Organizational Overview
Established in 1999, Pure Earth (www.pureearth.org) is an international non-profit environmental health organization dedicated to protecting people from the harms of toxic pollutants. Pure Earth focus on preventing human exposure to the two chemicals that take the greatest toll on human health: lead and mercury. These toxins travel the globe through air, water, soil, and products causing permanent brain damage and other illnesses, particularly among children. Lead poisoning is most prevalent, affecting 1/3 of the world’s children, causing IQ loss, increased violence, and more than 900,000 annual deaths from cardiovascular disease. To date, Pure Earth has implemented projects to prevent or clean-up toxic pollution in over 40 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Through its headquarters in New York and its eight offices around the world, Pure Earth collaborates with local and global partners in the public, private, and civil society sectors to sustainably address the root causes of lead and mercury pollution. This work includes field projects that tangibly prevent or remediate pollution, as well as research, awareness raising, policy development, and advocacy to foster systemic changes.
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Pure Earth recently secured support to expand efforts to educate decision-makers within the US Government on the issue of lead poisoning and to encourage US leadership in the prevention of lead and mercury poisoning in LMICs, as well as domestically from goods originating in LMICs.
Specifically, the new position of Director of Policy and Advocacy has been created to develop a campaign that achieves the following outcomes:
— US Policymakers have an increased understanding that: 1) lead poisoning takes an astonishing toll on public health and economic development in the US, and particularly in LMICs; 2) lead exposure in the US is increasingly the result of foods and consumer products that are imported from LMICs; and 3) to reduce childhood lead poisoning at home and abroad, attention and resources must be directed towards solving this problem at the sources (in LMICs) by reducing the use of lead in products/foods and improving industrial processes such as car battery recycling.
— Relevant USG agencies have the necessary mandate and support to increase their engagement in international lead pollution and poisoning issues and make progress in advancing the recommendations that emerged from the November 2022 G7 workshop on the subject, titled “Lead as a major threat for human health and the environment – an integrated approach strengthening cooperation toward solutions.”
— Congress provides USAID with both a mandate and the necessary resources to develop new programs that increase our communal understanding of the prevalence, severity, and causes of childhood lead poisoning in LMICs, and that address the root causes of lead poisoning.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director and based in Washington, DC, the Director of Policy and Advocacy will develop relationships, advocacy strategies, policy positions, events, funding opportunities, and collaborative efforts with US Government agencies and legislators to support international pollution mitigation efforts. Responsibilities include:
• Assist in the development of policy positions that will resonate with senior USG officials, including within donor agencies.
• Organize briefing events on the Hill and elsewhere involving Congressional and USG agency decision-makers, as well as media engagement as appropriate.
• Convene stakeholder groups (federal, state, local, foreign government representatives; industry leaders)
• Organize workshops for legislative aides and agency officials (i.e., EPA, FDA, USAID, CDC, Department of Energy, Council on Environmental Quality, Department of Agriculture) in charge of environmental / health regulations and grant-making
• Coordinate with other relevant organizations that work on international lead poisoning issues or domestic issues that have international links, such as the Center for Global Development
• Work with relevant US Government agencies to explore the possibility of a Multilateral Environmental Agreement that addresses lead as a chemical pollutant, similar to existing agreements that address mercury, the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and other chemical pollution issues.
• Represent thought leadership in lead policy and advocacy in written communications (e.g., articles, social media) and external forums (e.g., conferences and webcasts)
• Draft testimony for congressional hearings, policy statements and letters to Members of Congress in pursuit of stopping lead poisoning generated by international sources
• Attend relevant congressional hearings and outside conferences
Qualifications & Experience
• Washington, DC 20036: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
• Minimum of 7 years advocacy and/or public policy development experience within the fields of environment, public health, or international development on Capitol Hill
• Familiarity with environmental health issues, including lead pollution and lead
• Success conceptualizing and planning well-attended events targeting governmental officials and policy-makers
• A proven network of bipartisan congressional and agency contacts and ability to influence and impact policy change
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings
• Strong interpersonal communications skills
• Background in tracking, analyzing, and advocating for cross-sector policies on global health, environmental and/or international development issues
• Graduate degree in environmental sciences, public health, epidemiology, or other relevant field, or equivalent level of experience, is a plus. Bachelor’s degree required
Benefits
• Compensation: Salary for this position is competitive and commensurate with prior experience
How to Apply
Please send a cover letter and resume/CV to [email protected].