Center for Science in Public Interest, Vice President of Programs

Center for  Science in Public Interest is hiring for Vice President of Programs

Responsibilities and Roles

• Policy development. In collaboration with senior leadership, program team members, and external stakeholders, develop innovative approaches that are evidence-based, community-informed, and meaningfully advance nutrition policy, food safety, and the public health. Prioritize strategies that also advance health equity and social justice.

• Organizational leadership. Engage as a key member of the Executive Management Team and New Projects Committee. Collaborate closely with the President to develop our vision for the future and implement strategic policy priorities, working cross-functionally to leverage synergies across CSPI – including coordinating and consulting with the departments of Business Operations, Marketing, Development, Human Resources, Communications, Nutrition Action, and Science. Embody CSPI’s core values in all interactions: inclusivity, openness, accountability, kindness, and collaboration.

• External relations. Nurture relationships with a network of scientists, academics, elected officials, public health officials, government regulators, media, funders, partner organizations, and industry contacts. Represent CSPI at conferences. Speak with the press on key policy campaign issues.

• Staff management. Provide staff leadership to a team of nearly thirty, including five direct reports (Advocacy Director, Deputy Director of Federal Affairs, Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs, Director of Biotechnology, and, potentially, Litigation Director). Model CSPI’s core values and healthy workplace practices with direct and indirect reports. Lead program strategy meetings and mentor staff in developing campaigns, identifying opportunities, and developing resources. Oversee and assure quality and accuracy of work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree in a relevant field (nutrition, medicine, law, public health, or public policy) preferred.

• 10-15 years of experience managing diverse programs, budgets, and teams in government, nonprofit or related sectors, including significant executive leadership experience and leading large teams. Substantive experience and knowledge in nutrition (ideally), social justice, hunger, agriculture, environment, medical product regulation, public health, or related fields.

• Strong familiarity with advocacy work including public policy work with Congress, federal and state regulatory agencies, low-income and BIPOC-led community organizations, and/or industry. Major plusses include a track record of developing and leading advocacy campaigns and/or strong relationships on the Hill and within the executive branch.

• Experience promoting policies that seek to minimize disparities (for example: race, age, socioeconomic status, and gender). A public health degree with a focus or concentration on health equity would be a plus. 

• Able to work with lawyers and understand laws and regulations; familiarity with class action litigation; respect for legal boundaries related to representation of individual plaintiffs or classes.

• Excellent written communication and public speaking skills. Experience working with funders, the media, and diverse audiences with the ability to analyze and present complex policy information at a level that is easily understood by people of varied backgrounds. A significant social media following would be a plus.

Attributes

• Passionate about social change. You care not just about science, but also about taking the best available science and translating that into the policies and practices that can improve lives.

• Collaborative. You seek first to understand, then to be understood. You use influence rather than authority to achieve goals.

• Curious. You have a fearless curiosity about all scientific findings. You ask questions and look at the data from different viewpoints. You notice trends and ask why. You are committed to following the science and you adjust your strategy based on new information. You view questions as opportunities for mutual learning, rather than challenges.

• Flexible. You thrive in an environment that is in constant motion and change. You are an excellent sounding board for new ideas. You set priorities wisely and know how to make tough resource allocation decisions, always finding a way to advance strategic initiatives. You enjoy defining a job as you go along.

• Inspiring leader. You enjoy leading and building teams – and you are good at it. You are compassionate and thoughtful, and you communicate your points easily. You have a strong ability to inspire passion in others and be a cheerful ambassador. People follow your lead, and you are interested in the professional and personal development of your team members. You can work from the head and heart and want to effect change that advances equity at the personal, interpersonal, and institutional levels.

• Organizational agility. You will have many stakeholders with varying goals and needs in this position. You have good judgment and a thoughtful approach; you are sensitive to the challenges and constraints each stakeholder faces. You understand how organizations work, where to build relationships, and how to get results through other people.

• Rapport builder. You have an inclusive work style and are open and collaborative, with the ability to develop strong and trusting relationships both internally and externally. You are comfortable sharing information and know who needs to be in the loop or informed. You easily articulate the benefits and value to each stakeholder and know how to connect the dots.

• Relationship builder. You easily connect with individuals and build alliances both within an organization and working externally. You are committed to working well with diverse or marginalized populations and can bring in allies across diverse communities.

To Apply

Simply email your resume and cover letter to Aileen Hedden at resumes@staffingadvisors.com with “CSPI - VP of Programs #2022-2680 CW” as the subject of the email. Please include your resume as a Word or PDF attachment to the email and paste your cover letter in the body of your email.

The salary range for this position is $175-200K.