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Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Supervisor: Senior Vice President of External Affairs
Status: Full Time, Exempt


 

What We Need 

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the official non-profit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, supporting its system of 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. We protect these iconic places, care for marine wildlife and habitats, honor our nation’s maritime history and cultural traditions, and promote the enjoyment of these public waters. We work with Congress, the Executive Branch and communities to increase public investment; build Congressional champions; strengthen coalitions and partnerships supporting national marine sanctuaries; and advocate for sound legislative and executive initiatives under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. 

The Policy Director is critical in positioning the Foundation as a trusted and influential leader, raising awareness and support to key public officials and public policy audiences, and driving action for public investment in marine sanctuaries. The person in this position will be responsible for handling the organization's public policy planning and activities, including developing policy agendas and strategies, researching and crafting Foundation policies and positions, elevating and advancing policy actions, strengthening across government relations, and mobilizing coalitions in support of sanctuaries working closely with the President and CEO and Senior Vice President of External Affairs. 

The position is in-office with regular time on the Hill. The Director will oversee a growing team of staff and consultants as well as working collaboratively across the organization to achieve the Foundation mission and vision.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is committed to a culture of inclusion, equity, and belonging. We are dedicated to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. We honor experiences, perspectives, and unique identities, and welcome the contributions that you can bring to the dedicated team. With a diverse team of employees, we can grow and learn better together and achieve our mission to protect the health of the ocean, coasts and Great Lakes for current and future generations. 


 

About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation 

Founded in 2000, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, is the national nonprofit partner to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). Together, we work to protect America’s most treasured ocean and Great Lakes areas — places of extraordinary biodiversity, maritime heritage, and community value.  

Guided by our commitment to Waters for All, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation connects people to the ocean and Great Lakes through education, conservation, and community engagement.  

As the official nonprofit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, we support 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. We protect these iconic places, care for marine wildlife and habitats, honor our nation’s maritime heritage, and promote the enjoyment of public waters by all Americans. 

Through public fundraising and partnerships, we invest in community stewardship and engagement, on-the-water conservation and restoration, education and outreach in visitor centers and gateway communities, and cutting-edge scientific exploration. 

For more than 25 years, we’ve strengthened people’s connections to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes—our shared history, culture, and maritime heritage—and built partnerships with coastal communities and businesses tied to over 629,000 square miles of public waters that belong to all Americans. 


 

What You’ll Do 

  • Public Policy Agendas and Strategic Campaign Leadership: Develop and advance policy agendas and work plans to support increase public investment for the National Marine Sanctuary System; cultivate bipartisan sanctuary champions in Congress; engage, connect, and galvanize communities that want to grow the Sanctuary System; and support the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
    • Research, analyze, and advocate for legislation and regulatory actions and issues directly affecting sanctuaries, including National Marine Sanctuaries Act reauthorization. 
    • Develop, manage and maintain the programs, projects, workflows, and collaborative processes advancing the Public Policy Department’s goals and objectives.
    • Plan and drive campaigns to effectively communicate, connect, and mobilize the Foundation's policy priorities across multiple federal, state, tribal and local partners.  
  • Innovative Policy Initiatives to Support Sanctuary Funding: Plan, develop, lead, and maintain campaigns to advocate for increases in sanctuaries’ funding.
    • Engage the Administration towards a robust Presidents’ Budget for sanctuaries.
    • Support bicameral and bipartisan Member-led efforts and actions towards robust sanctuary federal appropriations.
    • Maintain and increase Foundation coalition partners’ support for sanctuary budget and appropriations.
    • Explore national public policy mechanisms to diversify federal funding additional to base appropriations. As appropriate, work with the VP of Development to support grant writing, state level opportunities, and policy supporting sanctuary resource opportunities.
  • Strengthen Congressional Champions: Cultivate Congressional champions for sanctuaries support.
    • Increase and strengthen the membership, representation, and engagement of the bipartisan House National Marine Sanctuary Caucus.
    • Maintain regular events and activities on the Hill and presence in sanctuary communities to deepen Members’ support of sanctuaries and Foundation.
  • Build the Sanctuary Supporter Base: Support constituent engagement with Members of Congress and Administration to advocate for sanctuaries’ funding.
    • Strengthen external partnerships and identify new opportunities to partner and leverage resources for sustained policy initiatives. 
    • Plan, facilitate and execute events and engagement, such as Take Action letter campaigns, briefings, hill days and district visits, Capitol Hill Ocean Week, and the national sanctuary fly-in that connects local sanctuary leaders to their federal elected officials.
    • Support communities interested in the growth of the National Marine Sanctuary System, through expansions and new designations. 
  • Foundation Policy Influence and Integrity: Improve the visibility, credibility, and influence of the Foundation as a thought leader and trusted partner to key decision makers in support of national marine sanctuaries.
    • Coordinate with the Communications Team to draft and promote white papers, communications materials, and outreach products. 
    • Disseminate information, provide connections, and engage communities to build connections and engagement in sanctuaries.
  • Budget Development and Management: Influence and execute the annual budget process for the department working with other directors as applicable. Support mid-year budget reviews and continuous budget implementation with the Finance Department. 
  • Internal Team Communications: Coordinate with the Human Resources Department to support strong internal communications and policy positions to re-enforce and strengthen an inclusive culture of belonging and excellence.
  • Supervisory: Supervise Foundation project employees and/or consultants working in partner agency locations and/or Foundation HQ Program Operations Coordinator(s) and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.
    • Supervise and mentor public policy team members, provide guidance, support, and feedback to foster professional development and ensure high performance individually and as a team. 
    • Assist in the development of annual SMARTIE performance and professional development goals, support and monitor progress towards goals, and conduct annual performance evaluations. 
    • Approve travel requests, timecards, expense reports, and time off requests. 


