ROLE 

The Policy Director has a critical role to play on the Luminate Strategic Initiatives team. The Policy Director will play a leading role in delivering LSI's strategy, through policy position development, grantmaking, expertise and advocacy work.

The Policy Director will report to the Vice-President, LSI and will collaborate closely with the LSI senior leadership team (Director of Campaigns and Media, Director of Ecosystems and Partnerships, Director of Operations and Director of Strategic Litigation).

This position could be based in either Berlin, Brussels, or London. Successful candidates must have the right to work in one of the identified locations. Competitive salary and benefits are offered.

TEAM 

Luminate Strategic Initiatives (LSI) is an exciting new team at Luminate designed to scale its work on the threat posed by Big Tech. We aim to help advance a healthier information ecosystem by strengthening the integrity of digital media. We seek urgent change in moving from today’s polarising information market to a healthy digital environment that promotes social cohesion and the need to create an internet that better advances the world we want to live in. It’s an inter-disciplinary team that brings together deeply experienced policy advocates, campaigners, strategic litigators, and ecosystem builders. The team is primarily focused on Europe, which is where this work is most promising. LSI is executing a strategy that leverages European laws and regulations together with the willingness of European policymakers, regulators, courts, and the public to rein in Big Tech, with a specific lens on healthy information ecosystems, AI and human rights. (Our website is here.)

RESPONSIBILTIES 

• Delivering on Luminate Strategic Initiatives’ (LSI) strategy, in close collaboration with the rest of the team, including through:

  • Grants management of groups working on policy in line with LSI’s strategy

  • Advocacy work with regulators and policy makers where relevant and complementary to the efforts of organisations in the ecosystem

• Leading and coordinating the development of relevant LSI and Luminate policy positions, related to platform accountability and data & digital rights.

• Support and engage with groups most impacted by platform accountability harms and solutions on policy development and advocacy opportunities. 

• Working jointly with the partnerships team to increase the overall amount of funds available to the ecosystem for this work in Europe.

• Keeping track of policy developments (positive or negative), in close collaboration with the litigation, and campaigns & media teams.

• As part of the LSI leadership team, play an active role in the overall direction and management of the team, culture, strategy and organisational development.

• Bring a diversity, equity, inclusion and justice lens to policy development.

• Managing LSI’s Policy grant making and operational budget.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS 

Note: We view this section as a guide, not a checklist. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t satisfy every single bullet on this list.

• You’re passionate about and an experienced expert in addressing the problems of Big Tech, AI, data & digital rights, and supporting the development of a healthy information ecosystem and a better internet.

• You have a wide and diverse network in Europe of NGOs, policy makers, experts in this space.

• You love getting into the weeds of policy positions and understand how to conduct relevant policy research, and can bring a feminist, human rights perspective to policy making.

• You have great people and leadership skills; you’re quick to establish rapport and build trust.

• You have experience in moving concepts all the way into concrete, adopted policy in more than one country in Europe.

• You’ve spent significant time in collaborative roles that require bringing diverse parties together, identifying common ground and doing meaningful work together.

• You’ve played a key role in developing new initiatives / collaboratives / coalitions involving multiple, diverse parties.

• You’re good at developing strategy and have the patience and focus to execute it.

• You have a good understanding of what it takes to be a good grant maker, either through direct experience in funding, or in fundraising.

• You’re financially literate and able to develop and manage a budget.

• You’re fluent in English and ideally in one additional European language.

Applications are due by Monday 12th June 2023 (11.59pm - British Summer Time)

ABOUT LUMINATE 

Luminate is a global foundation working to ensure that everyone – especially those who are underrepresented - has the information, rights, and power to influence the decisions that shape society. The foundation is focused on enabling people to fully participate in civic and political life, to safely challenge power, and to access accurate, trustworthy information. It was established by philanthropists Pierre and Pam Omidyar and has worked for over a decade on issues related to governance and citizen engagement. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW   

Luminate is a high performing, diverse and inclusive organisation where people can do their best work. We believe in matching individuals to a role that best suits their skills, experience, and career aspirations so that people can successfully fulfil their potential and continue to develop throughout their career with the organisation.

Luminate believes that diversity and inclusion make us more successful in our work, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or national law.