Senior Legislative Manager, South Central Region - ASPCA

Summary:

The Senior Legislative Manager, South Central Region will be primarily responsible for supporting the ASPCA’s state and local legislative/regulatory work in Texas with a specific focus on developing relationships, identifying policy trends, and executing/supporting strategic plans aimed at advancing and implementing policy objectives at the state level. The Senior Manager will also be responsible for identifying Texas municipalities in need of advocacy support and developing a strategy for advancing ordinance changes that achieve policy objectives.  

In addition, the Senior Legislative Manager will support our Southern Division Senior Director’s policy efforts in Florida, working closely with the Senior Director to learn and understand Florida’s political landscape, including becoming familiar with relationships, strategies and policy work in the state to be able to assist the Senior Director in advancing priority work as needed. 

The Senior Legislative Manager will work under the direction of the Southern Division Senior Director and in close collaboration with government relations colleagues as well as other internal departments to help develop strategies, coordinate, manage and implement tactics in support of advancing legislative priorities and identifying growth opportunities in Texas, as well as contribute to public messaging and education efforts.

The candidate will work from a home office within a commutable distance from the Austin metropolitan area.

A cover letter is required to complete your application.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Legislative Management (70%)

• Initiate and develop strategies that drive critical support for legislative and regulatory priorities
• Draft testimony, comments to agencies, coalition letters, and other communications, in partnership with Southern Division Senior Director and other departments as needed to achieve consistency in messaging while advancing priority policies
• Conduct research into relevant topics to identify emerging animal welfare policies and develop strategies to introduce policies into the Texas legislature
• Track, analyze and make recommendations on positions and levels of engagement on policies in Texas and identified municipalities in consultation with the Southern Division Senior Director.            
• Instigate, produce, and disseminate correspondence materials that educate colleagues and advocates about state and local policy efforts in Texas
• Support the Southern Division Senior Director’s work in Florida by working both remotely from Texas and by traveling to Florida to understand the political tendencies of the state, become familiar with relationships with in-state collaborators, advocate, and produce materials as needed in support of policy efforts under the guidance of the Senior Director.

  

Communication (20%)

• Engage in regular conversations with Southern Division Senior Director, apprising Southern Division Senior Director of needed resources, significant updates, and coalition efforts related to statewide legislation and local efforts
• Create outreach plans in collaboration with Southern Division Senior Director and oversee implementation in accordance with the Legislative Engagement team   
• Spearhead development of and identification of needs for advocacy alerts for Texas policy efforts and coordinate with the Senior State Legislative Manager to coordinate calendaring with Member Communications staff
• Engage with elected officials and government staff in Texas and in Florida as directed by the Southern Division Senior Director to strengthen existing relationships and enhance our ability to drive policy change
• Develop outreach plan in identified Texas municipalities to foster relationships with elected official and government staff to better understand the needs of the community and cultivate potential for future policy work
• Offer presentations, trainings, research projects and updates on issues
• Represent the ASPCA in a professional, courteous, and congenial manner to legislators, their staff and government employees   

Special Projects (20%)

• Research the needs and opportunities in FL and TX and make recommendations to the Senior Director for the Southern Division for future state and local policy work
• Provide projects for interns
• Oversee preparation and implementation of annual state planning and strategy plan for Texas  
• Plan and book meetings, create agendas, take meeting notes and develop next steps for work associated with the South Central region  

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals
• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes
• Believes in Team – that we are stronger together
• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible
• Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals

Travel Requirements:

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% of the time as needed, both within the region as well as nationally. 
• The focus of the South Central Region will be on Texas but with a heavy focus on travel to Florida as needed, especially in off session years to support work in Tallahassee.
• Additional travel will include conferences, department meetings, etc.

Knowledge Requirements:

• Solid understanding of the legislative process, the committee structure, leadership positions, procedures, and political and cultural trends in Texas
• Knowledge of and ability to develop and handle the drafting of complex legislation
• Knowledge of Texas political climate
• Knowledge of animal welfare issues and laws preferred

Qualifications:

• A strong ability to build and maintain relationships with legislators, their staff, and other stakeholders important to the passage of identified policy initiatives Willingness to conduct regional outreach and cultivate strong community ties
• Ability to move between big picture thinking and region-specific, tactical thinking
• Strong perception of legislative process and ability to anticipate trajectories for bills, issues, and lobbying needs
• Critically think about and proactively promote organizational goals
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interest in and ability to articulate animal welfare issues
• Ability to prioritize work effectively, complete work efficiently, and work independently as well as in a team environment
• Dynamic presentation and public speaking skills
• Represent the ASPCA with professionalism
• Positively collaborate with other departments within the ASPCA
• Work under tight time frames and on a wide variety of issues at the same time
• Balance passion for issue with appreciation of incremental nature of legislative process
• Must be self-motivated and able to work remotely without significant direct supervision 
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and a high degree of integrity and accountability
• Willingness to work on new projects as they arise

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future. 

• The target hiring range for this role is $ $79,000 - $84,000

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

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If you are interested in joining our team but do not see a position listed that fits your experience or interests, please click this link and join our Talent Community to stay connected to future opportunities with the ASPCA.

Qualifications:

See above for qualifications details.

  

Language:

English (Required)

Education and Work Experience:

Bachelors (Required)

  

Ability to facilitate meetings and/or manage projects a plus, Ability to speak Spanish and to translate materials into Spanish a plus, At least two years of experience successfully supporting legislative and/or regulatory work required, At least two years of experience working with a non-profit, legislative office, or government agency in the legal and/or government affairs department required., Experience related to animal welfare or animal-related policy issues (e.g. access to veterinary healthcare, shelter regulation, puppy mills, etc.) preferred, Prior or current experience working within or with the Texas State Legislature required

Our EEO Policy:

The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws.  A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ASPCA’s standard application process, which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the ASPCA.  Please inform the ASPCA’s People Team if you need an accommodation in order to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Individuals seeking employment are considered without regards to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status,  or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).

About Us:
The ASPCA was founded in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans and must be protected under the law. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States.

The ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, where we maintain a full-service animal hospital, spay/neuter clinic, mobile spay/neuter and primary pet care clinics, a rehabilitation center for canine victims of cruelty, kitten nursery, adoption center, and two community veterinary centers.

The ASPCA also operates programs and services that extend nationwide. We assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources.

At the ASPCA, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and we welcome all voices to contribute to our lifesaving mission. Our staff represent a vast array of backgrounds and diversity dimensions, bringing with them valuable experiences and perspectives. They join the ASPCA to learn, grow, and continually do their best work on behalf of animals. We are inspired by our staff, partners, and the communities we support across the country who work to improve animal lives. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the ASPCA because it elevates our organizational culture, aligns with our Core Values, and enables us to move further and faster toward the ASPCA’s vision – that all animals live good lives; valued by society, protected by its laws, and free from cruelty, pain and suffering.

Applicants that are residents of Colorado: Per CO Senate Bill 23-058, we cannot generally request or require any age-related information (i.e., age, DOB, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution) on an initial employment application; this includes any age-related inquiries in the initial interview. We are permitted to require/request additional application materials; if those materials contain any age-related information, an applicant may redact the information before submitting an initial employment application.