Government Affairs Manager

Job Title:  Government Affairs Manager 

Reports To:  Director of Government Affairs 

Department:  Public Policy and Advocacy 

Location:  Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (Remote) 

FLSA Status:  Exempt 

Position Type: Full-time 

Salary Range: $70,202.00-$84,226.00 

About the Organization 

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, healthy and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. NRPA advances this vision by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals as a catalyst for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being.

NRPA’s network of more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals and advocates represent public spaces in urban communities, rural settings and everything in between. NRPA champions and supports the field of parks and recreation through professional development, advocacy, grants and programs, research, publications, and more.

Every day, in communities across the country, the people of parks and recreation are providing essential services and confronting the most pressing issues of our time — advancing mental and physical health, creating climate-ready parks, supporting equity and inclusion, and so much more. We know we cannot solve these challenges alone. By partnering with like-minded organizations — including nonprofits, government agencies, academics and corporate leaders — we bring strength to our programs and mission.

NRPA is a remote first workforce with employees in over 20 states and growing. NRPA provides work/life balance, a collaborative working environment and is committed to our values of trust, continuous learning, diversity and inclusion. To learn more about NRPA’s mission and impact, visit our website: https://www.nrpa.org/.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy, the Government Affairs Manager will work with the Director and NRPA’s contract lobbying firm to implement NRPA’s legislative agenda. In this position, the Manager will focus on congressional outreach that advances NRPA’s legislative agenda and promotes NRPA’s profile among Members of Congress and their staff. The incumbent will work closely with NRPA advocacy, communications, and programmatic staff to communicate policy and advocacy requests.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Under the direction of the Director, conduct outreach to Congress and their staff in a bipartisan fashion on organizational policy goals.
• Support the implementation of the biennial NRPA legislative agenda and the annual refresh of same by contributing to ongoing team dialogue, strategy development and assessment, talking points, case-making, and feedback.
• Collaborate with department and contract lobby firm on the development of targeted outreach plan to support engagement with Congressional members and staff of strategic importance to NRPA and our members.
• Draft, process, and disseminate NRPA’s written communication to Capitol Hill, such as organizational letters to Congress and congressional newsletters in collaboration with marketing and communications staff.
• Respond to NRPA member requests for legislative updates and provides guidance on congressional actions in a timely manner.
• Help to build and strengthen strategic partnerships with organizations and community groups that further NRPA’s policy agenda outcomes.
• Contribute to engagement plan for NPRA Advocacy Committee, including attending committee meetings.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Session Reviewer for advocacy and public policy content during the call for proposals and assist the Conference Program Committee (CPC) in review of proposals for NRPA's annual conference.
• Support NRPA's Annual Conference onsite in ways which may include Opening Reception and Special Event Support and attendance, Membership Area Support, Volunteer support, Education Session Speaker Support, Hybrid Streaming/Virtual Session and Participant Support, or other onsite conference support as needed.
• Represent NRPA with coalition partners, as assigned.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy, a related field
• 2-4 years’ experience working in Congress or in legislative affairs role in a relevant nonprofit or association
• Extensive knowledge of and comfort with the legislative process
• Demonstrated ability to develop and carry out legislative activities
• Familiarity with programs, systems and policies that impact park and recreation, environment, access, equity, diversity and inclusion
• Ability and comfort working with members from all political spectrums and beliefs and finding common ground on our bipartisan agenda without regard for personal political beliefs.
• Emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and ability to work with diverse people, communities, and cultures.
• Strong relationship building skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate well – both orally and in writing - with a variety of audiences, including elected officials and their staff, community advocates and members of the public
• Experience delivering content via presentations, webinars, etc. and facilitating meetings
• Superior writing skills with the ability to translate complex issues into a level appropriate for the general population and for policymakers
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), web-based communications, social media, and some basic design software knowledge.
• Excellent listener and clear communicator comfortable presenting concepts and material to variety of audiences and facilitating conversations
• Professional, confident and approachable demeanor
• Self-directed and detail-oriented
• Commitment to NRPA’s vision, mission, and values
• Committed to working collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external colleagues and inspired to be a contributing member of an inclusive work culture
• Travel: 5 – 10 days per year, or more if needed