Director State Government Relations

Thank you for considering a career at Port Houston. We appreciate your interest in joining our team. By applying, you are taking an important step toward advancing your career with an organization committed to excellence.

Port Houston offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a diverse, inclusive work environment. Joining our team means embarking on a fulfilling career path with opportunities for growth and impact.

Before submitting your application, please ensure your resume is ready for upload in either .doc or .pdf format. Application must be completed in full.

**This remote position based in Austin, Texas that requires approximately 15% travel to Houston, Texas to support business needs and in-person collaboration.

Position Summary:

The Director of State Government Relations serves as Port Houston’s senior strategist and principal representative for state-level legislative and executive engagement. This role is responsible for shaping and advancing the organization’s statewide public policy agenda in alignment with Port Houston’s long-term strategic plan, capital investment priorities, and economic development objectives. Acting as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, the Director provides high-level counsel on legislative, regulatory, fiscal, and political developments that may impact the Port’s governance authority, infrastructure funding, operational flexibility, and competitive positioning. The position ensures that Port Houston’s interests are proactively positioned within the Texas Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and key state agencies. This role requires sustained executive presence in Austin during legislative and special sessions, as well as ongoing engagement throughout the interim to influence policy formation, protect statutory authority, and secure strategic funding opportunities.

Key Responsibilities/Duties:

Legislative Strategy & Advocacy

• Develop and implement Port Houston’s state legislative agenda in coordination with executive leadership.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on proposed state legislation, regulations, and policies that may impact port operations, maritime commerce, trade, infrastructure, and environmental initiatives.
• Draft state focused legislative testimony, position statements, and policy briefings for internal and external use.
• Represent Port Houston before the Texas Legislature, regulatory agencies, and related organizations at the state-level.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with state legislators, Texas executive branch officials, agencies, and state-level industry associations (including the Texas Ports Association).
• Serve as a key contact for state government inquiries related to Port Houston operations, priorities, and policy positions.
• Position Port Houston as a statewide economic driver and critical infrastructure partner

Policy & Regulatory Coordination

• Collaborate with internal departments to assess state legislative impacts on port operations and capital projects.
• Monitor and interpret state regulatory developments affecting marine terminals, environmental permits, security mandates, transportation and intermodal operations
• Partner with legal, environmental, operations, and channel development teams to ensure alignment of state advocacy and compliance strategies.
• Participate in state-based coalitions and partnerships that promote port-related economic development, supply chain efficiency, and maritime policy advancement.

Communications & Reporting

• Provide updates, reports, and strategic recommendations to the Director of Government Relations.
• Develop quarterly state affairs dashboards and KPI reports
• Develop briefing materials, coordinated messaging, and communication strategies to support state government relations goals.
• Represent Port Houston at conferences, public forums, and stakeholder meetings as required.

Travel Requirements

• This role is based in Austin, TX (remote work) and involves up to 30% travel to client sites across the State of Texas (predominantly the greater Houston area) including trips for project kick-offs and training sessions. Travel may include:
• Some travel may occur on evenings or weekends to meet project deadlines or attend industry events.
• Domestic travel: Typically, 2–3 days at a time, once or twice per month.
• Act in accordance with Port Houston core values (respect, excellence, accountability, diligence, and you).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Public Administration, Law, Business, or related field from a 4-year accredited private or public institution required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in government relations, legislative affairs, or public policy—preferably in transportation, infrastructure, or maritime sectors.
• Demonstrated relationships within state government

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Behaviors:

• Knowledge of state legislative matters
• Critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Oral and written communication skills
• Client, colleague, and stakeholder service skills
• Leadership and management skills
• Analytical skills
• Research skills
• Project management skills
• Financial management skills
• Knowledge of event planning
• Demonstrated relationships with Texas state legislators, executive agencies, and key public affairs networks.
• Strong legislative analysis, negotiation, and advocacy skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities, including public speaking and policy drafting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, high-visibility environment.
• Ethical judgment, political acumen, and strategic thinking required.

Key Competencies Required:

• Political Acumen
• Strategic Relationship Building
• Legislative and Regulatory Expertise
• Communication and Influence
• Policy Analysis and Development
• Leadership and Collaboration
• Integrity and Accountability

This work site location of this job is:

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but due to open office environment noise level may occasionally be high.  To apply, please go to porthouston.com/careers.  Only applications submitted through the Port Houston Careers website will be acknowledged.  Port Houston is an equal opportunity employer and participates in the E-Verify program supervised by the U.S. Government.

Disclaimer:

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

We appreciate your interest in Port Houston. Port Houston is an equal employment opportunity employer. Port Houston’s policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Port Houston also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. Application must be completed in full.