Legal Advisor, Food & Nutrition

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supports civil society organizations advocating for public health policies that reduce death and disease. We bring a proven advocacy approach and a global network of local partners, built on a 25-year track record of success across multiple issues in more than 60 countries. GHAI is an initiative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Program Description

The Food Policy Program (FPP) at GHAI supports CSOs with passing and implementing policies aimed at developing healthier food environments, protecting the right to adequate food, and preventing chronic diseases and attributable deaths. These policies include, but are not limited to: enforcing taxes on unhealthy food and beverage products; mandatory front-of-package nutrition warning labels to inform consumers nutrient content (i.e. sugar, salt and fats) in packaged foods; marketing restrictions of unhealthy food products to protect children from deceptive marketing; regulating the supply of unhealthy products in public sector environments (i.e, schools) to promote healthy schools environments; and policies to increase sustainable food systems and equitable access to adequate food.

Additionally, the Cardiovascular Health Program (CVH) at GHAI aims to prevent millions of deaths from cardiovascular disease through policies: banning industrially-produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), restricting sodium consumption (i.e., front of package labeling, unhealthy food marketing bans, comprehensive school food environments, healthy food procurements in public institutions, maximum sodium benchmarks), and managing and controlling hypertension at the population level. The F&N Policy Program (FPP and CVH) collectively provides financial and technical assistance to advance advocacy campaigns that promote healthy diets across 23 countries in Latin-America, Caribbean Region, Africa, and Asia. Position Overview The Legal Advisor will provide legal support to local partners in developing and implementing advocacy strategies that ultimately lead to policy change and will conduct legal research to develop advocacy legal resources.

Position Overview

The Legal Advisor will report to the Vice-president of Food and Nutrition Policy in close collaboration with the Legal Coordinator for Food and Nutrition Policy and with a dotted line to GHAI’s Legal Director. This position is based in Washington, DC.

WHAT YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH:

• Facilitate the development of legal strategies that include legislation drafting, using legal arguments to participate in policy discussions and litigation strategies in partnership with NGOs and NGO networks to support policy advocacy campaigns.
• Develop legal materials (suggested language for policy drafting, summaries of key legal developments) for partners and coalition members (as applicable) to advocate for food policies.
• Help organize and facilitate workshops and training sessions to help strengthen partner legal capacity.
• Review draft policies, advocacy briefs and proposed legislation that support policy priorities.
• Review food industry draft proposals and provide analyses and responses to weak provisions or loopholes created by the industry.
• Participate in workshops and trainings to enhance in-country legal capacity for food and nutrition policies.
• Support the development of legal databases related to food policies legislation and litigation as well as recommendations from human rights monitoring bodies that could support policy progress.
• Respond to rapid research requests for legal and policy advice from partners and GHAI staff.
• Provide ongoing updates to GHAI on legal activities, including developing written reports and participating in planning/update calls with GHAI on an ongoing basis.
• Attend meetings with partners and GHAI as needed.
• Provide other proactive and reactive legal services related to food and nutrition as needed by GHAI.
• Contract and supervise the work of consultant in-country lawyers, as needed.
• Provide input to GHAI reports to donors and other administrative tasks.

SKILLS YOU'LL BRING TO THE ROLE:

• A Juris Doctor degree (or the equivalent first level legal degree awarded by a law school accredited by the national authority responsible for accreditation).
• A minimum of 5 to 6 years of legal, legislative, and international experience in food and nutrition, public health, environmental, consumer, human rights, or similar public interest legal fields.
• Demonstrated legal and policy advocacy skills and litigation experience.
• Excellent analytical skills and legal and policy writing and research ability.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication and in working with people from diverse cultures and countries.
• Experience living and working in a low or middle-income country is a plus.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to balance and prioritize multiple assignments in a fast-paced, team-based, and changing environment.
• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in non-English languages is preferred.
• Experience with building capacity/training of government staff and advocates on public health, environmental, human rights, or consumer legal issues in a sustainable way is a plus.
• Ability to travel internationally, depending on circumstances

WHY JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO FREE KIDS?

• You will be a part of a respected global health advocacy organization that works to create meaningful change through policy changes and save lives in our neighborhoods and in communities worldwide.
• You’ll receive a generous benefits package including:
• 100% company-paid health and dental for you; 70-80% contribution to these coverages for your dependents.
• Paid parental leave benefits (4 weeks paid maternity/paternity leave), in addition to federal and local leave provisions.
• 403b plan participation (with 9% company contribution)
• 10 paid company holidays, 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 5 personal days (on an accrual basis each calendar year)

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make The Campaign's work more inclusive. We encourage qualified applicants of all ages, racial, economic, social, cultural, sexual orientation, ability and gender expressions, national origins and veteran statuses to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and its Global Health Advocacy Incubator program represent our collective efforts to strengthen public policies which reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world, as well as other public health threats contributing to death and disease. Our organization has a singular focus: to make the world a safer, healthier place for everyone. Candidates are encouraged to review our website at https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/