State Affairs Manager, East

National Restaurant Association • Washington, DC

14d • Hybrid

About The Position

The National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation are proud to be part of a highly respected industry, providing hospitality, opportunity, and quality of life. Much like the industry we represent, we have a dynamic, diverse, and inclusive culture, grounded in trust, hospitality, collaboration and innovation. We currently have an opportunity within our Public Affairs Department for a State Affairs Manager, responsible for the Eastern region. As an integral member of the State Affairs team, you will develop and implement legislative, grassroots, communications, and public affairs strategies, serving as the primary Public Affairs contact for State Restaurant Associations (SRAs) and national chain restaurant partners. You will also work in close collaboration with State Affairs Manager, East, and Coordinator of State Affairs. We are looking for a highly collaborative, experienced government affairs professional with a keen understanding of state and local public affairs, including legislative, regulatory, and political processes. The ideal candidate will bring five to seven years of experience, successfully working in aligned positions in state or local government, on political or advocacy campaigns, Capitol Hill, Trade Association, or other private sector work. Strong familiarity with the legislative landscape in the Eastern region is highly desirable. You will thrive in this role if you are a self-starter with strong relationship-building skills, and the confidence and diplomacy to engage stakeholders at all levels. Position must operate out of our DC office, with a required three days onsite, Monday – Wednesday, with flexibility to work remote on Thursday and Friday. The work you will do as part of our Public Affairs team will play a pivotal role in our efforts to support and advocate for the industry. We look forward to hearing from you! We are proud to offer our team members comprehensive benefits, designed to support their financial, professional, and personal well-being. In addition to outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision), competitive salaries, generous vacation and leave time, we offer a matching 401(k) plan, a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships, as well as programs to support career and skills development, including coaching, learning and tuition assistance, and so much more.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, government relations, public policy or equivalent.
• Five to seven years of experience successfully working in aligned positions in state or local government, on political or advocacy campaigns, on Capitol Hill, Trade Association, or other private sector work.
• Fundamental government, political, and public policy knowledge.
• Highly collaborative and accountable with proven interpersonal and diplomacy skills.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with at all levels of the organization.
• Creative thinker who can develop and implement new grassroots and public affairs strategies.
• Work effectively under pressure and prioritize work, often juggling multiple assignments within short timeframes while following through and meeting deadlines.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accountability to established timelines.
• Intellectual horsepower, emotional intelligence, and curiosity.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; demonstrate clear and concise business communication skills.
• Ability to maintain accurate data/information and confidentiality of work records.
• Highly effective organizational, time-management, priority-setting and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Responsive to change and leads as a change agent; highly adaptable and resilient.
• Possess strong work ethic and high degree of integrity; shows discretion and protects confidential information.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to work independently; a self-initiator, versatile and assumes risk with responsibility.
• Proficiency across Microsoft Office products, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel and ability to learn new technology as needed.
• Ability to travel, approximately 30%.

Responsibilities

• Manage the relationship between the State Affairs team and the Association’s State Restaurant Association (SRA) partners in the Eastern region of the United States.
• For the Eastern region: Serve as the Association’s point person for its SRA partners.
• Serve as the Association’s point person for its national chain partners regarding public policy.
• Develop and implement legislative, grassroots, communications, and public affairs strategies.
• Manage the relationship between the Association and consultants.
• Collaborate with the Coordinator, State Affairs, to provide frequent legislative reports and analysis for the Association’s chain government affairs representatives.
• Manage and oversee state specific advocacy projects such as polling by sourcing vendors and managing vendor relationships.
• Attend government affairs meetings with elected officials at the state and local levels.
• Manage the strategy and organization behind grassroots campaigns by working in close collaboration with the Association’s Grassroots team and outside consultants.
• Lead communications and coordination of policy positions with government affairs personnel at member companies, SRAs, allied industry and trade associations as well as external political groups that represent state and local officials.
• Prepare legislative summaries and reports for Board, State Affairs team, SRAs, member companies and other key stakeholders.
• Develop strong relationships with SRA staff as well as members of the chain restaurant government affairs community.
• Assist the VP, State Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, regarding the Association’s relationship with its SRA partners in the Eastern region.
• Represent the Association at political conferences and events around the country.
• Give presentations on behalf of the State Affairs team at internal and external meetings as needed.
• Travel to support the Association’s partnership with SRAs, including travel to SRA meetings and industry conferences.

Benefits

• outstanding healthcare coverage (medical, dental and vision)
• competitive salaries
• generous vacation and leave time
• matching 401(k) plan
• a unique collection of corporate discounts and memberships
• programs to support career and skills development, including coaching, learning and tuition assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees