Director, Federal Government Relations at CropLife America & RISE – Arlington, Virginia

CropLife America (CLA), a trade association in the Washington, DC area, is seeking a full-time Director of Federal Government Relations. The Director, Federal Government Relations, is a member of the Government Relations team and is responsible for representing the association on various federal policy matters and for the management and engagement of critical external allies and member company relationships through various association committees, issue management teams, and stakeholder coalitions. The Director reports to the Vice President of Government Relations.

Responsibilities:

• Direct various association resources and strategic relationships to defend the pesticide industry's right to operate.
• Lead within CLA government relations team and broader staff to proactively develop and deliver effective legislative strategies at the federal level.
• Serve as a lobbyist responsible for industry policy and advocacy related to the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), federal appropriations, and other emerging pesticide issues.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with stakeholders and allies at the national level, including outreach and education for the Pesticide Policy Coalition (PPC) and the broader commodity group and grower industry.
• Support association engagement with the PRIA Coalition.
• Support the association's Federal Affairs Committee (FAC) and facilitate its input into legislative strategies and initiatives.
• Track and achieve fluency with federal legislation, statutes, and regulations.
• Cooperatively manage federal lobbyists and ally relationships.

Education/Experience:

• BA/BS degree in agriculture, political science, environmental science, or similar fields.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience in a related position.
• Prior work experience in federal government relations is preferred, as is familiarity with the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and/or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• It is essential to produce effective written work products, including distilling complex or technical information into concise and influential communications.

Additional Qualifications:

• Develops and successfully maintains effective relationships with association members, allies, policymakers, lobbyists, coalitions, grassroots stakeholders, and teammates.
• Working understanding of federal legislative and regulatory process, including rules and procedures of relevant legislative and regulatory bodies.
• Working knowledge of provisions of primary statutes and regulations governing the pesticide industry.
• Basic understanding of and the ability to communicate science-related issues, including data development required to support registration and reregistration with government officials, coalition members, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate with CLA Legal Department to draft legislative text and amendments for the pesticide industry.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with an ability to produce effective communication materials, including the ability to distill complex and/or technical information into concise, influential communications.
• Demonstrates flexibility, sound judgment, discretion, and political acumen.
• Proven ability at consensus building and trust/credibility maintenance is a must.
• Strong analytical, interpretive, evaluative, and constructive thinking skills.
• Must have a strong command of the English language.