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Project Director, Food Additives Campaign – Washington, DC
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Job ID:
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2010-2025
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Location:
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US-DC-Washington
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Department:
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Pew
Health Group
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Posted Date:
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1/20/2010
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Apply for this job:
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More information about this job:
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Overview:
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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 risk, focusing on areas that
include consumer, medical and consumer product safety.
Food
Additives Initiative
The PHG
food additives initiative reviews the available scientific evidence on
whether or not chemical additives to our food supply have substantial
health risks, and seeks to evaluate whether current regulatory oversight is
scientifically based and adequate to protect the public. The project
assesses policy solutions to address these concerns, and uses public
education, nonpartisan research and other activities to further the
objective of improving the scientific foundation for food additive
regulatory policies.
Position
Overview
This
position, based in Pew’s Washington, D.C. office, will report to the
director of Food and Consumer Product Safety. The Food Additives Project
Director will be responsible for overseeing the entire food additives
project, including the research and drafting of key scientific and policy
papers and educational efforts, and for supervising all program staff. The
Director will oversee the selection, vetting, and work of the Task Force on
Food Additives, and will supervise staffers to ensure peer reviews of
papers. The Director will also oversee presentations to the Task Force,
agencies, Congressional staff, media, potential allies, and others.
The
Director will supervise the design and implementation of research and
analysis for the project, special projects; ensure that internal and
external communications are maintained, and bear responsibility for all
programmatic investments and budget activities. The Director may also
undertake special projects aimed at improving the overall operation of the
project and other projects in the PHG portfolio.
The Food
Additives Project Director will carry out a number of core functions,
including the development and implementation of strategic and operational
plans for the food additives project. Among the key deliverables for
the Director are:
- Convene a prestigious task
force on food additives and their impact on health to guide the
project’s research agenda, assure its scientific rigor and accuracy,
and assist in disseminating information to key audiences.
- Publish reports that assess
the health risks posed by certain food additives. Findings will be
shared broadly, including with the FDA, to inform its own additive
review.
- Based on the science, assess
or develop pragmatic and effective evidence-based policy solutions to
address those risks.
- Release a comprehensive
assessment of the effectiveness of the existing FDA food additive
review process. This analysis will evaluate how FDA uses
developing science to identify hazards and will make recommendations
to improve the rigor and timeliness of the review processes.
- Broadly disseminate the
project’s reports at public and policy forums, as well as
electronically on a newly created project Web site.
- Host high-profile events on
food additives for a range of stakeholders, including state and
national policy makers, food industry leaders, the medical community,
journalists and opinion leaders.
- Conduct additional direct
outreach to Capitol Hill, sponsoring briefings on the project’s
findings.
- Highlight the project’s
reports through articles, op-eds, editorials and letters to the
editor.
This
position currently has an end date of December, 2012. The project may be
extended pending the success of the effort, board approval and additional
funding.
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Responsibilities:
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The
Project Director will represent Pew before local, state, tribal and federal
policymakers and with nonprofit organizations and universities. The
director will recruit and maintain superb relationships with the project’s
consultants and advisors. The director will supervise a staff of
approximately four in Washington, DC, and work in partnership with other
Pew departments.
The
Director will develop programmatic objectives, workplans and oversee
day-to-day operations for the project’s coordinating center and public and
policymaker education and outreach efforts, including:
- Reviewing campaign materials
to ensure accuracy;
- Convening regular project
meetings and developing and managing assignments originating from
those meetings;
- Accompanying project staff on
congressional or agency visits;
- Developing and assisting with
strategy;
- Respond to inquiries
from press, government officials, and others regarding the work of the
food additives project and, where appropriate, will use those
inquiries to support and promote the goal of the project.
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Requirements:
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The ideal
candidate will have significant work experience in food and/or
environmental/chemical policy (experience with food additives would be
helpful but is not required), legislation, public education, and ideally
advocacy issue campaigns in related areas; a strong network of
relationships with the field’s key leaders would be a significant
plus. The candidate should demonstrate an understanding of the
research and advocacy necessary to advance science-based policymaking. The
candidate should demonstrate the ability to work with a wide array of
staff, national experts, stakeholders, consultants, evaluators and funders
to develop and implement the strategy for a national effort to research and
promote safety of food additives. Additional requirements:
- Experience in managing
successful advocacy and/or science policy project(s).
- At least 10-15 years of
relevant professional experience, including a solid understanding of
the federal policy-making process and science policy issues.
Significant experience working with the federal government (including
Congress and federal agencies) or at 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.
- Exhibit 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.
Compensation
We offer
a competitive salary and excellent benefits package, including a generous
401(k) plan, four weeks vacation and flexible benefit options.
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 as needed.
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