The American Flood Coalition is a bipartisan, member-driven coalition working to scale innovative solutions to the country’s toughest flood adaptation challenges. AFC comprises more than 450 elected officials, local leaders, municipalities, civic and military groups, and businesses that work together to advance flood solutions at the local, state, and federal levels. As the only national coalition that focuses on flooding and sea level rise across all levels of government, AFC is uniquely positioned to transform how communities around the country adapt to flooding and sea level rise.

Position Summary

We are seeking a dynamic bridge builder to establish and maintain relationships with state elected and appointed officials, as well as other key decision makers across states. The Senior State Government Relations Associate will join our State Strategy team, which is responsible for developing and scaling flood resilience policies and best practices across states. This individual will contribute to our work in developing templates, frameworks, and sample policy to support state solutions to flooding, making the connections unnecessary to move solutions from concept to implementation. By cultivating and maintaining authentic relationships with key officials and providing input on strategic decisions, this individual will be a critical player across multiple teams.

The ideal candidate will be a driven self-starter with a strong understanding of the legislative process, outstanding interpersonal skills, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire to apply their experience to grow our coalition. If you want to work alongside immensely passionate and talented people who are intent on helping flood-affected communities adapt and thrive, we want to talk to you. This is a full-time position reporting to our State Government Relations Director, and will be located in our headquarters in Washington, DC. While this position is posted as a Senior Associate role, we are open to hiring an Associate if you have fewer years of experience (see qualifications below). This role will require occasional work travel, no more than 20% of time.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with Midwestern state legislators, agency officials, and other key decision makers across states, and educate them on opportunities to build resilience and reduce flood risk.
Monitor legislation in key states to keep track of the status of legislative efforts and maintain a steady awareness of relevant ongoing policy priorities, hearings, briefings, etc.
Advise on tactics to support the creation and implementation of strategy to develop events, programming and partnerships to engage state legislators across the country interested in flooding.
Serve as a collaborative thought partner in testing and refining hypotheses on how to effectively scale policy and best-practices across states.

Qualifications

Note: we are open to hiring either a Senior Associate or an Associate to fill this role. The qualifications for both are listed below.

Senior Associate

5+ years experience in government relations, association management, lobbying, or legislative staffing, with experience in Midwestern states preferred.
Demonstrated experience building strong, authentic relationships with lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Strong track record of breaking down and communicating complex issues and topics for a variety of audiences, verbally and in writing in a clear and compelling manner.

A track record of effectively engaging senior stakeholders across in-person and remote settings.
Demonstrated aptitude in all areas of strategy development, including project management, problem-solving, and communication.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills, with an aptitude for effectively delivering messages to varying audiences and fostering relationships with key people.
Willingness to register as a lobbyist, if required.

Associate

3+ years experience in government relations, association management, lobbying, or legislative staffing, with experience in Midwestern states preferred.
Demonstrated experience building strong, authentic relationships with lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Ability to communicate complex issues in a clear, credible, and compelling manner, verbally and in writing, in a clear and compelling manner.
Ability to build collaborative cross-functional relationships and effectively engage stakeholders across in-person and remote settings.
Strong writing and editing skills with a keen attention to detail.
Willingness to register as a lobbyist, if required.

Location

Washington, DC

Benefits

Senior Associate salary range: $80,000-$99,000
Associate salary range: $70,000-$84,000
Generous and flexible paid time off.
12 weeks of paid parental leave
Health, dental, and vision insurance.
401k plan with 4% employer match.
Company-paid short-term and long-term disability, as well as basic life insurance and other voluntary benefits.
Relocation assistance to DC for new employees living outside of the D.C. metropolitan area.

We also offer:

A hybrid work schedule: All D.C.-based are in-person in our D.C. office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the option to work from home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Company-sponsored outings, such as happy hours, after-work activities, a holiday party, an annual retreat, and more.
Office closure the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
A modern office with amenities, including gym access, snacks and drinks, a business casual dress code, and a collaborative floor plan with options to suit every workstyle.

Please apply at https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/americanfloodcoalition/jobs/4524753008

We encourage you to apply for this position even if you do not meet 100% of qualifications listed here. The American Flood Coalition is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We invite applications from candidates with unique backgrounds and strive to create and maintain an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

Position Summary