Government Relations Director

About Zero To Three

Founded in 1977, ZERO TO THREE works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development. Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. At ZERO TO THREE, we envision a society with the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential. Our Core Values Statement: We believe that how we do our work is as important as what we do. To learn more about ZERO TO THREE, please visit our website at zerotothree.org.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

ZERO TO THREE is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring, advancement, and professional development. It is dedicated to diversity in its work, its staff, and community partners. This is an exceptional opportunity for a professional who shares our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and supports our mission to enhance outcomes for all children.

Summary

The Policy Center at ZERO TO THREE, a nonpartisan, research-based resource on infant and toddler development, is seeking a Director of Government Relations. The Director will develop and implement strategies with Congress and the Administration to support ZERO TO THREE’s mission of giving all babies and toddlers a strong start in life. This role involves supervising policy analysts, collaborating with internal leadership and external consultants, and advancing a comprehensive, equity-centered policy agenda.

The Director must have deep understanding of legislative, appropriations, and regulatory processes. Reporting to the Lead Impact Officer, this Washington, DC-based position requires regular Capitol Hill and Administration meetings. Candidates must reside in the DC metro area but are not required to work from ZERO TO THREE’s office.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

The Director will oversee and manage ZERO TO THREE’s government relations strategy to advance its federal policy agenda, including annual appropriations and both short- and long-term goals. They will collaborate with internal colleagues and external government relations consultants to develop policy positions that reflect ZERO TO THREE’s values and commitment to racial equity and that are grounded in early childhood development science.

The Director will be closely attuned to possible and actual shifts in political will and alliances, the emergence of new opportunities and challenges, and their impact on the operationalization of strategy. This requires the Director to possess nimble and agile thinking and understand how to operate “in the gray,” when the landscape view changes, and the path forward is not clear. The Director will timely communicate changes to their colleagues and be able to identify and explain the attendant pluses, minuses, and tradeoffs. They will possess the necessary skills to identify – and effectively communicate – needed changes in approach and prioritization. They will work collaboratively to operationalize strategy in ways needed to achieve significant policy wins.

The Director will work effectively with their colleagues and external government relations consultants to advance the government relations strategy in coordinated and interconnected ways, including with the Advocacy Team on advocacy and mobilization strategies; with the communications lead to co-develop and execute media and other communications strategies; with other teams within the Policy Center and organization to understand the myriad ways federal policies are being implemented at the state and community level. They will seek input from families, early childhood professionals, and community partners. The Director also advises on external strategic partnerships and coalitions with aligned policy and legislative goals that will maximize impact. As a leader within the Policy Center, the Director will also contribute to the development of effective ZERO TO THREE cross-programs and project integration and alignment.

The Director must have the ability to influence and motivate others; strong conceptual, writing, and communication skills with the ability to translate complex policy issues into digestible and accessible content; a high level of understanding and experience with legislative, appropriations, and regulatory processes; and the ability to represent and garner visibility for ZERO TO THREE’s policy priorities with key Congressional offices, the Administration partner organizations, and new allies.

Team Leadership and Supervision

The Director will possess the experience and knowledge needed to supervise a team of independent-minded policy analysts with strong experience and deep subject matter expertise in their respective issue areas. The Director will provide the level of mentorship, engagement, and support needed to build and retain a proactive team and will leverage the subject matter expertise of team members to inform strategies and issue advancement. The Director will ensure that work is planned in collaboration with the Policy Research team to develop and build team capacity and ensure adherence with protocols and processes and consistency of approach, content, and quality across the organization. The Director will evaluate team member performance and partner with members to establish annual goals and objectives and identify and provide appropriate professional growth and development opportunities.

Political Acumen, Policy Analysis, and Planning

The Director will possess a deep understanding of the political landscape and the workings of the federal government and will have relationships with – and understand - the key political players, national organizations, policymakers, and government agencies relevant to ZERO TO THREE and the advancement of its policy agenda. The Director will use this well of knowledge to provide needed nuance and details when advising colleagues on the optimal ways of presenting issues to specific audiences. The Director must possess a strong understanding of Congressional and regulatory processes, its challenges, and idiosyncrasies, particularly regarding the federal budget and annual appropriations process, and will work closely with ZERO TO THREE colleagues to engage in the ongoing, dynamic process of developing policy solutions to keep pace with change. The Director must possess the ability to understand, research, and analyze complex legal, factual, and legislative concepts related to ZERO TO THREE’s federal policy agenda. The Director will establish processes to develop goals and priorities, and continuously monitor, analyze, and assess the proposed and existing relevant federal legislation, activities of federal agencies, and recommend appropriate actions to ensure the needs of infants and toddlers are reflected. The Director will work closely with ZERO TO THREE’s outside government relations consultants and will integrate their work into policy and lobbying strategies.

Execution and Communication

The Director will continuously foster, cultivate, and build productive and strategic relationships with new champions for ZERO TO THREE, and be a strong and active member of relevant coalitions and groups to raise the profile and relevance of ZERO TO THREE’s agenda.

