Director of Advocacy

The Director will craft a plan for enhancing Ascentria’s brand and voice, shaping an agenda on priority public policy issues to support Ascentria’s work. The plan will include developing external messaging, in collaboration with the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, along with attendance at critical sector events including conferences and legislative forums, both in-person and virtual.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Proactively promote, identify, monitor, and analyze legislation and regulations of significance to program leaders and executive leadership.
• Represent the organization, serving as the primary liaison to state and federal legislators, regulatory agencies, coalitions, lobbying partners and other associations on matters of significance to the agency.
• Lead advocacy activities on behalf of the organization, including drafting comment letters, delivering expert testimony, presenting to external audiences, developing talking points and issuing statements in support of agency policy priorities.
• Research, review, and develop a variety of written materials that clearly and concisely describe policy, regulatory and compliance matters.
• Identify and develop expert internal resources to leverage external communication efforts. Support program leaders in delivery of advocacy messaging.
• Continually evaluate the organization's advocacy strategy and policy deliverables as the policy and regulatory environment evolves.
• Develop and foster first and second tier relationships with key policy makers and staff at various levels of state and federal legislative and regulatory bodies, as appropriate.
• Establish and deepen relationships with like-minded advocacy, trade and policy organizations/associations to aid in monitoring and influencing policies impacting agency programs.
• Organize regular communications and meetings with key government officials, providing opportunities for program leadership to interact with government or government-facing partner and industry stakeholders, to promote agency priorities.
• Assess external, political, and policy-oriented issues and risks that impact agency priorities and design plans for mitigation.
• Represent the organization at various engagements, which could include senior staff and executive level discussions and meetings with elected officials and their staff as relates to advocacy efforts.
• Provide research, analysis and talking points to Executive Team members as needed, including information for external presentations, legislative testimony, etc.
• Coordinate and oversee relationships with lobbying partners, directing their efforts to support agency work and strategic goals.
• Valid state-issued driver’s license and proof of current insurance required.
• Background check and driving record must be maintained in good standing.
• Ability to travel throughout New England, sometimes with little notice.

Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree required.
  • Master’s degree strongly preferred; Master’s degree and internships can be counted toward experience.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of five years of legislative, regulatory, policy development, or advocacy experience.
  • Prior experience working in a legislative/policy/advocacy role within a government agency, for a local, state, or federal legislator, or in a non-profit human services or healthcare provider setting required.
  • Legislation drafting experience preferred, but not required.
• Skills:
  • Demonstrated experience in proposing legislative solutions to identified programmatic gaps.
  • Demonstrated experience in creating collaborative legislative solutions co-created with program leaders.
  • Demonstrated experience in identifying and successfully building relationships with influential legislators and administrators.
  • Excellent presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Strong relationship-building skills, both internally and externally.
  • Demonstrated good judgment and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to use discretion in handling confidential information, including HIPAA compliance.
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize and meet performance expectations with minimal supervision.
  • Ability to make well-reasoned decisions independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Ability to work well both independently and in a fast-paced, collaborative, entrepreneurial environment.
• Leadership and Supervisory skills and qualities:
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with program leaders to co-create solutions.
  • Proven capacity to influence and lead across departments without direct supervisory authority.
  • Experience effectively navigating and building consensus among internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to represent the organization in high-stakes meetings with legislators, administrators, and community partners.
  • Sound decision-making and leadership judgment in complex and time-sensitive situations.