Governmental Relations Specialist III (Finance)

Texas Education Agency; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State health insurance

ERS retirement benefits

Paid state holidays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

The Governmental Relations Finance Specialist III at the Texas Education Agency supports the GR Division by providing timely responses to legislative calls and requests, coordinating with staff, and contributing to appropriations and school finance analyses.

This onsite Austin role emphasizes data visualization, prepared materials for officials, and collaboration with legislators and education stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Seven+ years of professional experience in governmental relations or related fields, including legislative work.
• Experience with the Texas Legislature preferred.
• Substitutions: additional years may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Support the Governmental Relations Division by responding to legislative calls and requests in a timely manner.
• Prepare materials and speeches with data visualization for presentations to stakeholders and legislators.
• Monitor legislative hearings and briefings; act as liaison with external parties and summarize meetings.
• Establish and maintain relationships with legislative staff and outside education organizations.

Skills

Strong communication

Interpersonal skills

Policy analysis

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Core Values

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in pursuing our primary purpose of improving outcomes for students.
• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain committed talent that reflects the diversity of Texas, with each individual contributing to our shared vision for students.
• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on outcomes, and continuously improve in pursuit of excellence for students.
• We are Servant Leaders: We are public servants committed to improving opportunities for students and supporting those who serve them.

Job Description

The Governmental Relations Finance Specialist III performs highly advanced legislative and consultative work. This position will play an important role in the Governmental Relations Division in support of TEA's legislatively-required and requested initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about education from the top level and engage a variety of stakeholders about the Texas public education system. This position is critical to ensuring TEA provides accurate and timely information and support to the Legislature, Legislative Budget Board, Office of the Governor, and to internal TEA staff. Facilitation of information is important for TEA to achieve the state's strategic vision to ensure that the 5.4 million public school students in Texas are prepared for success in college, career, or the military.

The Governmental Relations Finance Specialist III is privy to confidential and sensitive information and must have excellent interpersonal skills. This person will report to the Chief of Governmental Relations and will work closely with the Governmental Relations Team, School Finance Team, Deputy Commissioner of Finance, Office of the Commissioner, and the Commissioner of Education. This position will provide high quality support for the GR Team and its efforts to execute against the state's strategic priorities for education with a focus on the Legislative Appropriations Process, Public Education School Finance, and property taxes.

May assign and/or supervise the work of others. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

This position requires up to 10% travel, based on business needs, to support program initiatives, collaboration, and operational priorities.

This position requires working onsite in Austin, Texas. Candidates must be able to report in person to support meetings, business operations, and other job-related responsibilities as needed.

Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Support the Functions of the Governmental Relations Division: Works with the division to ensure all Legislative calls and requests are responded to in a timely manner. Works within a team on special nonrecurring and ongoing projects which may include planning and coordinating multiple projects, presentations including data visualization, disseminating information, and ensuring close out of inquiries or questions from the field. In collaboration with the Chief of Governmental Relations, the GR Finance Specialist III is the lead GR member on matters related to the Appropriations Process and school finance.

2. Prepares Materials for the Agency, Governmental Entities, and Education Stakeholders: Prepares and refines material for the Governmental Relations Division, Commissioner of Education, and agency staff for speeches and public presentations in collaboration with the GR and school finance teams. Strong data visualization skills including use of PowerPoint and Excel are strongly preferred. May discuss agency information to stakeholders, including but not limited to education organizations, governmental entities, and legislators and/or their staff. Coordinates responses to legislative inquires and reviews and edits legislative correspondence.

3. Monitors and attends legislative hearings and briefings: Acts as Liaison with external parties, including legislative offices and education stakeholders as assigned. Ensures the completion and close out of deliverables from hearings and meetings. This position will create and monitor meeting summaries and deliverables. The GR specialist III will serve as a subject matter expert on issues regarding the appropriations process and school finance including attending Legislator meetings and briefings. This position will support the Chief of School Finance and Chief of Governmental Relations in their effort to effectively inform and advise elected officials on matters of school finance.

4. Establish and maintain relationships with legislative staffers and outside education organizations: Furthers the goals and objectives of the TEA by working well with Legislative staff and building trust with other agency and legislative offices. Assists in the development of responses to requests to the state legislature and ensures they are appropriately documented.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least seven (7) years of professional experience in governmental relations, legislative affairs, public policy, public administration, appropriations, budgeting, school finance, finance, or a related field, including at least two (2) years of experience working with or supporting the Texas Legislature.
• Substitutions: Each additional year of related experience above the required minimum may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• Major coursework in education, public administration, government, public policy, finance, business or a related field is preferred
• Knowledge of state legislative processes and state government administration with a specific focus on the Legislative Appropriations process and/or public school finance
• Ability to analyze issues; to work under pressure and meet close deadlines; and to communicate effectively and clearly on complex issues
• Excellent inter-personal skills and verbal/written communication skills are required
• Requires strong personal values around reliability, confidentiality, and sensitive information
• Ability to prioritize work and collaborate with diverse individuals and groups while managing multiple projects with varied timelines
• Requires work in an environment with short turnaround times and the possibility for work outside normal working hours including some overnight and/or weekends during the legislative session
• Prefer knowledge of local, state, and federal laws related to public education; public administration and office management techniques preferred; general understanding of statistical analysis processes preferred; and of legislative management processes and techniques is preferred
• Skill in compiling, evaluating, and presenting legislative information, preferably in public education; in problem-solving; and in policy analysis and research
• Requires excellent skills in the use of a computer and applicable software, specifically Excel, PowerPoint and Word with strong data visualization skills.

New hires, rehires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees within the same classification. Offers are based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and consider internal pay equity across employees performing similar work.

The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates whose qualifications exceed the role's requirements. The maximum of the range is typically reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the required and preferred qualifications.

TEA employees receive a comprehensive benefits package through the State of Texas and the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS), supporting health, financial security, and work-life balance.

Benefits include:

• Retirement through ERS and employer-paid health insurance for eligible employees
• Optional dental, vision, and dependent coverage
• Paid state holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, and longevity pay
• Wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities
• Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

To learn more about benefits available to State of Texas employees, please review the State of Texas Employee Benefits brochure and visit the TEA Compensation and Benefits page.