Director of Governmental Affairs

Ohio Township Association | Blacklick, OH

Position Summary:

The Ohio Township Association (OTA) is seeking a director of governmental affairs. This role is a full-time position located in Blacklick, Ohio. Some travel is required. The director of governmental affairs reports to the OTA Executive Director.

The OTA director of governmental affairs works in collaboration with the Ohio Township Association’s executive director and board in developing and implementing the organization's advocacy priorities. This role represents and advances OTA’s policy agenda before government decision-makers, including elected officials and government agencies. This role also coordinates advocacy work and representation with consultants and trade associations. This position helps guide OTA’s policy agenda by identifying and driving policy initiatives that will advance the OTA’s goals. Additionally, the OTA director of governmental affairs assists the director of education and events in developing and implementing continuing education programs. The OTA director of governmental affairs will work with the executive Director and other staff as appropriate in carrying out the following duties:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Lobbying:

Anticipate policy issues, changes or developments that could impact townships and craft strategies to advocate on OTA's behalf
Effect change and successfully advocate for policymaking that will ultimately benefit townships by engaging elected or other government officials
Develop OTA’s government relations strategy, gain buy in from leadership and effectively execute to grow OTA’s Ohio and Washington, D.C. presence
Manage, coordinate and ensure appropriate utilization of external advocacy efforts, including outside consultants and trade organizations
Monitor, track, analyze and provide recommendations relating to ongoing legislation
Prepare documents for hearings, briefings and collation activities
Provide the OTA Board of Directors with strategic advice on policy issues affecting townships and the OTA, including facilitating high-level meetings between leadership and relevant government officials
Testify in committees on legislation impacting townships
Produce a weekly legislative alert for members
Prepare and file Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (JLEC) forms for the association

Educational Services:

Answer/address member questions regularly via phone and email
Assist in the preparation of presentations and summaries of legislation, policy issues and other matters of importance to townships to members of the OTA
Assist with developing workshop sessions at the annual OTA conference and other events
Attend county township association meetings at the request of members to provide regular legislative updates
Contribute to the OTA magazine, newsletter, county memos, website and information brochures

Miscellaneous Responsibilities:

Always promote the organization in a positive and professional manner
Coordinate OTA officer and board elections correspondence and interviews
Work collaboratively and transparently with staff to ensure alignment between core business priorities and public policy goals
Organize legislative reception for OTA membership in even numbered years and the CLOUT breakfast reception in odd numbered years
Assist with planning and execution of the OTA’s annual conference
Take minutes for the OTA board of director meetings
Organize and manage CLOUT activities, including executive committee and regional meetings
Perform additional responsibilities and performs special projects as directed

Qualifications for the position:

Bachelor's degree
At least 3-5 years of public policy experience, including with state and/or federal policymaking and legislative and regulatory policy processes
Demonstrated experience working within government, companies, consultancies, trade associations or equivalent organizations
Ability to learn the operation of township’s business and the nuances of OTA’s policy concerns quickly and effectively
Highly effective oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
Demonstrated ability to interact at all corporate and political levels effectively and comfortably
Ability to create factual, relevant, and easily understandable talking points, written collateral and other messaging; and persuasively deliver messaging to relevant audiences
Ability to identify and understand key technical aspects pertaining to corporate operations in legislative and regulatory proposals, understand business implications, and synthesize policy documents for internal and external clients
Ability to be flexible and demonstrate strong judgment/decision-making skills and political acumen.
Ability to intelligently build a course of action, analyze trade-offs and provide recommendations even in ambiguous situations
Maintain highest personal levels of ethical conduct, confidentiality and integrity
Think critically, process data from multiple sources, forecast potential scenarios, prioritize based on probability and desired outcome and recommend a best course of action
Highly resourceful team player with demonstrated ability to think innovatively and achieve high- performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Compensation & Benefits:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition, the OTA offers exceptional benefits for employees, including health, vision, dental, retirement plan and paid time off (PTO).

Essential functions of this position:

The work setting of the director of governmental affairs position is a small, professional office. Some offsite work at events sponsored by the OTA, at a location requested by members or at the Ohio Statehouse is also required. Generally, in order to meet the demands of this position, the director of governmental affairs must have the capacity to interact in a professional manner with co-workers, OTA board members, vendors, the media and the public; demonstrate sufficient gross and fine motor skills to work effectively in a professional office; demonstrate emotional stability and organizational skills to exercise good judgment and to work effectively in stressful situations and to meet multiple and competing deadlines; and have the intellectual ability to read, write, synthesize data and help solve problems in a cooperative fashion.

Other specific essential functions of the position of director of governmental affairs are the following: the ability to follow oral or written instructions; operation of a telephone; use of a computer, including the ability to produce documents such as correspondence, reports, memoranda and the like using the computer; a proficient understanding of common software programs such that high quality publications can be produced; a proficient understanding of social media; the ability to maintain a website; the ability to physically move one’s self about a set of small office suites; the occasional ability to lift up to 30 pounds; the ability to accurately perform basic math calculations, such as addition, subtraction and division; and a basic ability for public speaking.

The director of governmental affairs position at the OTA is at-will employment. The director of governmental affairs reports to the OTA executive director. Nothing in this job description, the OTA Constitution, the OTA policies or the OTA employment manual restricts management’s right to assign or reassign different or additional duties and responsibilities to this position.

About OTA:

The Ohio Township Association is a nonprofit association dedicated to preserving and promoting township government in Ohio, through legislation, amicus curiae briefs, educational publications, and conferences/seminars. The director of governmental affairs is a full-time position located in Blacklick, Ohio. Some travel is required. The director of governmental affairs reports to the executive director of the OTA. The OTA is an equal opportunity employer.

To Apply:

Email your cover letter and resume to Kelli Bailey, OTA office & membership coordinator, at bailey@ohiotownships.org.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 30, 2023.

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