Senior Manager, State Government Relations (Midwest or Northeast Region)

CropLife America (CLA), a trade association located in the Washington, D.C. area, is seeking a full-time Senior Manager of State Government Relations. The Senior Manager of State Government Relations, a key member of the state team, is responsible for representing the association on various state legislative, local, and regulatory matters. Job responsibilities include developing, implementing, and managing effective legislative and political strategies at the state and local levels in support of the organization’s priorities and objectives.  The Senior Manager reports to the Vice President of Government Relations.

Responsibilities:

• Co-leads the State Affairs Committee (SAC), including overall strategy development, budget, coordination with members, and coordination with the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) State Affairs staff.
• Actively manage state and local issues that impact the pesticide industry within the geographic area of responsibility.
• Monitor, review, and analyze all relevant state legislation, identifying emerging policy issues to determine potential impacts on the pesticide industry. Communicate actions, strategies, and threats to CLA staff, leadership, and members.
• Develop legislative strategies to address issues and seek successful outcomes.
• Represent the organization on issues with state and local government officials and decision makers.
• Coordinate across the organization to support legislative strategies with communications, legal, science, and regulatory support.
• Actively collaborate with government relations colleagues and allies to develop strategies and implement tactics. 
• Oversee and manage contract lobbyists and consultants, including lobbying, reporting, and ethics compliance requirements.
• Maintain and foster stakeholder relations to build consensus and coalitions, thereby coordinating on legislative strategies. 
• Effectively work with state legislative, regulatory, and political organizations of importance to CLA with the objective of building relationships and knowledge of our industry and issues. 
• Compose, distribute, and/or deliver informative and persuasive correspondence,  presentations, and advocacy materials such as testimony, policy positions, talking points, and toolkits, grassroots alerts, briefings, reports, and backgrounders on issues.
• Support management of the State Affairs Committee (SAC), including meeting preparation, management, and follow-up, coordinating CLA staff involvement, and addressing SAC members’ needs.
• Other duties as assigned by the Vice President. 

Education/Experience:

• BA/BS degree in agriculture, political science, communications, public relations, environmental science, or a similar field.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in a related position.
• Prior work experience in state government relations is required.
• The ability to produce effective writing, including distilling complex or technical information into concise and influential communications, is essential.

Additional Qualifications:

• Demonstrates excellent organizational, issues management, and analytic skills, along with the ability to take a proactive, self-directed approach.
• Develops and successfully maintains effective relationships with association members, allies, policymakers, lobbyists, coalitions, grassroots stakeholders, and teammates. 
• Skilled and influential speaker and writer with the ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner with legislators and staff, allied organizations,      board of directors, association members, and other industry leaders.
• Capable and motivated to learn and accumulate technical and other knowledge about the pesticide industry.
• Demonstrates flexibility, sound judgment, discretion, and political acumen.
• Skilled problem solver who can make decisions under pressure and in complex situations.
• Manages multiple priorities and meets tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, legislative bill tracking tools, and social media. 
• Travel is required approximately 50% of the time.