Director, Government Relations

MISSION

The mission of the Government Relations Director is to lead the execution of the organization’s legislative agenda, deepening our influence and impact to ensure student-focused reforms are adopted and protected on a long-term basis. The Government Relations Director serves as the face of the organization on Capitol Hill and is an essential member of the Tennesseans for Student Success team. You will work in partnership with the advocacy, communications, and outreach teams to identify and implement legislative and political strategies for supporting organizational initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Government Relations will have the following primary responsibilities:

• Represent Tennesseans for Student Success on Capitol Hill and before the Governor’s Office, Department of Education, and before state boards and commissions
• Build strong relationships with legislators, legislative staff, and other strategic partners
• Ensure TSS’ policy positions are shared with government officials and all appropriate parties
• Research and examine legislative and regulatory proposals
• Influence elected officials, opinion leaders, and stakeholders on essential TSS policy priorities
• Efficiently and effectively serve as a liaison to stakeholders, partners, and others
• Support the ongoing development of a comprehensive state advocacy agenda for Tennesseans for Student Success and its partners
• Work collaboratively with the Advocacy Director to develop influence strategies for legislative and advocacy work
• Collaborate with the advocacy and outreach teams to implement an evergreen, multi-year strategy for achieving advocacy goals leaning on your knowledge of the legislative process to increase the speed and efficacy of student-centered policy
• Build strong strategic partnerships with advocacy organizations statewide, leveraging the collective advocacy strength. Seek innovative ways to deepen relationships with existing partners while expanding the coalition to represent all students in Tennessee
• Brief the CEO of critical activity, legislation, and other essential developments in real time

COMPETENCIES

You understand the world of politics and political strategy. You have an exceptional ability to identify and articulate the macro- and micro-level political and legislative dynamics that shape a given situation. You have significant experience working in politics, policy, and advocacy, such as legislative and policy advising, campaigns, or lobbying. You have a deep familiarity and grasp of the education policy landscape. You have a strong understanding of the art and science of building and exercising political power and influence toward specific policy outcomes. You can quickly synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to formulate insights and draw conclusions about the political dynamics of any given context. You can articulate concrete recommendations on how to organize and deploy resources to achieve policy and political goals. You understand the significance of relationships and events independent of prevailing attitudes, or your own biases.

You have credibility as an expert. You demonstrate mastery on a wide range of topics. Your opinion and perspective in areas where you have expertise and experience are respected and sought out. You have a probing mind that seeks to resolve problems based on their priority. You can absorb new information quickly, prioritizing actionable information and disseminating it quickly to the right team members. To stay informed, you continually seek out new knowledge and ideas.

You are a proactive and persistent problem solver. You hold yourself personally responsible for results and are patiently persistent as you follow up and follow through. You are relentless and efficacious in managing your time and prioritizing your tasks. You know, intrinsically, how to spot essential and nonessential tasks. You find ways to clear barriers to meet your goal. You get the job done and are allergic to excuses. You do not wait to be told what to do. You’re adept at laying out a project plan that reflects the organization’s expectations and ensuring that key deadlines are met. You successfully navigate unexpected challenges and changes in real time. You think of the needs of other team members and their projects, always anticipating and problem-solving in advance of deadlines.

You are an excellent communicator. You use clear and concise language without being overly verbose or talkative. Your writing is concrete and actionable. You are comfortable writing legislation, policy briefs and memos from scratch. Others have said that your writing is concrete and actionable. You use evidence and examples to back up your recommendations. You understand the context in which you are communicating, and respond professionally and effectively, tailoring your message depending on the audience. You are skilled in communicating with a wide range of critical stakeholders.