Policy & Advocacy Assistant

Job Title:                                         Policy & Advocacy Assistant

Department:                                    Advocacy

Division:                                          NPUS

Duty Station:                                   Washington D.C., USA

Administrative Line Manager:       U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager

Technical Line Manager:                U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager

Line Management Responsibility: N/A

Position Type:                                  Part-time/temporary

Overview:

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) reimagines security and civilian protection in areas most impacted by conflict by working alongside communities to interrupt and prevent violence. NP is a global civil society organization that works with people affected by violent conflicts to enhance their security and dignity through Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) and by helping to transform the world’s response to conflict situations.  

Our work is grounded in the needs, strengths, and experiences of local communities. At the invitation of local communities, NP builds relationships with community members, leaders, and organizations to identify risks to safety and ways to work together to keep communities safe. We go beyond the statistics of violent incidents to ensure holistic safety, including how people feel in and experience their community. Current programs are based in the United States, Ukraine, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Job Summary:

Under the supervision and guidance of the U.S. Policy & Advocacy Manger, the Policy & Advocacy Assistant will support NP’s US, UN, and global advocacy teams to share NP’s work and support civilian protection through legislative, policy, and other advocacy opportunities. This position will provide flexible support to NP's programmatic and advocacy teams to support the creation of key outputs, events, and relationship building opportunities. The role will also be instrumental in tracking and influencing policy developments in the US government and key international bodies relevant to civilian protection policy, programming and funding. The ideal candidate will be adaptable and detail oriented with an understanding of civilian protection and the U.S. legislative process.

Key Responsibilities:

• Represent NP in meetings and events with civil society, multilateral, and government stakeholders, take notes and prepare meeting readouts

• Draft advocacy materials based on NP’s program and policy work

• Track legislative developments and relevant committee hearings 

• Support advocacy around the annual USG appropriations process

• Reviewing and summarizing key policies, statements, and other documents related to given conflict contexts

• Support preparation for events

• Assist with data management tasks

• Format public documents

• Additional advocacy projects as needed

Commitment to NP Principles

All NP employees are expected to uphold work in alignment with the organization’s guiding principles:   

Nonviolence  

Non-partisanship  

Primacy of local actors  

Civilian-to-civilian action  

These principles and beliefs guide our actions and relationships, supporting our mission to protect civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies.

Qualifications:

• Well-versed in advocacy strategies and forums 
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion 
• Understanding of U.S. Government legislative process 
• Knowledge of current events and social issues, an interest in civilian protection and nonviolent methods 
• Clear, concise writing skills 
• Attention to detail 
• Able to follow written and verbal directions well, able to work autonomously 
• Commitment to work cooperatively and grow personally 
• Commitment to the mission of Nonviolent Peaceforce 
• Current or recent graduate student preferred 

Skills and competencies:

• Independent Judgement/Analytical
  • Ability to manage information with discretion
  • Ability to set priorities, solve problems, and analyze information
  • Attention to detail
    
• Interpersonal
  • Flexible, energetic, and adaptable
  • Ability to work in a diverse team environment
  • Proven ability to build and manage relationships
    
• Information Technology
  • Ability to use the MS Office Suite, email, and the internet proficiently
    
• Emotional intelligence
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong communication (written and spoken) and interpersonal skills in English
• Experience in working with multicultural teams

• Database management experience 
• Ability to clearly articulate complex ideas to policymakers and colleagues 

Working Conditions:

• Consistently operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and/or printer. 
• Ability to remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods. 
• Ability to work in small or enclosed spaces. 
• Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. 
• Some evenings and weekends may be required. 
• Some travel may be required. 
• This is a temporary part-time hourly position expected to run September 2025-May 2026. Selected candidate will be expected to work 15 hours weekly with at least one day a week in-person at NP's DC office.

NP's Commitment

• Mentorship & Feedback 
• Supervision 
• Letter of Recommendation after successful completion of service 

Experiences Offered

• High-level policy analysis skills and exposure to advocacy strategy 
• Work with and contribute to an international nongovernmental organization 
• Deeper understanding of humanitarian protection principles and programming 
• Belong to a community committed to learning and growing together 
• Work in a professional atmosphere 

Additionally, the selected candidate will have the possibility to identify a specific UN-related project or thematic issue they are passionate about, provided it is aligned with NP’s UN engagement strategy. In consultation with the UN Representative, they will have the opportunity to follow this issue throughout their tenure – producing policy briefs or attending advocacy meetings with relevant stakeholders, provided this doesn't clash with core role priorities. This focus area will be discussed and agreed upon at the beginning of the tenure. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and cover letter (max. 1 page), through our website detailing their experience and how they qualify for the role. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• The closing date for applications is August 29th, 2025
• Candidates may be selected before the closing date; apply early
  
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a technical assignment before participating in an interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE 

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector.
NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We prioritize ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organization.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.