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

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 federal policy matters and for managing and engaging critical external allies and member company relationships through association committees, direct outreach to policymakers, and stakeholder coalitions. The Director reports to the Vice President of Government Relations.

Responsibilities:

• 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 relevant pesticide issues.
• Support the association’s Federal Affairs Committee (FAC) and facilitate its input into legislative strategies and initiatives.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with stakeholders and allies at the national level, including the Pesticide Policy Coalition (PPC) and the broader industry.
• Support association engagement with the PRIA Coalition.
• Cooperatively manage federal lobbyists and ally relationships.
• Direct various association resources and strategic relationships to help ensure the pesticide industry’s right to operate.
• Lead within the CLA government relations team and broader staff to proactively develop and deliver effective legislative strategies at the federal level.

Education/Experience:

• BA/BS degree in public policy, political science, history, or similar fields.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in a related position.
• Prior work experience in federal government relations and/or Congress is strongly preferred.

Additional Qualifications:

• Develops and successfully maintains effective relationships with association members, policymakers, allies, lobbyists, coalitions, stakeholders, and teammates.
• Working understanding of the federal legislative process, including relevant committees and current Members of Congress.
• 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.
• Working knowledge of the 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 pesticide registrations.
• Demonstrates flexibility, sound judgment, discretion, and political acumen.
• Proven ability in consensus building and trust/credibility maintenance.
• Strong analytical, interpretive, evaluative, and constructive thinking skills.