In collaboration with the communications lead, the Director will help to garner visibility for the policy and legislative work through presentations at conferences, meetings, and in other relevant forums, utilizing available and appropriate communication mediums. The Director will represent ZERO TO THREE, in concert with other federal policy staff, with various coalitions, and will provide technical assistance to federal policymakers and staff, including responding to inquiries for input on legislative language, report language, and comments on legislation and regulations. The Director will serve as an engaged, dynamic, and thoughtful external voice and representative for ZERO TO THREE, actively and capably leveraging their expertise, knowledge, and experience to amplify the reach and impact of ZERO TO THREE’s work. The Director will contribute to the drafting of talking points, messaging, policy briefs, Congressional testimony, regulatory comments, legislative summaries, and other materials of various lengths and formats, and have the ability to succinctly and effectively express complex issues to federal policy makers, other key stakeholders, the media, and the public. The Director will coordinate with ZERO TO THREE colleagues to organize congressional briefings and other events designed to advance ZERO TO THREE’s federal priorities and will contribute to grant proposals and reports to funders. The Director will keep the Chief Policy Officer and other senior leadership informed about pertinent legislative issues, external factors, and policy proposals and actions that impact infants and toddlers and their families.

The Director also will perform other duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the Government Relations strategy and advancement of the ZERO TO THREE federal policy agenda.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Minimum of 7 years relevant work experience, including experience on Capitol Hill, government relations, lobbying, or related role.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge and understanding of the federal legislative and regulatory processes and procedures, including federal budget and appropriations processes; direct experience working in or with Congressional or Executive Branch offices strongly preferred
• Strong critical thinker and strategic planner with exceptional judgement and significant experience anticipating challenges and creatively problem-solving to address actual and possible scenarios and risks.
• Strong understanding of early childhood policy issues such as health, mental health, family support, or early learning, preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to devise and execute on strategies for multiple issue areas involving multiple Congressional Committees and Executive Branch agencies. Able to work effectively independently and as a member of a team.
• Strong and productive interpersonal and collaboration skills with track record of cultivating, building, and maintaining respectful and collaborative relationships at all levels and across all identities – including with key members of Congress and Executive Branch agencies - with ability to ability to influence, motivate, challenge, and inspire confidence among others.
• Strong management and supervisory skills, including experience providing reflective supervision (see Essential Qualities), with ability to inspire and motivate seasoned team members.
• Experience with strategy development and execution, including developing actionable plans around long and short-term goals – built with timelines and measurable progress indicators that generate policy and legislative impact.
• Excellent oral and written communicator with demonstrated ability and skill serving as an external spokesperson to: effectively explain and amplify ZERO TO THREE’s reach and engage different audiences, stakeholders, and interested parties; make complicated/technical information understandable and accessible; create and deliver compelling and effective presentations.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to adapt work on multiple projects simultaneously, navigate stressful situations, and shift gears to address challenging and changing circumstances with a balanced approach and without losing sight of the details or the big picture.
• Ability to travel, including occasional overnight stays.
  
  

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES

• Encourages and practices critical thinking
• Is self-reflective and empathic
• Recognizes the influence of workplace relationships on outcomes and results
• Maintains a respectful and accepting approach to others
• Awareness of the influence of the larger context on individual behavior
• Effectively collaborates and communicates with families, practitioners, and community leaders, and values their contributions to policy and legislative work
• Collaboratively and creatively supports the work efforts of colleagues at all levels and in all areas of the organization
  
  

EDUCATION

Law degree or master’s degree in public policy, social work, political science, or a related field.

Compensation & Benefits

This position's salary is estimated to be low $130,000s to high $140,000s depending on experience, geo-location, budget, and other comparable and similarly scoped internal positions. In addition to salary, ZERO TO THREE offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, HRA, retirement contributions, generous leave benefits and more.

Physical Requirements

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is frequently required to use finger dexterity and sufficient hand dexterity to use a computer keyboard and be capable of reading a computer screen. Also, they may need to remain seated for extended periods, can perform repetitive motions, and reach for objects. An employee is frequently required to hold a writing instrument, communicate verbally, and hear well enough to detect nuances and receive detailed information. They may be required to grasp objects, push, and pull objects, bend, stand, walk, squat, or kneel. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision for data preparation or analysis, and expansive reading. May need to lift up to 30 pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work conditions described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing this job. Depending on work location, the incumbent will typically work indoors in a heated and air-conditioned office, with a mixture of natural, incandescent, and fluorescent light with low to moderate noise levels or be subject to working conditions conducive to a home environment. When travel is expected, the incumbent will be exposed to outside environmental conditions during those times.

ZERO TO THREE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Women, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to provide individual feedback to candidates regarding the status of their application. If selected to move forward in the process, someone from the hiring team will contact you regarding next steps.