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 with 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 (ZTT), a nonpartisan, research-based resource for policymakers and advocates on the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers, is seeking a Senior Advocacy Specialist to work with the Advocacy team to develop and implement federal advocacy campaigns on infant-toddler issues, including serving as the lead strategist to mobilize early childhood professionals and parents in advocacy; serve as a lead contact for family engagement in an annual Advocacy Day; support family engagement in the parent advocate network; develop and contribute to a wide range of advocacy and communications materials; lead strategies to grow ZERO TO THREE’s advocacy network; collect and evaluate advocacy data; contribute to funding reports and proposals; as well as perform other functions to support the work of the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the development and implementation of ZERO TO THREE’s advocacy strategy to move an infant-toddler policy agenda at the federal and state levels, primarily focused on our flagship advocacy campaign, Think BabiesTM.
• Serve as the lead strategist for federal advocacy mobilization of early childhood professionals and parents.
• Serve as a lead contact for family engagement for Strolling Thunder™, ZERO TO THREE’s annual advocacy day on Capitol Hill.
• Support the Strolling Thunder Family Advocacy Network through collaboration on mobilization strategy development and partnering with network leadership and the ZERO TO THREE staff lead to build advocacy capacity of the network.
• Develop and contribute to a range of advocacy and communications materials to engage the early childhood field, including:
• action alerts and breaking news updates,
• social media content,
• advocacy campaign plans,
• advocacy toolkits fact sheets, and talking points,
• infographics and social media toolkits and other materials; and
• a regular electronic newsletter.
• Lead strategy to grow ZERO TO THREE’s advocacy network of early childhood professionals and parents and engage them in federal advocacy campaigns, including programming action alerts and management of the advocacy email list.
• Work with the Advocacy and Communications teams to identify opportunities for social media engagement, including developing and reviewing content, and contributing to blog posts, op-eds, and letters to the editor.
• Lead efforts to collect and evaluate data on the effectiveness of the team’s advocacy efforts.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the Communications and Information Technology teams on all digital advocacy and to ensure smooth functioning of advocacy-related email list and technology.
• Contribute to reports to funders and proposals. 
• Performs other duties as assigned to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of the department.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated knowledge of advocacy strategies to grow and mobilize networks, including digital organizing and social media.
• Experience with digital advocacy and marketing/communications platforms, such as EveryAction, Pardot, BeePro, and WordPress.
• Knowledge of policies affecting young children and navigating the federal policy landscape. 
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, including an ability to write persuasively in a variety of formats, such as emails, talking points, and social media posts.
• Strong organization and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple and changing responsibilities effectively.
• Ability to build relationships and influence others by interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders with different interests and needs
• Ability to work effectively in culturally diverse environment, and understanding of how different forms of oppression operate on interpersonal, institutional and structural levels
• Exceptional reasoning, problem-solving and strategic thinking skills
• Highly dependable with the ability to work in a “team-oriented environment.”
• Ability to travel, including occasional overnight stays.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables.
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Salesforce.
• A minimum of 7 years of related experience in advocacy work.

ESSENTIAL QUALITES

• Encourages and practices critical thinking
• Prioritizes a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Is self-reflective and empathic
• Recognizes the influence of workplace relationships on outcomes and results
• Maintains a respectful and accepting approach to others
• Awareness of the influence of the larger context on individual behavior
• Collaboratively and creatively supports the work efforts of colleagues at all levels and in all areas of the organization
• Exhibits work behaviors consistent with the organization’s mission and core values
• Is curious and interested in exploring ways of attacking problems and opportunities
• Is committed to racial equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice work

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience in organizing, advocacy communications, government relations, and/or public policy.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is frequently required to use finger dexterity and sufficient hand dexterity to use a computer keyboard and be capable of reading a computer screen. Also, they may need to remain seated for extended periods, can perform repetitive motions, and reach for objects. An employee is frequently required to hold a writing instrument, communicate verbally, and hear well enough to detect nuances and receive detailed information. They may be required to grasp objects, push, and pull objects, bend, stand, walk, squat, or kneel. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision for data preparation or analysis, and expansive reading. May need to lift up to 30 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work conditions described here are representative of those an employee encounter while performing this job. Depending on work location, the incumbent will typically work indoors in a heated and air-conditioned office, with a mixture of natural, incandescent, and fluorescent light with low to moderate noise levels or be subject to working conditions conducive to a home environment. When travel is expected, the incumbent will be exposed to outside environmental conditions during those times.

ZERO TO THREE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Women, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.