Government Relations Advocate at Association of Washington Cities in Olympia, Washington

Job Description:

Association of Washington Cities (AWC) is recruiting a full-time Government Relations Advocate to join our dynamic and customer orientated team.

The purpose of this position is to advance city government interests with state and local government elected and appointed officials, and to influence the development of laws, policies, budgets, and regulations for state and local programs which affect cities. Although working within a team environment, individual incumbents will have specific subject matter responsibilities. Incumbents are expected to advance the policy objectives of the Association as developed and adopted by the Board of Directors in a non-partisan manner.

AWC welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. We value the unique views, backgrounds, experiences, expertise, and potential of all our employees. We are committed to following our core values of collaboration, equity, innovation, integrity, and respect.

What we offer:

• Exceptional benefits - AWC pays 100% of medical premium for employee and 90% of the medical premium for spouse/domestic partner and child(ren) up to age 26; and 100% of dental and vision insurance
• Basic life insurance and disability insurance
• Fours of paid vacation leave in first year of employment for every semi-monthly pay period, with generous increase in vacation hours earned thereafter
• Four hours of paid sick leave for every semi-monthly pay period
• 11 paid holidays and two floating holidays each year
• 401k with employer matching up to 10% of employee salary or eligible student loan payments
• Opportunity for outstanding performance awards and tuition assistance
• Employer funded HRA ($770 to $1,980 depending on dependents)
• Sabbatical program
• Staff events
• Training and development opportunities
• A workplace where you know you are providing valuable services and making a difference

The salary range for this position is $101,837 to $152,756 annually. The top candidate's placement within the range will reflect education, training, and experience consistent with AWC policies. This position may telework one to two days a week depending on the needs of the team and AWC. During the legislative session, this position works full-time in the AWC office in Olympia.

Recruitment closes on December 2, 2024, at 5 pm.

What you'll be doing

• Develop and/or advance state legislation that promotes or defends the organization's members' interests; work to defeat or improve legislation that is detrimental to city government, including advocating before state legislative committees and rulemaking bodies
• Work on federal legislative and rulemaking proposal as appropriate and engage with the National League of Cities as necessary
• Work with city officials and various policy committees and others to craft the organization's and state and federal policy objectives
• Communicate with elected and appointed city officials regarding state legislative and agency actions or rule making that affects them. Promote action by city officials as appropriate
• Serve as the "city representative" on various task forces and committees representing member cities
• Provide critical analysis of proposed policies that might affect cities, including tax and revenue proposals, and quickly communicate this information to legislative, agency staff and others
• Work daily to develop and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with state and local officials, and representatives of statewide organizations

Requirements

• Five years' experience municipal, intergovernmental relations or lobbying experience, or as a staff member with a state legislature, or other legislative experience
• Bachelor's degree in public administration, finance, political science, or related field required or combination of education, experience, and proven success in a similar role. Master's degree preferred

What you bring to the team

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to articulate complex information in a form which is comprehensible to a diverse audience
• Ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with legislators, legislative staff, executive branch agencies, and numerous other stakeholders to advance the causes of cities
• Ability to effectively work in a team environment with internal and external groups
• Highly skilled at negotiating positions and strategizing on how to advance those positions
• Have superior understanding of cities and city operations/responsibilities
• In depth knowledge of the legislative process, including bill writing, budget writing, and legislative procedure
• Ability to conduct research on complex legislative and public policy issues
• Knowledge of research methodology
• Ability to condense research and complex legislation into concise statements
• Ability to be flexible and open to changing priorities and managing multiple tasks simultaneously within compressed
• Highly skilled at condensing research and complex legislation into concise statements
• Ability to be flexible and open to changing priorities and managing multiple tasks simultaneously within compressed timeframes
• Ability to make effective decisions and to act independently in managing and coordinating assigned duties
• Highly skilled at creating and communicating persuasive arguments
• Ability to meet deadlines and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 office products and ability to learn and use a wide variety of proprietary software
• Ability to plan, organize and prioritize multiple diverse work tasks for self and others
• Ability to model the organization's high standards of quality customer service to all internal and external customers; represent AWC in a positive professional manner, while using tact, discretion, and courtesy
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactive management of personal bias
• Protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, assets, and services through understanding of and adherence to all security and data privacy policies and practices

To request reasonable accommodations in the application process, please email recruiting@awcnet.org.

AWC is looking for people who can help us achieve our mission and vision, not just check the boxes. If you're excited about this role and interested in supporting local government, we encourage you to apply. You might just be the right candidate for this role or other roles at AWC!

All offers of employment are contingent to authorization for employment in the United States, criminal background check, reference checks, and required degree/credential verification. Information obtained from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but may be considered.

All AWC employees must work in Washington state, unless explicitly preapproved by the CEO to work in Oregon or Idaho.

AWC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity on our team. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, as required by federal, state, and local laws.

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