Grassroots Specialist

American Academy of Ophthalmology; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is seeking a Grassroots Specialist to strengthen the Academy's federal advocacy efforts and mobilize the ophthalmic community around key legislative and regulatory priorities.

Working closely with the Director of Congressional Affairs, this role manages year-round grassroots advocacy and supports relationships between Academy members and lawmakers, planning high-impact events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in political science or an equivalent field.
• Two to three years of related experience in grassroots advocacy or government affairs, preferably on Capitol Hill or within an association or government relations environment.
• Knowledge of the legislative process, Capitol Hill, and grassroots advocacy strategies.
• Strong relationship-building, organizational, written communication, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Experience with database management, grassroots software, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and online research.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects, handle confidential information, and travel for the Academy's Annual Meeting and other meetings as needed.

Responsibilities

• Help strengthen the Academy's federal advocacy efforts and mobilize the ophthalmic community around key legislative and regulatory priorities.
• Support relationships between Academy members and lawmakers, and help plan high-impact advocacy events, including Congressional Advocacy Day and other targeted fly-ins.
• Develop advocacy communications, analyze engagement trends, and support coalition building.
• Help connect members with meaningful opportunities to influence public policy.

Skills

Grassroots advocacy

Relationship building

Organizational skills

Written communication

Creative problem-solving

Travel coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in political science or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Database management

Grassroots software

Online research

Job description

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is seeking a Grassroots Specialist to help strengthen the Academy's federal advocacy efforts and mobilize the ophthalmic community around key legislative and regulatory priorities. Working closely with the Director of Congressional Affairs, this role manages year-round grassroots advocacy, supports relationships between Academy members and lawmakers, and helps plan high-impact advocacy events, including Congressional Advocacy Day and other targeted fly-ins. The position also develops advocacy communications, analyzes engagement trends, supports coalition building, and helps connect members with meaningful opportunities to influence public policy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in political science or an equivalent field.
• Two to three years of related experience in grassroots advocacy or government affairs, preferably on Capitol Hill or within an association or government relations environment.
• Knowledge of the legislative process, Capitol Hill, and grassroots advocacy strategies.
• Strong relationship-building, organizational, written communication, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Experience with database management, grassroots software, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and online research.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects, handle confidential information, and travel for the Academy's Annual Meeting and other meetings as needed.