The R Street Institute—a free-market think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. with regional offices across the country—seeks a skilled coalition manager to manage our Safer from Harm coalition. This new coalition brings together a diverse network of organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing all forms of harm reduction in public policy. If you want to join an energetic organization, help define a new field of public policy and do something extraordinary while helping us engage the harm reduction community in public policy, this may be just the opportunity for you. This position will report to the policy director. We actively seek out diversity and are particularly eager to consider candidates who bring a diverse background (in all its forms) and relevant lived experience to this role.
Our current portfolio emphasizes efforts to reduce the harm in tobacco, psychedelics, cannabis and opioids. We believe that “abstinence only” approaches do not work on a population level and that safer alternatives are a desirable part of an overall public health strategy. Examples of efforts we support in these terms include increasing access to syringe service programs, therapeutic use of psychedelics for mental health disorders and the availability of non-combustible nicotine products for adult smokers. Our ideal candidate will lead a bold effort to get advocates, practitioners and scholars in all of these areas to collaborate to promote harm reduction as an effective strategy for improving population health and reducing health disparities.
Your typical day at R Street might include speaking with an ally about an upcoming Food and Drug Administration comment period for a promising new treatment method for opioid addiction, facilitating a connection between tobacco control and vaping organizations, updating the coalition website, soliciting expert authors for a blog series or presenting at a national harm reduction meeting.
Other Aspects of Your Role:
In addition to the above you will be expected to:
Build relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders, including vaping and drug policy advocates and on-the-ground harm reductionists.
Develop and manage the Safer from Harm coalition website.
Recruit and solicit content contributions from external experts and coalition partners and shepherd them through internal processes for review and message amplification through an omnichannel approach (coalition microsite, social media, in-person meetings, etc.).
Work with internal staff and external partners to organize community engagement efforts such as virtual and on-site events and conferences and site visits to harm reduction centers.
Present before a variety of audiences.
Attend and speak at convenings in the United States and globally where appropriate.
Assist department staff with administrative tasks such as preparing documentation for research approvals, organizing conference abstracts and soliciting speakers for events.
Periodic lookout shifts to guard against ninja infiltration.
Skills and Qualifications
No particular educational background is required: A proven track record to achieve results is far more meaningful than credentials
A clear understanding of, and enthusiasm for, all forms of harm reduction
Recognized expertise and experience in coalition building and community engagement; preference is given to those working in harm reduction, health disparities and/or drug policy
A strong willingness to work with a wide range of groups including those who may have views or do things with which you may disagree
Top-notch public speaking skills
Broad understanding of technical topics related to harm reduction and an ability to message work across a wide array of fields
Comfort with utilizing technology, specifically content management platforms, and willingness to learn
Lived experience with the behaviors we study is not a requirement, but will be looked on favorably if mentioned and contextualized
Passion for free markets and limited, effective government
A sense of humor and a desire to grow with a dynamic organization!
Workplace
We offer a flexible working arrangement. This is a full-time position that can either work the majority of the week in our D.C. office or be fully remote.
Compensation, Benefits and Perks
R Street strives to provide a compensation package superior to those at other think tanks and nonprofits. In addition to a competitive salary, we provide the following:
Unlimited paid time off policy, including all federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving and two weeks holiday closure in December
Alternating Fridays off
A health insurance option entirely paid by the employer (even for families)
Dental and Vision insurance
401(k) contributions with up to a 4 percent match
HSA employer contribution match
Quarterly wellness reimbursement
Mobile equipment reimbursement
Internet subsidy
Monthly mobile plan reimbursement
Annual educational and professional development reimbursement
An option among child care assistance, pet care assistance or student loan repayment assistance reimbursement
R Street is committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe having a more diverse workforce will strengthen R Street’s ability to innovate, achieve our mission and support long-term systemic change. As people dedicated to limited, effective government and free markets, we understand that a free society achieves its greatest triumphs by allowing and facilitating a wide variety of approaches to public policy problems. The concept of “broad coalitions,” one of our core operating principles, stems from that insight. People of all races, religions, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, life experiences and socioeconomic backgrounds perform at the highest levels in every type of work that we do and have shaped the principles to which we subscribe. We believe that searching for talent everywhere is an integral part of living up to our principles.
We currently plan to accept applications for this job until filled. We will contact qualified individuals for telephone interviews and conduct them on a rolling basis. Interviews will be held virtually, via Zoom.
To apply, you must upload a cover letter and resume in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
R Street Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy research organization. Our mission is to engage in policy research and outreach to promote free markets and limited, effective government.
We work extensively on both state and national policy, and focus on issues that other groups tend to neglect. Our specialty is tackling issues that are complex, but don’t necessarily grab major headlines. These are the areas where we think we can have a real impact.
