Policy Director

NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY•Silver Spring, MD

5h•Onsite

About The Position

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is seeking a Policy Director to serve as a critical leader in positioning the Foundation as a trusted and influential voice. This role is responsible for raising awareness and support among key public officials and policy audiences, and driving action for public investment in marine sanctuaries. The Policy Director will manage the organization's public policy planning and activities, including developing policy agendas and strategies, researching and crafting Foundation policies and positions, advancing policy actions, strengthening government relations, and mobilizing coalitions in support of sanctuaries. This position works closely with the President and CEO and Senior Vice President of External Affairs. The role is in-office with regular time spent on Capitol Hill. The Director will oversee a growing team of staff and consultants and collaborate across the organization to achieve the Foundation's mission and vision. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, equity, and belonging, and seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

Develop and advance policy agendas and work plans to support increased 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.
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.
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 in addition to base appropriations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coordinate with the Human Resources Department to support strong internal communications and policy positions to reinforce and strengthen an inclusive culture of belonging and excellence.
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.