Vice President, Public Policy

American Forest & Paper Association; United States; Hybrid; USD 300,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO/leave benefits

Parental Leave

401k retirement plan

Fitness center access

Dental & Vision

FSA/HSA

Job summary

The Vice President Public Policy at American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) will lead policy analysis research and advocacy strategies to shape regulations for the nation’s essential paper and packaging products. You will anticipate opportunities, develop policy positions, and guide cross-functional teams to support AF&PA member priorities.

The role demands a seasoned policy leader capable of influencing federal/state policy, managing litigation risk with the legal team, and

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public policy or related field required; Juris Doctor strongly preferred.
• Ten or more years of experience with regulatory policy advocacy, analyses and public comments.
• Experience serving as a policy spokesperson and expert in government policy proceedings.
• Strong understanding of federal regulatory processes and industry policy priorities.
• Excellent public speaking and writing skills; ability to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with members and colleagues to develop and execute advocacy strategies.
• Oversee analyses of proposed regulations and legislation and assess industry impacts.
• Lead development of regulatory and policy positions and advocacy strategies.
• Draft comments on regulatory proposals and support legislative initiatives.
• Represent AF&PA before federal agencies and other regulatory bodies.
• Develop and manage budgets for the department and staff.

Skills

Public policy analysis

Regulatory advocacy

Strategic thinking

Public speaking

Stakeholder engagement

Policy spokesperson

Leadership

Education

Advanced degree in public policy

Juris Doctor preferred

Tools

Legal research

Job description

The VP Public Policy oversees policy analysis research and advocacy strategies to shape government regulations for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day The vice president is expected to be a thought leader anticipate and evaluate policy opportunities and threats develop policy positions and effectively lead and implement strategies to support member priorities The below description provides more detail on American Forest & Paper Association AF&PA this important role and how you will impact the industry Working at AF&PA The American Forest & Paper Association AF&PA values diverse backgrounds and capabilities and invites all talented individuals to apply to be part of our team and support our culture and mission We encourage the exchange of knowledge innovative ideas and different perspectives to reach our goals and we support worklife balance

Essential job functions

To be successful it is critical for the Vice President Public Policy to effectively collaborate with members They must also coordinate extensively with government affairs industry affairs and communications to develop and execute advocacy strategies that achieve policy priorities and with the legal department on litigation and other legal matters pertaining to public policy Oversee analyses of proposed regulations and legislation assess short and long term impacts to the industry and provide strategic counsel to AF&PA members Lead development of regulatory and policy positions and development and implementation of advocacy strategy Direct research and development of legal scientific or technical analysis to support AF&PA policy positions and advocacy efforts Draft persuasive comments on regulatory proposals support government affairs colleagues on legislative initiatives and collaborate with colleagues from strategic communications departmentServe as the Associations senior policy expert and spokesperson and advocate on key regulatory issues before federal state and other regulatory bodies Persuasively represent and advance member interests with federal agencies regulatory authorities and selected international organizationsPartner with the Legal Department and outside counsel in anticipation of potential litigation of regulatory policy through comments legal analysis and litigation strategies Develop and maintain strategic relationships with members allied associations government agencies think tanks NGOs and other outside groupsEngage in membership outreach and recruitment efforts on a regular basisServe as a member of key policy and cross functional teams across AF&PA Develop and oversee budgets for the department its programs and issuesProvide leadership mentorship and oversight for the public policy staff and function including Guide inspire and align staff to support the success of the department and AF&PA Develop and support highly trained and deeply knowledgeable policy and technical experts to advance competitiveness of the industryAs a member of the Senior Leadership Team SLT this position will work with other staff leaders to guide the human and financial resources of the Association set strategic priorities for the organization identify strategic issues for consideration by the SLT and ensure collaboration on issue identification prioritization and implementation This person has a responsibility to ensure that Association policies are followed and applied consistently and to respond judiciously to confidentialsensitive member and Association issues.

Qualifications

Advanced degree in public policy environmental policy government or related field required; Juris Doctor strongly preferred Ten 10 or more years of experience with regulatory policy advocacy technical or economic analyses and filing public comments on agency rulemakings Seven 7 or more years of experience effectively managing coaching and developing people to deliver excellent results in policy analysis andor advocacy roles Experience serving as a policy spokesperson and expert in government policy proceedingsExperience with two or more policy issues impacting the industry eg air water climate solid waste energy chemicals and product stewardship workplace health and safety wood fiber supply and forestry issues and sustainability and third party standardsExperience with trade association dynamics preferredSolid understanding of federal regulatory process to effectively influence rulemakings requiredUnderstanding of the pulp paper packaging and tissue products industry and its policy prioritiesAbility to identify emerging issues think strategically develop policy positions and advocate before regulatory and legislative bodies Excellent public speaking and writing skills to communicate with credibility to staff member companies partners members of the government and the mediaAbility to operate in a collaborative cross functional and multi disciplinary organization and achieve consensus based strategies and solutionsAbility to buildmaintain strong relationships with staff members key stakeholders and partners Solid leadership skills; including taking ownership and accountability and prioritizing to drive resultsStrong interpersonal skills including actively listening and communicating professionally Ability to lead and develop a staff with highly specialized knowledge skills and abilitiesAbility to travel within the US approximately 5 10 of the time.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary for this position is expected to be between 300000 350000 This is a good faith estimate based on market data for comparable positions and the current budgeted amount for this role In addition the vice president is eligible for an annual bonus of up to 20 Factors to be considered when determining the salary of the selected candidate include relevant skills experience and knowledge and the alignment of these qualities with those of existing staff We offer a generous benefits package that currently includes

• Paid Vacation Personal and Sick leave totaling 27 42 days per year based on relevant experience plus holidays and paid
• Parental Leave94 80 paid CareFirst medical plans for employees and their families
• Generous 401k retirement plan with up to 9 employer contribution after waiting period
• Free fitness center and pickleball courts at the DC office location
• Plus dental vision life insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts Health Savings Account

Location

We are located on 13th Street NW between F and G directly above Metro Station Our office is hybrid which includes up to two days of remote work; however due to the nature of the work we expect the selected person to be in DC more frequently for local meetings

About AF&PA

AF&PA serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day The US forest products industry employs more than 925000 people largely in rural America and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 44 states Our industry accounts for approximately 47 of the total US manufacturing GDP manufacturing more than 435 billion in products annually AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industrys decades long initiative Better Practices Better Planet 2030 Visit AF&PA online at afandpaorg or follow us on X ForestandPaper

Equal Employment Opportunity

AF&PA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and welcomes all talented individuals regardless of race color national origin religion age sex disability veteran status or other category protected by law Your Rights Applicants have rights under federal employment laws Information may be found on the Department of Labors website httpswwwdolgov as well as through these available notices Know Your Rights; Fair Labor Standards Act FLSA; Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA; and Employee Polygraph Protection Act EPPA