Governmental Relations Specialist III (Sunset)

Texas Education Agency; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ERs retirement and health insurance

Dental & Vision

Leave and holidays

Wellness programs

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) in Austin seeks a Governmental Relations Specialist III to lead the Sunset Review Process and coordinate across divisions to respond to legislative requests. You will apply project management, data compilation, and policy analysis to support TEA's mandated duties.

This role requires strong communications, the ability to work under tight deadlines, and occasional travel up to 10%.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Experience in governmental relations, legislative affairs, public policy, or related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manages Agency Sunset Process and ensures timely completion of deliverables.
• Prepares materials for the Governmental Relations Team, Commissioner of Education, and agency staff.
• Supports legislative calls and requests and coordinates with TEA staff and external stakeholders.

Skills

Project management

Policy analysis

Legislative knowledge

Communication skills

Data visualization

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees primary and secondary public education in Texas and is committed to improving outcomes for all public school students by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems across the state.

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

This position is funded through August 30, 2029. Continuation of the position beyond that date is contingent upon available funding.

The Governmental Relations Division plays an important role in the support of TEA's legislatively-required and requested activities. This position is critical to provide support to the GR Division and their support to the Legislature, Legislative Budget Board, Office of the Governor, and internal TEA staff. Facilitation of information is important if TEA is 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.

This position reports to the Deputy Director of Governmental Relations as part of a collaborative team. This role provides high-quality support for TEA's efforts to execute against the state's strategic priorities for public education. Experience working through a Legislative Session, managing sunset processes and analyzing policy is preferred to effectively understand and communicate the agency's programs. This role is designed for a dynamic project manager who thrives in fast-paced environments and excels at systems-building, deliverables and timeline tracking, and cross-functional collaboration.

The Governmental Relations Specialist III will serve as a key member of the team by managing the Sunset Process and ensuring timely completion of deliverables. This position involves strong use of project management, systems-building, cross-functional coordination, policy analysis, data compilation, and presentation skills in the form of meetings in support of TEA's legislatively-required and requested duties. This role centers on leading TEA's Sunset Review Process, coordinating across divisions to ensure timely and accurate responses to Sunset Advisory Commission requests, legislative requests, and agency needs. This position will monitor and manage project quality to ensure that project deliverables are acceptable and fulfill the terms of the project specifications as laid out by the Governmental Relations and Finance teams. Knowledge of the education landscape in Texas, including the political education landscape, the Sunset Review Process, and strong communications skills are preferred. A knowledge of state legislative processes as well as agency programs is preferred.

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. Manages Agency Sunset Process and Assists with Other Governmental Relations Team Projects: Manages the Agency's Sunset Review Process and ensures timely completion of project deliverables. Utilizes project management techniques and tools by tracking activities, ensuring project tasks are completed on time, monitoring and reporting deliverable progress, facilitating collaboration and communication to support project outcomes, continuously assessing and evaluating assigned projects to determine their impact, and suggesting new strategies to promote positive project outcomes. Assists with other GR Team projects in collaboration with the GR Program Manager and Deputy GR Director.

2. Prepares Materials for the Agency, Governmental Entities, and Policy Stakeholders: Prepares and refines materials for the Governmental Relations Team, Commissioner of Education, and agency staff as part of deliverables for the Sunset Review Process and other GR Team projects. Assists in the development of tracking and monitoring tools for use by the GR Team. May discuss agency information to stakeholders, including but not limited to Sunset Advisory Commission Staff, education organizations, governmental entities, and legislators and/or their staff.

3. Supports 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. Furthers the goals and objectives of the TEA by working well with Legislative Staff, Texas Education Agency staff and other agency staff and building trust with other elected offices in order to effectively represent the agency and the Governmental Relations Team. This position will be the lead GR Team member on specific topic areas of legislative interest including but not limited to the Sunset Review Process.

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, project management, or a related field, including at least two (2) years of experience working with or supporting the Texas Legislature or a state agency
• 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 Sunset Review Process is preferred
• Ability to analyze issues; to work under pressure and meet close deadlines; and to communicate effectively and clearly on complex issues
• Proven experience in project management, ideally within a government or policy-focused environment
• 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.