Director, Federal Relations

This position is based in Washington, DC. The Director, Federal Relations will be part of the Federal Relations team in Government & Community Relations which is tasked with advocating for the U of A's federal priorities, creating opportunities to expand the U of A's profile with Members and staff in Congress, leveraging U of A partnerships through grassroots advocacy, and being a service and knowledge base on federal issues to the U of A campus community and stakeholders. This position will require occasional travel throughout Washington, D.C. area as well as Arizona and elsewhere as requested.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Overall Strategy and Agenda-setting:

• In conjunction with Assistant Vice President, develop the annual federal relations agenda and formulating an execution strategy to achieve set goals.
• Work directly with campus stakeholders, associations, organizations, and consultants to identify research and issues most relevant to strategic federal priorities.
• Monitor, research, and draft analyses of federal legislative issues relevant to the University of Arizona.
• Represent the U of A at meetings in DC and at various other locations in the United States.
• Work with GCR staff to ensure effective coordination between Arizona and Washington-based grassroots advocacy efforts.
• Travel to campuses in Tucson and Phoenix, and other facilities throughout Arizona, as necessary, to maintain relationships and provide expertise to U of A stakeholders and the campus community.

Federal Relations/Legislative Liaison/Lobbying:

• Work as a member of the Federal Relations team in the Government and Community Relations department to maintain and strengthen relationships with Congress, especially with members of the Arizona Congressional delegation, as well as other Members of Congress, their staff, and House and Senate Committee staff.
• Prepare and staff U of A visitors for Capitol Hill meetings and visits.
• Maintain regular communication with Capitol Hill staff on relevant research and activities on campus.
• Initiate and maintain status as a registered lobbyist for The University of Arizona.
• Track time spent on lobbying activities in accordance with applicable state and federal lobbying laws.
• Assist, as needed, in the preparation and filing of lobbying disclosure forms.
• Assist, as needed, to help place U of A students as interns in federal offices, and assist in hiring and overseeing student interns for the federal affairs team.

Campus Relations:

• Fulfill requests from the U of A campus community and stakeholders seeking information on federal legislative issues.
• Maintain regular communication on legislative actions and issues relevant to the campus community.

Events:

• Involved in the planning and execution of events at the Washington, DC office.
• Assist with registration, room setup, and other logistics as necessary.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the federal legislative process, especially the structures, roles, and interpersonal dynamics.
• Knowledge of policy issues and political dynamics in Arizona
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Networking and leadership skills

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Ability to travel throughout the Washington, DC-area, Arizona, and elsewhere as requested

• Experience and understanding of the daily Washington operations of Congress and Member offices.
  
• Experience with policy issues and political dynamics of Arizona and the Arizona delegation.
  
• Experience with social media tools and other forms of online communication.