Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy

BusPatrol • Austin, TX

1d

About The Position

BusPatrol is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Policy Leader with deep knowledge, experience, and interest in traffic safety policy development and state/local legislative implementation to serve as our Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations. This high-profile position reports directly to the executive leadership team and works in close partnership with the Growth, Legal, Operations, and Marketing departments. Candidates must demonstrate an ability to work successfully with limited supervision, leading independently while aligning seamlessly with overarching company goals. The VP of Public Policy must help cultivate motivated and credible local leaders—armed with the right research and proposals—to advance a winning legislative agenda. You will continue our success in authorizing automated enforcement laws in close cooperation with our national and local civic, elected, law enforcement, and school district partners, backing them up with data and mobilizing diverse and compelling voices.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive leadership experience working in public advocacy, government affairs, lobbying, or a closely related policy field at the state or larger municipality level.
• Deep knowledge of the legislative process at multiple levels of government, as well as the ability to think strategically, negotiate effectively, and work across party lines.
• Proven staff management and project management skills, including experience managing remote teams and contract lobbyists.
• Excellent time management, organizational, and research skills.
• Ability to strategically prioritize workload and execute a high volume of work in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills, with a high degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to draft legislation and policy memos.
• Comfortable working in a collaborative team environment and dealing effectively and tactfully with a wide variety of stakeholders (politicians, police chiefs, superintendents).
• Must be proficient with the Microsoft Office suite and comfortable working with CRM and legislative tracking software.

Nice To Haves

• A Juris Doctorate (JD) or an advanced degree in public policy, public administration, political science, planning, or a related field.
• Experience working within or closely with a state or local transportation agency, department of education, or law enforcement agency.
• Subject matter expertise in camera-based traffic enforcement, transportation policy, education policy, or GovTech/B2G sales environments.
• Experience working with diverse populations and driving policy that positively impacts community equity and public safety.

Responsibilities

• Manage policy-related activities in partnership with targeted constituent groups (e.g., law enforcement, school boards, safety advocates) at the state and municipal levels across the country.
• Lead BusPatrol's public policy development, legislative drafting, and implementation efforts to authorize and expand automated school bus stop-arm enforcement at multiple levels of government.
• Supervise the work product of a high-functioning internal government relations team and manage a diverse network of external contract lobbyists. Oversee legislative tracking, content creation, and project management.
• Develop tactics and strategy for a number of distinct state-by-state policy initiatives, working closely with BusPatrol’s Growth, Legal, and Communications teams to ensure compliance and market readiness.
• Work with our partner municipalities and school districts across the U.S. to help them prepare policies for emerging technological innovations in traffic safety, automated enforcement, and smart city data platforms.
• Build the capacity of our local champions and partners to effectively engage with state and local leaders on our shared child safety and traffic enforcement policy agenda.
• In target growth states, work directly with local partners to promote violator-funded safety programs and secure the necessary legislative and regulatory frameworks for new deployments.
• Travel and speak on behalf of BusPatrol and its safety coalition, including testifying at legislative hearings, participating in industry workshops and conferences, and engaging in media interviews.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Unlimited PTO
• A purpose-driven career, working to protect children and improve public safety
• The occasion to participate in BusPatrol’s culture of safety, learning, and teamwork
• A team of innovators, committed to leveraging AI and smart technology for social good

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive