SVP, Agricultural & Rural Banking Policy

Military Spouse Corporate Career Network•Columbia, DC

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This role serves as ABA’s lead subject matter expert and advocate on agricultural and rural banking issues, with an overarching goal of achieving a policy environment that fosters a vibrant agricultural and rural economy. The SVP must have deep experience in agricultural policy, as well as a strong understanding of commercial banking, agricultural and rural home lending, and the broader competitive landscape, including non-bank agricultural lenders. The role is responsible for developing and advancing ABA policy positions, supporting the Agricultural Bankers Committee, and representing the association before Congress, regulators, industry groups, aligned organizations, and other stakeholders. Key responsibilities include lobbying the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, preparing testimony and other advocacy materials, leading ABA’s response to relevant regulatory proposals, and building and participating in ag-focused coalitions, forums, and task forces. Based in ABA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, the SVP partners with colleagues across the association to ensure that agricultural and rural banking considerations are integrated into ABA’s legislative, regulatory, communications, research, and membership work. The position also serves as a two-way link connecting ABA’s agricultural banking membership and state association alliance with the association’s broader policy and advocacy teams, ensuring strong and timely information flow. Periodic travel is required for priority member engagement, industry events, and other activities that advance ABA’s policy and advocacy objectives. The SVP leads ABA’s engagement with the agricultural and rural banking community, including developing relationships with bankers across institutions of all sizes, providing briefings to senior bank executives and ABA leadership, serving as a speaker at industry events, providing lead policy support for the annual Agricultural Bankers Conference, and supervising agriculture-focused communications. A key element of the role is translating broader ABA policy positions into the agricultural and rural banking context and clearly communicating those positions to bankers, state alliance partners, policymakers, industry partners, and the media. In addition, the role provides market intelligence and research to inform ABA advocacy, economic research, products, services, and membership initiatives; coordinates the association’s agricultural banking work with outside consultants and other external partners; and serves as a credible external spokesperson on agricultural and rural banking issues.

Requirements

Deep experience in agricultural policy
Strong understanding of commercial banking
Strong understanding of agricultural and rural home lending
Strong understanding of the broader competitive landscape, including non-bank agricultural lenders

Nice To Haves

Experience lobbying the House and Senate Agriculture Committees
Experience preparing testimony and other advocacy materials
Experience leading ABA’s response to relevant regulatory proposals
Experience building and participating in ag-focused coalitions, forums, and task forces
Experience partnering with colleagues across the association to ensure that agricultural and rural banking considerations are integrated into legislative, regulatory, communications, research, and membership work
Experience serving as a two-way link connecting agricultural banking membership and state association alliance with broader policy and advocacy teams
Experience developing relationships with bankers across institutions of all sizes
Experience providing briefings to senior bank executives and ABA leadership
Experience serving as a speaker at industry events
Experience providing lead policy support for the annual Agricultural Bankers Conference
Experience supervising agriculture-focused communications
Experience translating broader ABA policy positions into the agricultural and rural banking context
Experience clearly communicating positions to bankers, state alliance partners, policymakers, industry partners, and the media
Experience providing market intelligence and research to inform ABA advocacy, economic research, products, services, and membership initiatives
Experience coordinating agricultural banking work with outside consultants and other external partners
Experience serving as a credible external spokesperson on agricultural and rural banking issues

Responsibilities

Lead agricultural and rural banking policy and advocacy: Serve as ABA’s primary subject matter expert on agricultural and rural banking issues and develop, advance, and communicate ABA policy positions to promote a vibrant agricultural economy.
Represent ABA with policymakers and external stakeholders: In coordination with the broader Congressional Relations team, advocate before Congress, including the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, regulators, industry coalitions, allied organizations, and the media. Build strong relationships with other Agricultural and rural-focused advocacy groups with shared priorities.
Integrate agricultural and rural banking priorities across ABA: Partner with colleagues across Policy and other ABA functions to incorporate agricultural and rural banking perspectives into association-wide legislative, regulatory, communications, research, grassroots, and membership strategies.
Engage and support ABA’s agricultural banking membership: Lead the Agricultural Bankers Committee, build relationships with bankers across institutions of all sizes, and ensure member perspectives inform ABA advocacy and priorities.
Provide executive-level expertise and communications: Brief senior bankers and ABA leadership, prepare testimony and advocacy materials, speak at industry events, and translate broader ABA positions for agricultural and rural banking audiences.
Support industry programming and strategic initiatives: Lead policy support for the Agricultural Bankers Conference, ensure timely agriculture-focused communications, coordinate outside consultants and partners, and provide market intelligence to support ABA products, services, and membership initiatives.