Policy Development Senior Manager (GNSO)

Primary Location Los Angeles

Department 0510 - Policy Development Support

The Policy Development Senior Manager (GNSO) independently leads staff support for complex GNSO and cross-community policy development initiatives from inception through Board consideration, serving as a senior staff resource to community leaders and ICANN org. The role provides strategic guidance on policy development processes, facilitates consensus-building among diverse global stakeholders, and develops substantive policy recommendations, reports, and other policy documentation on issues of significant complexity and organizational importance.

Working with a high degree of independence, the Policy Development Senior Manager leads multiple concurrent policy initiatives, anticipates emerging policy and governance issues, and collaborates across ICANN to support informed policy development and effective organizational coordination. Following adoption of policy recommendations, the position serves in an advisory role during implementation, providing guidance to help ensure implementation remains faithful to the intent of community-developed recommendations.

The position serves as a recognized subject matter expert in ICANN's multistakeholder policy development processes and contributes to the continuous improvement of Policy Development Process.

Key Responsibilities & Duties

• Lead staff support for complex GNSO and cross-community policy development processes from initiation through Board consideration.
• Serve as a primary staff advisor to Working Group Chairs and community leaders, providing strategic guidance on policy processes, procedural matters, meeting planning, consensus-building approaches, and effective working methods.
• Research, analyze, and synthesize complex policy, technical, legal, operational, and governance issues, developing reports, recommendations, briefing materials, issue papers, and other substantive policy documentation.
• Facilitate discussions among diverse global stakeholders to advance consensus on complex and often contentious policy issues while preserving the integrity of ICANN's multistakeholder model.
• Develop strategic options and procedural approaches that help community working groups navigate complex policy questions, competing stakeholder interests, and consensus-building challenges.
• Exercise independent judgment in advising community leaders and ICANN org on complex procedural, governance, and policy issues where precedent may be limited and stakeholder interests may conflict.
• Collaborate with colleagues across ICANN throughout the policy development lifecycle to ensure policy recommendations are well understood and operational considerations are appropriately considered during policy development.
• Following Board adoption of policy recommendations, collaborate with implementation teams and subject matter experts by providing policy expertise and guidance to help ensure implementation reflects the intent of community-developed recommendations.
• Represent Policy Development Support in ICANN Public Meetings, webinars, workshops, and other community engagement activities, presenting complex policy issues to diverse global audiences.
• Identify opportunities to improve policy development processes, tools, and working methods, contributing to the strategic evolution and continuous improvement of Policy Development Processes.
• Mentor and provide guidance to less experienced Policy Development staff, fostering knowledge sharing and professional development across the team.
• Lead special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Expert knowledge of ICANN's multistakeholder model, the GNSO Policy Development Process, and Internet governance.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead highly complex policy development initiatives involving diverse international stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of DNS policy issues and their technical, legal, commercial, and public interest implications.
• Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex technical and policy issues into clear recommendations and written materials for diverse audiences.
• Outstanding facilitation, diplomacy, and consensus-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes and build alignment among stakeholders without formal authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive briefing, public speaking, and presentation experience.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate emerging policy, governance, and implementation considerations and develop practical approaches to address them.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and mentoring professional staff.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, international, multicultural environment.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a globally distributed team across multiple time zones.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and presentation software.

Education and Experience Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree or higher in Public Policy, International Relations, Political Science, Law, Internet Governance, or a related field preferred.

Experience

• Typically requires a minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in international policy development, Internet governance, regulatory affairs, public policy, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Significant experience facilitating multistakeholder policy development processes, supporting consensus-building, and working with international stakeholder communities.
• Experience advising senior executives, Boards, or international governance organizations is highly desirable.
• Fluency, both written and spoken, in English is required; fluent written and spoken language skills in any of the other official United Nations languages is preferred.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Comfort level with an international work environment that requires availability at times outside normal business hours, up to seven days per week in limited instances.
• International travel may be required to support ICANN related meetings as requested for lengths of 7-10 days for each trip, approximately three times per year.
• Work may be performed in a normal office environment with limited privacy and some exposure to background noise.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee regularly is required to sit. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear; use hands and arms to reach, handle or feel. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Targeted Base Salary Low:

Targeted Base Salary High:

Note: The salary range provided here is a general estimation for the position at the time of posting based on the primary location. Salary ranges vary based upon geographic regions and countries. Final compensation packages take into consideration of a variety of factors including but not limited to a candidate’s location, work experience, knowledge, skills and other compensable factors.