The Director of Government Relations is responsible for overseeing Ocean Conservancy’s domestic lobbying efforts, which mostly focus on advocacy in Congress and the federal government, but also includes state-level lobbying in a small number of key priority states. The Director manages our domestic government relations team of lobbyists and external lobbying consultants, and is responsible for collaborating closely with all of our programs and departments. The Director also serves as a crucially important strategic partner for all of Ocean Conservancy’s programs, plays a key leadership role in helping drive our institutional advocacy strategies, and is responsible for cultivating our organization’s long-term ability to influence public policy.

The ideal candidate will bring a proven commitment to environmental conservation with direct experience in some combination of Congressional or government service, lobbying, advocacy, and/or government relations work. This individual will have deep knowledge of Congressional and government policy-making.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. and the successful candidate will be expected to register as a federal lobbyist.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead Ocean Conservancy’s domestic government relations team and provide strategic oversight and management of the team’s lobbying efforts.
• Oversee Ocean Conservancy’s development of Congressional and executive branch relationships, development of state-level government relationships, maintenance of our organization’s political reputation, and promotion of our visibility among government decision-makers.
• Collaborate with staff across programs and departments to ensure that the government relations team serves not only as a service provider for programs, but also as a strategic thought partner in developing program policy objectives, building advocacy strategies, and executing lobbying efforts.
• Collaborate with relevant Ocean Conservancy programs and leadership to oversee and manage outside lobbying contracts that support our advocacy work.
• Spearhead planning processes to prepare Ocean Conservancy and our programs for shifts in political power, such as election scenario planning and administration transition planning.
• Serve as Ocean Conservancy’s representative to relevant environmental community coalitions and forums, as necessary.
• Manage the domestic government relations team’s lobbying budgets (direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying)