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Director of Government Relations, APS Office of Public Affairs Society Profile The American Physical Society (APS), www.aps.org, a nonprofit membership organization with over 54,000 members working in academia, national laboratories, and industry, is the leading society for physicists in the U.S. and throughout the world. APS is headquartered in College Park, Maryland, with journal editorial operations based in Ridge (Long Island), New York, and an Office of Public Affairs in Washington, DC. Overall, APS is a $55 million/year operation. Position Summary APS seeks a Director of Government Relations for its Office of Public Affairs (OPA). The purpose of the OPA is to facilitate communication between physicists, the public, and government on scientific issues of concern to APS members and to the nation as a whole. The Director of Government Relations is expected to guide the Society in its advocacy and lobbying efforts within the constraints appropriate for a nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional membership organization.   The Director will manage and provide leadership for the OPA and together with the APS Board, Council and CEO will establish a strategic vision for the OPA. The Director will work to facilitate and support the work of two high profile APS Committees: the Panel on Public Affairs (POPA) [i] and the Physics Policy Committee (PPC) [ii] . The Director will serve as a member of the APS senior management team, reporting to the CEO. Roles and Responsibilities include: Establish with the Board, Council and CEO a strategic vision for the OPA consistent with the APS strategic plan. Manage and provide leadership for the OPA staff on a day-to-day basis. Develop a strong network in Washington and key state capitals to stay abreast of emerging policy issues and evolving thinking among policymakers and agencies. Communicate on behalf of APS in matters of science policy with the legislative and executive branches of government. Facilitate access and provide political advice for the APS President (or designee) in his/her role as the principal spokesperson and advocate for the value, needs and health of the physics enterprise. Liaise with the public affairs offices (or their equivalent) of other relevant scientific, engineering and educational societies. Work with the CEO to create appropriate linkages between the OPA and the other principal APS offices. Facilitate, guide and support the work of POPA and PPC. Develop APS member advocacy engagement strategies to represent the physics enterprise with policymakers and provide support to local grassroots efforts. Oversight of the OPA operating budget. EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE Deep familiarity with science policy as well as the physics enterprise and culture. PhD in Physics or related field desirable, but not required. Extensive Washington experience including knowledge of the operations of the legislative and executive branches of government, and the Federal Agencies that support the physics enterprise; a pre-existing network of contacts in all of these areas is desirable. SKILLS AND ABILITIES Excellent verbal and written communication skills for a variety of audiences including the Federal government, APS Board and Council, APS members and the general public. Collaborative style consistent with that of the APS management and governing bodies. Demonstrated ability working with volunteer governance units in complex organizations to achieve measurable outcomes. Ability to establish solid working relationships. Ability to effectively manage highly capable and creative people. Ability to listen and influence, both inside and outside of APS. Ability to work under time pressure. Ability to deal effectively with people in a wide range of internal and external social and professional activities.   ____________________________________________________________________________ [i] POPA undertakes studies of timely issues in the realm of public policy in which physics has particular knowledge or expertise, such as nuclear security and energy technology. POPA is also responsible for drafting and guiding formal APS Statements through the approval process.  [ii] The PPC advises the Society on advocacy positions, including federal budgets for science research, science education, visa and immigration issues among other things.  ____________________________________________________________________________   To apply, send cover letter including salary requirement, resume, and a list of professional references to the attention of Human Resources via e-mail: personnel@aps.org . APS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability , or protected veteran status. EOE M/F/D/V  

Why you want this job This position is responsible for managing 1-800 CONTACTS government relations efforts on the state and local level. In this role, the Manager will provide strategic government relations support for 1-800 CONTACTS. The ultimate goal of which will be to influence policy-makers and public-policy outcomes that enable 1-800 CONTACTS to advocate for the consumer. The core function of the roles will include development and execution of the following strategies: overall government relations, direct and indirect lobbying, political, reputation management and relationship building.   The Manager will also provide subject matter expertise and frequent communication to internal audience about relevant policy and political topics that impact.   Why you’ll love us Of all the companies out there that talk about putting the customer first, 1-800 Contacts is one of the few that walks the walk. We invest in the talent and technology to make sure our customers have a remarkable experience. Why you will love the job Develop and execute strategies related to specific targeted issues, including 1-800 CONTACTS’s consumer advocacy goals  Manage all issues that impact the company at the state and local level, including those government actions that impact the consumer  Use targeted regional and state-specific strategies and tactics to advance 1-800 CONTACTS’s business objectives and advocate 1-800 CONTACTS’s policy positions  Manage outside legislative counsel and, where appropriate, lead industry coalitions to further 1-800 CONTACTS’s legislative and regulatory agenda and support and advance our growth and be a consumer advocate Contribute to the development and implementation of the overall strategic plan for management of 1-800 CONTACTS’s legislative agenda and political development at the state and local level that allows the company to further its growth and profitability  Research, analyze and contribute to the proactive identification of the impact of state and local policy on the optical consumer Analyze, interpret, explain and make recommendations on complex legislative and intergovernmental public policy issues to a non-technical audience  Work closely with operations leadership to bring government relations to life for the optical industry team members through grassroots engagement, training initiatives and direct interactions with local and state elected officials  Represent 1-800 CONTACTS at national organization meetings of state and local legislators to further both issue agendas and relationship building (e.g. National Council of State Legislatures, National Governors’ Association, Senate Presidents’ Forum, National Speakers’ Conference, etc.)  Engage with industry peers and represent 1-800 CONTACTS at relevant committee and task force meetings of … Provide thought leadership and support the team on a broad range of issues including the engineering of strategies that enact or defeat legislative actions in support of business growth and consumer advocacy Build awareness among internal stakeholders of key state policy decisions affecting the optical industry which may have an impact to 1-800 CONTACTS, our employees and/or our growth strategies; engage with these stakeholders to analyze the impact to 1-800 CONTACTS of pending state and local legislative and regulatory matters  Research, develop, write and deliver 1-800 CONTACTS business priorities and issue positions in clear and convincing messages that are appropriate and compelling to various internal and external audiences  Provide updates for 1-800 CONTACTS business and brand leaders that allow them to anticipate and accommodate state and local policy changes to minimize negative impact and optimize positive benefits to the business  Coordinate research and metrics measurement to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of regional reputation  Identify and engage key opinion leaders within targeted markets and key community organizations and special interest groups whose involvement supports and strengthens local optometrist relationships Contribute to the prioritization of state and local issues to determine where enterprise and brand priorities can be influenced by grass roots engagement at the state level  Support the identification of needs for third party representation on key issues and the recruitment and acculturation of contract lobbyists to represent the company  Work with industry representatives to host fund raising events for key legislative leaders  Assist in devising and managing state and local budget and annual expenditures with emphasis on growth areas, reputation management and relationship building  What you have 3 - 5+ years progressive experience in government relations and state and local policy analysis or closely related work required  Direct experience and personal knowledge of state level contribution and lobbying rules required  Corporate, trade association, contract lobbying firm or interest group state government relations experience required  Proven ability to maximize existing relationships with state and local officials required  Bachelor’s degree required (public/business administration, political science, public policy or a closely related field)  When you are extra awesome Extraordinary ability to develop relationships with diverse individuals and audiences required  Exemplary communication skills with both written and oral communications required  Post-graduate degree preferred (MBA or related degree)  Working knowledge of state legislatives associations preferred Campaign experience is a plus for this role  Experience in campaign management and finance including PAC preferred  Experience working in a state or local government legislative office preferred  Why we will love you Experience in public communication including legislative testimony, internal newsletters, etc. preferred  Experience in similar roles in multiple states preferred  Knowledge of “state of the art” means of legislative advocacy required; grass roots mobilization experience preferred