 

Who You Are  

Required Qualifications:

  • At least a Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of professional experience working with the Executive Branch, Congress, and/or related fields.
  • Proven track record of strategic leadership and hands on experiences in strategic public policy and/or governance campaigns at the national/federal level. 
  • Skill and experience in developing and maintaining relationships and networking with Congress, the Administration, academics, non-governmental organizations, private businesses and corporations, and the general public.
  • Strong leadership and collaboration skills, effectively working across diverse teams and stakeholders. Skill and experience in organization and priority setting with high attention to detail. 
  • Ability to distinguish between competing priorities and balance complex and demanding workloads; organize and coordinate work assignments. Ability to work on multiple priority tasks concurrently. 
  • Fluency in computer software programs (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Gmail, Asana, and databases).
  • Strong oral and written communication abilities. 
  • Demonstrated commitment to high professional, ethical standards and a diverse workplace.
  • Ability to work in a high-pressure environment. 
  • Regular attendance required.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience recruiting and managing a diverse, high performing team – including staff and consultants -- and fostering a culture of inclusion, creativity, and accountability. 
  • Additional experiences in international, regional, state, tribal, and local public policy and governance levels.
  • Ability to think creatively about challenges and issues, partnerships, and solutions for ocean, coast, and Great Lakes conservation. 
  • Ability to collaborate and work well with others, including local, state, and federal government agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses and corporations, academic institutions and universities, philanthropic organizations and potential funders, etc. 
  • Focus in marine and Great Lakes fields, and a sincere interest in, and commitment to, our mission.


 

 Why You Will Love Us 

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (“Foundation”) is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, working with communities to conserve and expand those special places for a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The Foundation works in close partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to increase stewardship of our ocean and Great Lakes through on-the- water conservation projects, and education and public outreach activities, and by support for research. Together, we safeguard species and the places they call home, and support coastal communities and economies.  

  • Dedicated and passionate staff committed to marine and Great Lakes Conservation 
  • Generous leave policy, plus paid time off the week between December 25 and January 1; and 12 paid holidays  
  • Health benefits: Medical with an FSA option; dental, and vision 
  • Foundation paid Life and Disability Insurance 
  • Preparing for the Future: 403(B) with employer contribution after one year of service 
  • Commuter Benefits 

Compensation and Benefits: $95,000 to $110,000 annually, based on experience. The Foundation offers a competitive benefits package.

Apply through the Foundation's online portal. A cover letter, resume, and three professional references are required with your application. Applications received by May 11, 2026 will be preferred.

Location: Silver Spring, Maryland

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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. The Foundation makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.