Career Center

Job Summary

Develops and executes a comprehensive strategy to create a member advocacy program to support the strategic objectives of the Association. Manages and administers the member advocacy program and directs activities to foster member participation in advocacy efforts at the national and state level to advance NAIFA’s public policy priorities.

Essential Functions

• Develops and implements strategy to identify, cultivate, and maintain quality relationships between NAIFA members and officials.
• Speaks and writes compellingly about grassroots engagement to attract and recruit member participation. 
• Oversees all aspects of systems (Cision) and processes to track and mobilize grassroots in priority state and federal districts. 
• Facilitates processes to bolster grassroots relationships including campaign events, advocacy media and intelligence sharing from lobbyists. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops and implements grassroots campaigns and strategies to advance policy goals and build grassroots power in close collaboration with policy staff.
• Works seamlessly with PAC and policy colleagues to develop messages to attract members to participate in grassroots engagement. 
• Organizes volunteers to complete lobbying activities in collaboration with the state and federal policy team.
• Advises and collaborates with the Marketing and Communication department to create marketing communications, website content, partnerships, and media campaigns.
• Creates training materials to educate NAIFA members to be effective citizen lobbyists. 
• Provides technical assistance and training to strengthen state chapters in developing and implementing member participation in NAIFA’s grassroots program.
• Oversees and maintains digital data related to NAIFA’s grassroots program including grassroots sections of the NAIFA Advocacy Action Center.
• Executes mobilization of grassroots in priority districts facing top public policy challenges. 
• Manages targeted grassroots and action-alert campaigns including coordination with NAIFA’s advocacy partners.
• Creates effective reporting systems for grassroots to provide regular updates on their interactions with lawmakers. 
• Advises APIC Subcommittee on the development, success, and growth of grassroots program.
• Identifies and implements effective grassroots campaign tactics and actions, including fly-ins, action alerts, story banking, digital campaigns, petitions, field organizing, and more.
• Implements recognition programs for volunteer advocates.
• Manages direct communication to advocates including intelligence sharing of information gathered from lawmakers between lobbyists and grassroots contacts, and the development of quarterly communication to advocates.
• Creates live and remote training programs for advocates and potential contacts, including developing invitation list, preparing presentations, and securing additional presenters and panelists.
• Drafts annual budget for the member grassroots program.
• Works well with other employees, functions as a team player and accepts constructive suggestions for improving job performance from supervisors and managers.
• Maintains regular and consistent attendance, accepts supervision, and cooperates with coworkers.
• Performs other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Political Science, or related field from accredited university.
• 5-7 years of experience in advocacy outreach and capacity building at a national organization.
• Experience recruiting and cultivating grassroots and grasstops advocates.
• Strong communications and political messaging experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of the legislative process.
  Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including public presentations and speaking activities.
• Prior work with volunteer organizations is helpful, but sensitivity to and awareness of volunteer needs is essential.
• Creative approaches to problem solving are required.
• Ability to simultaneously coordinate a variety of complex projects and work within activity program deadlines required.
• Extensive experience and knowledge in all aspects of the Cison or similar grassroots software programs.
• Occasional travel and in-person interaction required for advocacy initiatives.

Work Environment

• Performs majority of work in an office or home office setting.