhance outcomes for all children.

SUMMARY

The Policy Center at ZERO TO THREE, a nonpartisan, research-based resource on infant and toddler development, is seeking a Sr. Advocacy Director. The Sr. Director will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy that coordinates and integrates the efforts of the advocacy and government relations teams, in collaboration with the communications team, to support and advance ZERO TO THREE’s mission of giving all babies and toddlers a strong start in life. The work will advance ZERO TO THREE’s policy agenda through the creation and implementation of national and state advocacy campaigns, including related materials and events, state and federal government relations strategies, and relationship- and coalition-building efforts with a variety of stakeholders, grassroots organizations, and partners, including Congress and the Administration. This role involves supervising government relations analysts and policy analysts, collaborating with internal leadership and external consultants, and advancing a comprehensive, equity-centered policy agenda.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

The Sr. Director will lead the development of a multi-faceted strategy that effectively coordinates and marries advocacy outreach and government relations work with targeted and focused communications to deliver a comprehensive federal and local approach to the implementation of ZERO TO THREE’s policy agenda. They will collaborate with team members, internal colleagues, external government relations consultants, and relevant stakeholders to develop policy positions that reflect ZERO TO THREE’s values and commitment to racial equity and that are grounded in early childhood development science.

The Sr. Director will work effectively with their team, colleagues and external government relations consultants to develop federal and state advocacy campaigns and government relations strategies in coordinated and interconnected ways, including through mobilization strategies and collaborative efforts with the communications team to develop and execute media and other communications strategies and materials. They will plan and ensure the successful implementation of annual high-profile advocacy events at ZERO TO THREE’s Annual Conference and on Capitol Hill. They will ensure all advocacy efforts comply with relevant laws and ethical standards and reflect transparency and accountability. They will lead their team in developing and fostering strategic partnerships and coalitions at the state and federal levels to drive and maximize impact and to seek input from families, early childhood professionals, stakeholders, and community partners. As a leader within the Policy Center, the Sr. Director will also contribute to the development of effective ZERO TO THREE cross-programs and project integration and alignment.

The Sr. Director will be closely attuned to possible and actual shifts in alliances, the emergence of new opportunities and challenges, and their impact on the operationalization of strategy and campaigns. This requires the Sr. Director to possess nimble and agile thinking and understand how to operate “in the gray,” when the landscape view changes, and the path forward is not clear. The Sr. Director will constantly monitor and assess impact and make needed adjustments to campaigns and strategies and to effectively communicate changes needed in approach and prioritization. They will work collaboratively to operationalize strategy and campaigns in ways needed to achieve significant policy wins.

The Sr. Director must have the ability to influence and motivate others; strong conceptual, writing, and communication skills with the ability to translate complex policy issues into digestible and accessible content; a hig