Location: Washington, DC
Date Posted: 07/21/2026
## Senior Director of Federal Relations
### What We’re Looking For
ANCOR seeks a Senior Director of Federal Relations to lead ANCOR’s legislative advocacy. This leader will drive the association’s policy priorities and play a key role in proposing, formulating, and advocating on behalf of ANCOR’s members to ensure innovative public policy solutions that enhance the delivery of long-term services and supports for people with I/DD in their homes and communities.
This full-time, exempt position will report to the Vice President of Government Relations and work closely with other members of the Government Relations team. This is a DC‑based position with frequent meetings at our headquarters in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, and some required travel.
### Responsibilities
– Works with ANCOR staff to facilitate the establishment of short- and long-term public policy priorities on behalf of the association.
– Serves as ANCOR’s principal Medicaid and disability policy resource for congressional offices and federal policymakers.
– Regularly engages with elected and appointed officials to lobby and represent ANCOR’s positions on legislative and administrative initiatives.
– Builds and maintains relationships with both formal and informal coalition partners to advance ANCOR’s public policy priorities.
– Drafts formal letters, testimony, talking points, and other materials to further ANCOR’s advocacy with Congress and with advocates.
– Supervises the Federal Relations Manager and their work to support ANCOR’s legislative advocacy.
– Manages ANCOR’s political action committee, including leading the PAC’s fundraising initiatives, attending in-person events with political campaigns or candidates, engaging with external consultants on PAC compliance, and leading ANCOR’s PAC committee.
– Works in coordination with coalitions, committees, consultants, and contractors.
– Provides technical assistance and support to ANCOR members regarding key policy priorities.
– Delivers presentations at conferences, webinars, and events hosted by ANCOR and its members.
– Carries out other duties as assigned.
### Qualifications
You are eligible to apply if you have:
– Bachelor’s degree plus at least 10 years of experience in government relations, federal lobbying and advocacy, and public policy analysis. This experience may be derived from the attainment of a higher degree in addition to professional work experience.
– Demonstrated knowledge of federal governmental activities, including legislative, regulatory, and budgetary processes, and the ability to leverage these processes to effectively bring about legislative, administrative, and regulatory reforms.
– Commitment to improving the lives of marginalized people including people with disabilities, low- and moderate-income people, people of color, and/or other traditionally underrepresented groups.
– Excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills, as well as acute attention to detail.
– Ability to prioritize and operationalize a multitude of projects, with tasks ranging from day-to-day administrative duties to high-level implementation of directional objectives.
Your application will stand out if, beyond the required qualifications listed above, you have:
– At least 5 years of recent federal lobbying experience related to disability services specifically, or Medicaid-funded services in general.
– Previous knowledge and experience managing a PAC.
### Benefits
In addition to an expected salary range of $120,000–$130,000 annually, ANCOR offers a generous compensation package that includes:
– Employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
– 6% contribution to a 401(k) retirement account, irrespective of employee contribution.
– Partial reimbursement for monthly telecommunications costs (cell phone, home internet).
– Three weeks of paid vacation leave in the first year of service and four weeks in subsequent years, plus 18.5 days of paid holiday leave.
– Paid parental leave and paid sick leave policies.
– Employer-paid disability insurance and term life insurance.
### Hiring Process & Timeline
The following timeline outlines estimated dates for each phase of ANCOR’s hiring process. These dates are tentative and subject to change. All applications will be acknowledged upon receipt, and updates will follow after the application deadline closes.
– Active solicitation of applications: July 20–August 7
– Initial candidate screenings & skills assessments: August 17–August 24
– First-round interviews (held virtually): August 31–September 11
– Second-round interviews with finalists: September 21–25
– Anticipated offer date: September 28
– Target start date: October 15
### Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity Employment
ANCOR is committed to equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, or veteran status in connection with hiring, placement, promotion, demotion, discipline, recruiting, advertising, solicitation, compensation, selection for training, or termination of employment.
We believe diversity fosters appreciation of the values, skills, and abilities of everyone. We know we do our best work when we embrace a variety of ideas and perspectives. For these reasons, we welcome all applicants, especially those who enhance the diversity of perspectives that inform our work supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
ANCOR uses competency-based hiring in its evaluation of candidates. As part of our commitment to ensuring all candidates are evaluated fairly, some applicant information will be redacted prior to review by the hiring manager, including applicant name; contact information; names, locations, and dates of attendance for educational institutions; and names and locations of previous employers. Candidates are encouraged to provide sufficient detail describing responsibilities and accomplishments in previous roles.
Finally, we are committed to disability-inclusive hiring. If you need any accommodation to fully participate in the hiring process, please let us know.
### How to Apply
If this role sounds like an ideal fit for the next chapter of your career, please send a résumé in PDF format to **[email protected]** by **August 7, 2026**, with the subject line **“Senior Director of Federal Relations Application”** for best consideration.
(Note: Please do NOT include a cover letter with your application.)
If you have questions, feel free to email Brennan Liming, ANCOR’s Human Resources Manager.
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