Advanced Specialist, Government Relations

Pearson; Richmond (VA); Remote; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson is seeking an Advanced Specialist in Government Relations to support the USGR function by tracking and interpreting state-level policy developments. You will help produce timely policy materials, briefing packs, and stakeholder-ready analyses, collaborating across business units to ensure policy context reflects operational realities.

The role emphasizes strong writing, research, and project management within a remote, distributed team across multiple states.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in policy-related field
• 2–5 years in government relations, public policy, or policy analysis
• Experience with legislative tracking and policy research
• Strong writing and editing for internal stakeholders
• Understanding of state legislative processes
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Collaborative with internal teams
• Experience with policy content such as summaries or amendments
• Familiarity with education policy or regulated industries is a plus
• Experience using legislative tracking tools like FiscalNote, Quorum, State Net

Responsibilities

• Monitor state legislative and regulatory activity across policy areas and escalate developments to senior colleagues
• Develop and maintain policy scorecards and track progress against objectives
• Review introduced legislation and summarize key provisions and business implications
• Produce updates like trackers, digests, alerts, and concise summaries
• Organise research and prepare clear materials for internal USGR use
• Coordinate with stakeholders to reflect operational considerations in policy materials
• Provide timely background research, bill comparisons, and impact analyses
• Draft policy-facing materials: one-pagers, talking points, issue summaries, Q&A, letters
• Prepare briefing packs, agendas, and notes for meetings with policymakers
• Track deadlines, hearings, and milestones with well-organised records
• Contribute to template development and documentation processes
• Utilise tracking tools to ensure high-quality policy reporting

Skills

Policy analysis

Policy research

Writing & editing

Stakeholder collaboration

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy/Political Science/Law/Economics

Tools

FiscalNote

Quorum

State Net

Job description

Job Title – Advanced Specialist, Government Relations

Description – Support state-level policy and legislative strategy, delivering insight and analysis that shapes government engagement and informs business decisions across a complex, regulated environment.

About the role

The Advanced Specialist, Government Relations supports Pearson’s US Government Relations (USGR) function by tracking, analysing, and interpreting state-level legislative and policy developments that impact the business and its strategic priorities.

Working closely with senior colleagues, this role plays a key part in delivering clear, timely, and well-structured policy materials that inform internal decision-making and external engagement. The position partners with internal stakeholders across business units to ensure that policy analysis reflects operational realities and supports effective advocacy strategies.

This is a highly analytical and detail-oriented role, combining legislative tracking, policy research, and stakeholder coordination within a fast-paced and evolving regulatory environment.

What you’ll do

• Monitor and track state legislative and regulatory activity across assigned policy areas, identifying and escalating relevant developments to senior Government Relations colleagues
• Support assigned business units by developing and maintaining policy scorecards and tracking progress against key business and Government Relations objectives
• Review introduced legislation and regulatory proposals, summarising key provisions, status, and potential business implications
• Produce and maintain recurring updates including legislative trackers, policy digests, alerts, and concise summaries to support internal planning and responsiveness
• Support the development of internal briefings by organising research, synthesising inputs, and preparing clear written materials for use by the USGR team
• Partner with internal stakeholders to validate business context, gather relevant data, and ensure policy materials accurately reflect operational considerations
• Provide timely and accurate support to state Government Relations leads by responding to requests for background research, bill comparisons, and impact analysis (including financial, operational, compliance, and customer considerations)
• Draft and support the development of policy-facing materials such as:
• One-pagers
• Talking points
• Issue summaries
• Q&A documents
• Comment letters
• Testimony support materials
• Background memosEnsuring alignment with established USGR positioning
• Support preparation for meetings with policymakers and external stakeholders by assembling briefing packs, agendas, and detailed notes
• Track key legislative deadlines, hearings, and engagement milestones, maintaining well-organised records and documentation
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal tracking and documentation processes, including template development, version control, and document management
• Utilise legislative tracking and monitoring tools to ensure consistent, high-quality policy reporting and analysis

What we’re looking for

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Law, Economics, Education Policy, or a related field
• 2–5 years of experience in government relations, public policy, legislative affairs, or policy analysis (or closely related environments)
• Hands-on experience with legislative tracking, bill analysis, and policy research within a government relations or public affairs function
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and well-structured policy materials for internal stakeholders
• Good understanding of state legislative processes and how policy decisions are shaped and influenced
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work to deadlines, and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal stakeholders and respond to feedback and shifting priorities
• Exposure to education policy or another regulated industry is desirable
• Experience drafting or supporting policy or regulatory content, such as summaries, comparison tables, or suggested amendments
• Familiarity with policy areas such as education funding, assessments, procurement, accountability, data privacy, accessibility, or emerging technology policy is advantageous
• Experience using legislative tracking or monitoring tools such as FiscalNote, Quorum, State Net, or similar platforms

Location & working pattern

This is a remote role based in the United States, working as part of a distributed Government Relations team. The position requires regular collaboration with internal stakeholders and responsiveness to legislative timelines across multiple states.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, Vermont, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:

The minimum full-time salary range is between $80,000 - $100,000.

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.

Applications will be accepted through October 12th 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].