Government Relations Representative

The Wilderness Society Overview

The Wilderness Society (TWS) is the leading conservation organization working to protect America’s wild places and public lands for the health of local communities, wildlife, and climate. Founded in 1935, and now with more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 111 million acres of wilderness and to ensure the sound management of America’s public lands. TWS is scaling up its work to address the existential threat of climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and deep inequities with access to the benefits of nature. TWS is working to achieve four major collective impact results: protecting 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030, transitioning off of fossil fuel development on public lands to well-sited renewable energy, securing equitable access to public lands and their benefits, and building a critical mass of support for conservation of public lands.

The Wilderness Society recognizes the historic and ongoing injustices perpetrated against Indigenous peoples, particularly those perpetrated by traditional conservation organizations, and is committed to being more conscientious and inclusive in our work. This includes working directly with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities to support conservation outcomes that respect the priorities and concerns of Tribes to ensure a more just and equitable future.

Position Overview

Reporting to a Director of Government Relations and working in coordination with field, legal, communications, and other staff from across the organization, this person will develop and lead government relations strategies to advance legislative and administrative protections for priority lands to help achieve The Wilderness Society’s goals of protecting federal public lands from hard-rock mining and defending and strengthening the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

This position plays an important role in supporting an inclusive organizational culture that is grounded in trust and accountability to shared goals and outcomes. TWS has made diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic priorities for the organization, and this role will integrate these priorities throughout their work, including by developing equitable advocacy outcomes and campaign strategies through inclusive processes that bring cross-functional internal teams and external partners to the table early and give a voice to historically underrepresented communities. Across our team, we aspire to be campaign-oriented, nimble, collaborative, innovative, transparent, and supportive of staff – our greatest asset.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• In conjunction with the GR Director, develop and execute TWS’s government relations strategies – with Congress and the Administration – to support and advance key policies to protect priority lands and waters from the impacts of hard-rock mining and to defend and strengthen NEPA, in close coordination with partners and other TWS field, legal, communication, and native lands partnership teams.
• Under the supervision of the GR Director, lead projects embodying TWS’ commitment to collaboration ensuring information is routinely shared in a timely and accessible manner, developing and maintaining efficient cross-functional processes within the hard-rock mining and NEPA portfolio and across the organization.
• Build TWS’ national partnerships and engage in coalitions with key stakeholders, including public land user groups and BIPOC partners, particularly with Tribes and Indigenous communities, while working to build more inclusive and diverse coalitions for public lands conservation, with a particular focus on improving support for coalitions both national and place-based that are aimed at protecting federal public lands from hard-rock mining and protecting and strengthening NEPA.
• Analyze public lands legislation and other formal policies, including long-term authorizing bills (e.g., the NDAA) in support of TWS’ priorities; develop fact sheets, talking points, and other outreach and advocacy materials.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of progressively complex experience working on policy or advocacy campaigns or a related field. A relevant advanced degree may be substituted for experience.
• Track record working successfully in teams representing a rich mix of talent, backgrounds, and perspectives—across race and gender.
• Experience working with elected officials and a solid understanding of the legislative process at the federal level. Experience working on Capitol Hill or in federal agencies preferred.
• Proven ability to evaluate and analyze legislation and/or Administration policy.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to translate complex policies succinctly and clearly for a public audience and decision makers. Working knowledge of public lands issues, a plus.
• Experience working in coalitions and engaging collaboratively with a diverse set of partners. Experience working with Tribes, Indigenous communities and Black, Indigenous, People of Color led organizations preferred.
• Proven ability to develop strategies and tactics to achieve an advocacy goal.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and careful attention to detail.

Core Competencies

In addition to essential job qualifications, TWS is looking for candidates who embody the following core competencies for this position:

• Cultural Competency & Inclusion: Demonstrates ability to work collaboratively with individuals that hold differing group identities and consistently integrates deep understanding of key equity concepts into work projects.
• Self-Awareness: Ability to receive feedback to determine how to maximize strengths and compensate for weaknesses. Demonstrates awareness of one’s own biases, perceptions, and gaps, and actively seeks ways to mitigate.
• Collaboration: Consistently works collaboratively to achieve high-quality results and actively seeks the opinions, ideas, and expertise of others, and values opportunities to work across teams and inspires and motivates others to work collaboratively in pursuit of shared goals.
• Effective Communication: Demonstrated ability to actively listen, to impart thoughts, views, information, and ideas persuasively and respectfully. Adjusts communication style and format based on audience to ensure the key message is received.

Position Details

This position is based in Washington, DC and a hybrid schedule of 1-2 days a week in the office. The salary range for this position is $65,000-$71,000.

To Apply: Please submit resume & cover letter by December 8th.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of this position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of experience, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with the position.

The Wilderness Society offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, sick and vacation leave, paid parental leave, a sabbatical program, and a retirement plan. TWS is an equal opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair treatment of our employees and constituents across culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

As an organization, we aspire to being inclusive in the work that we do, and in the kind of organization we are. Internally this means working as a team that listens to different points of view, recognizes the contributions of every employee, and empowers each employee to bring their whole selves to work every day. Externally this means ensuring that public lands are inclusive and welcoming, so that our shared wildlands can help people and nature to thrive. We are committed to equity throughout our work, which we define as our commitment to realizing the promise of our public lands and ensuring that all can share in their universal benefits.