Project Director, Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Campaign

Apply: http://jobs-pct.icims.com/jobs/2105/job

Overview:
The Organization

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improving public policy, informing the public and stimulating civic life. Based in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Pew produces fact-based research and develops practical solutions to challenging issues.

The Pew Health Group

The Pew Health Group (PHG) seeks to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. Based on research and critical analysis, the program advocates policies that reduce unacceptable health risks, focusing on areas that include food, medical and consumer product safety.

Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Campaign

The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Food Campaign is a two-year effort to promote public policies that will improve the safety and nutritional quality of food available in schools.

The campaign will engage in advocacy, develop a communications and grassroots outreach strategy and use research to ensure that administration officials set science-based standards for what is prepared and sold in schools; members of Congress provide adequate funding for school food, cafeteria equipment and training and technical assistance; and policies are in place to address food safety concerns. Specifically, the campaign will:

strengthen United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards for school meals and school foods sold outside of meals, guided by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations;
secure funding for federal school meal reimbursement, training and technical assistance for school food service operators, and modern cafeteria equipment; and
establish rigorous school food safety policies, including stronger testing and safety guidelines, increased inspections and improved recall notification.

Position Overview

This position, based in Pew’s Washington, D.C. office, will report to the director of Food and Consumer Product Safety. The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Campaign director will be responsible for overseeing the entire campaign, including coordinating activities with outside allies; meeting with USDA staff and key congressional targets; and leading a sophisticated communications effort, including extensive grassroots activity to engage families, school personnel, activists and others in support of the campaign’s activities.

The director will supervise the design and implementation of research and analysis for the project, ensure that internal and external communications are maintained and bear responsibility for all programmatic investments and budget activities. Additionally, the director will serve as the project’s main spokesperson and primary liaison with the campaign’s funding partners.

This position currently has an end date of April 2012. The project may be extended pending the success of the effort, board approval and additional funding.

Responsibilities:
The Project Director will represent Pew before federal policy makers and with nonprofit organizations and funding partners. S/he will oversee a staff of five, including a communications manager, project manager, senior research associate, program associate and administrative assistant, and work in partnership with other Pew departments. The director will recruit and maintain superb relationships with the project’s consultants and working groups.

The specific deliverables for the campaign include:

Convene meetings USDA, industry, public health groups and others to develop model USDA rules for implementing the IOM and other evidence-based recommendations for foods sold in schools.
Provide public comments on the USDA’s proposed rules for school food and organize key allies and members of the public to submit comments.
Conduct and disseminate, as appropriate, one or more health impact assessments (HIAs) to inform the various policy decisions being made during Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) implementation.
Organize meetings with members of Congress or their staff on relevant appropriations committees to advocate for increased funding for meal reimbursement, equipment and training.
Conduct focus groups and public opinion polling to help inform the development of the campaign’s communications strategy, tactics and message and, where appropriate, publicize the results through release to the print and broadcast media.
Broadly disseminate the project’s reports and calls for actions at public and policy forums, as well as electronically on a newly-created project Web site to educate policy makers and opinion leaders.
Engage parents, schoolchildren, school administrators and others to write, call or e-mail the USDA during the rulemaking process and to contact policy makers in support of the campaign’s funding goals.
Raise awareness of the need for school food reform and the project’s policy goals through traditional and new media communications.

Requirements:
The ideal candidate will have significant work experience with federal rulemaking and legislative processes, with a strong preference for experience with congressional appropriations. S/he should have a background in advocacy campaigns, including grassroots activity and media outreach. Expertise in health policy is strongly preferred and a background in school foods/nutrition policy would be helpful, though is not required. The candidate should demonstrate the ability to work with a wide array of staff, national experts, stakeholders, consultants and funders to develop and implement the strategy for a national advocacy campaign. Among the specific requirements for this position are:

At least 10–15 years of relevant professional experience, including a solid understanding of the federal policy-making process. Significant experience working with the federal government (including Congress and federal agencies) and with issue-based national advocacy groups is strongly preferred.
Knowledge and experience at a senior level with key tools in advocacy and policy change, including policy analysis, issue campaigns and communications strategies.
Able to oversee staff in setting short- and long-term planning goals in line with program strategy. A task-oriented style, with focus on achieving clear and ambitious goals. Demonstrated ability to meet multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization. Able to develop and move projects forward with a high degree of independence and autonomy.
Excellent written and oral communications skills, including an ease in briefly summarizing the essence of issues and means to address them. Strong oral, presentation, facilitation and written communication skills such that complex ideas, thoughts and concepts are clearly articulated for a general audience. Clear, effective writing style.
Strong interpersonal skills; able to develop and manage productive relationships with consultants, partners and others who contribute to the development of a project by anticipating possible outcomes. Excellent listening skills. Highly articulate.
Media-savvy and politically astute. Able to use effective marketing techniques and media exposure to communicate the impact of current polices and science on food additives.
Exhibits skills of diplomacy. Able to work productively with a wide array of different people and institutions that frequently disagree with and are in competition with one another.
Strong understanding of how to manage by influencing others and the ability to read nuances of meaning accurately.
Seasoned judgment tested by difficult circumstances, able to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive, clear and firm with colleagues and partners.
Travel

It is anticipated that the individual in this position will travel from Washington D.C. periodically, including to The Pew Charitable Trusts' Philadelphia office and to visit funding partners as needed, and to campaign events across the country.