Posted on October 11, 2012

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Director, Government Affairs

The Director, Government Affairs is responsible for working with the Vice President, Government Affairs to initiate, develop and successfully implement Teach For America's legislative and funding strategies with Congress and the Administration. The director will be responsible for effectively advocating for Teach For America on Capitol Hill, as well as with other audiences. The successful candidate will possess exemplary communication skills, oral and written, and outstanding relationship building skills.

Team Overview

The Growth, Development & Partnerships team mission is to build an ever-expanding and increasingly diverse movement of leaders in the private and public sectors committed to educational excellence and opportunity for all children. We are responsible for enabling and accelerating Teach For America's impact by 1) building partnerships with schools, districts, supporters, government, community organizations, and other education institutions; 2) developing and executing the optimum growth and corps member placement strategy to increase the teacher corps in existing and new sites; and 3) raising financial support to enable our growth and operations. The Government Affairs team is specifically designed to build and maintain relationships with members of the federal government, both in the legislative and administrative branches. Our goal is to encourage policies conducive to our work and increase funding opportunities for Teach For America.

Responsibilities

• Developing and cultivating excellent relationships with Congressional staff, particularly with those Members who represent the regions where we are located.
• Reaching out to and coordinating Teach For America's grassroots constituents (alumni, funders, regional board members, etc) to work on federal funding, legislative, and Americorps efforts;
• Reaching out to and coordinating with internal Teach For America teams, such as communications, policy, development, and regional staff, to articulate Government Affairs goals and coordinate other teams' support of these goals;
• Writing and editing letters, talking points, and other communication for Members of Congress and Administration officials;
• Creating and editing internal documents for communicating Government Affairs' goals and strategies;
• Managing all aspects of Government Affairs involvement with Members of Congress for Teach For America Week - a nationwide public relations event that brings leaders into the classroom;
• Preparing briefing materials for and participating in meetings with Congressional staff and Members of Congress;
• Disseminating regular and targeted updates on Teach For America to Congressional staff in those regions that we serve;
• Co-managing the budget for the Government Affairs Team;
• Providing general administrative support as needed.

Candidate Profile and Experience Prerequisites

• At least three years experience on Capitol Hill
• Outstanding relationship building skills
• Exceptional strategic and critical thinking skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Experience with grassroots organizing is a plus
• Familiarity with education policy issues is a plus

Application Requirements and Process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit your resume and one-page cover letter with your application.

To link directly to this job listing, please use the following address http://bit.ly/Rg5fbE

Benefits and Salary
Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included.

Anti-Discrimination Policy and Commitment to Diversity
Teach For America seeks individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort.

About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of top college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity. Our mission is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting the nation's most promising future leaders in the effort.

Application Instructions

To apply for this position, please go to:
http://bit.ly/ThqM05