Senior Associate, Governmental Affairs

Title: Senior Associate, Governmental Affairs

Office: Office of Governmental Affairs

Supervisor: Vice President, Governmental Affairs

Level: Senior Associate

Status: Full-Time; Exempt

Location: Washington, DC

Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed as received with preference given to those received by September 10, 2021.

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the US, Canada, and Mexico, is seeking a Senior Associate to support its Office of Governmental Affairs. The incumbent will provide a full range of moderate to complex administrative support to the office, including coordinating contact lists & databases, coordinating meetings, drafting documents, communicating with government affairs professionals of APLU member institutions via routine correspondence and newsletters, etc. The ability to effectively interact with a diverse group of external constituents as well as APLU staff at all levels is critical to this role. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated capacity to handle such interactions, sometimes under pressure, while being an excellent writer, proactive, and efficient. This full-time position is based in Washington, DC. (Employees are working remotely from locations within DC, MD, VA at least through 2021 due to COVID0-19.) For more information, please consult www.aplu.org.

APLU is a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With a membership of 244 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations, APLU's agenda is built on the three pillars of increasing degree completion and academic success, advancing scientific research, and expanding engagement. Annually, member campuses enroll 5 million undergraduates and 1.3 million graduate students, award 1.3 million degrees, employ 1.3 million faculty and staff, and conduct $49.2 billion in university-based research. For more information about APLU, consult www.aplu.org.

APLU’s Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) leads the association’s engagement with Congress and the administration to advance policy that furthers the ability of public universities to impact society through their education, research and community engagement missions. As a membership association with institutions in all 50 states, APLU is uniquely positioned to effectively advocate for its priorities. APLU’s advocacy is conducted in close collaboration with member institutions through its Council on Governmental Affairs, which consists of university federal relations officers, as well as other key university leaders such as vice presidents for research and presidents and chancellors. To learn more about our work, visit https://www.aplu.org/policy-and-advocacy/.

The Senior Associate, Governmental Affairs will have a number of administrative and support responsibilities including, but not limited to, the following:

·       Provide support to the Office’s Vice President and Associate Vice President, including calendaring, scheduling, expense reimbursements, credit card reconciliations, etc.

·       Maintain updated information in event and member databases, listservs, and other group communication lists.

·       Draft, edit and circulate correspondence with constituents via our online marketing tool (Marketo), e-mail and postal mail.

·       Track budgets and departmental expenses.

·       Update OGA’s pages on website.

·       Serve as project coordinator for special projects at the request of supervisor.

·       Coordinate logistical aspects of conferences and meetings (both virtual and in-person) including coordinating hotel contracts, managing catering and room set-up, drafting/compiling/disseminating meeting materials, coordinating technology, etc.

·       Coordinate meeting budgets and prepare financial reports.

·       Coordinate meeting evaluation forms and compile summary reports.

·       Draft and transmit regular electronic newsletters and announcements (~2-3 per week).

·       Locate and maintain contact information and other requested details of congressional members and their staff.

·       Help transmit correspondence to Congress.

·       Assist OGA and other APLU Offices with inviting policymakers to speak at meetings and managing the logistics of such occurrences.

·       A bachelor’s degree in a related field.

·       3+ years of experience in the structure and workings of the U.S. government, preferably as it pertains to higher education issues.

·       Experience planning and coordinating all aspects of events both virtually and in person.

·       Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Proven ability to write and edit for multiple audiences and types of communication materials.

·       Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to navigate relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and at all levels.

·       Reliable, self-starter with demonstrated organizational and planning skills, and a keen attention to detail. Able to balance multiple, complex tasks and priorities, resolve problems, meet deadlines, and recognize potential issues and bring them to the attention of the appropriate team members.

·       Excellent judgment regarding matters of significance. Ability to multitask and prioritize projects/responsibilities. Able to complete tasks in a timely manner both independently and collaboratively.

·       Experienced and skilled in the use of Microsoft office products and web-based research information tools. Experience using a customer relations management (CRM) system and databases. Comfort using and learning new technologies.

·       Demonstrated ability to work both as part of a team and independently, including taking direction from and communicating with multiple team members to keep track of activities and priorities on multiple projects. 

·       Strong commitment to advancing higher education initiatives.

·       Ability to travel domestically as needed.

Please send a letter of interest and resume to APLU’s Human Resources Department at resume@aplu.org with the subject line: Senior Associate, OGA. Applications will be reviewed as received with preference given to those received by September 10, 2021. APLU is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, and supports staff with a generous benefits package.

 

APLU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, employing, training, compensating, and promoting staff regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.