Jobs

JOB OVERVIEW

Darden Restaurants is seeking an exceptional Government Relations Manager who is passionate about the restaurant industry and energized by the inner workings of state and local politics and policy. In this position, you will build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, advocate for policies aligned with Darden’s business priorities, and contribute to shaping the future of our industry. This role covers 20+ states in the western U.S., offering a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the legislative and regulatory environments impacting our business.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

-Build and maintain relationships on behalf of Darden with elected leaders, policy organizations and trade associations at the state and local level who have the ability to impact and influence the company’s business priorities.

-Collaborate with internal teams to stay ahead of business environment changes and prioritize policy issues.

-Represent Darden on State Restaurant Association Committees and positively contribute to their political and policy priorities.

-Identify and facilitate engagement opportunities with external stakeholders.

-Develop and execute efficient and effective advocacy strategies

-Maintain a comprehensive understanding of legislation, emerging issues and industry trends ensuring the Vice President, Government Relations and relevant stakeholders throughout the company are informed with analyses of the significance, relevance and business impact of these developments in a timely manner.

-Provide written and verbal public policy analyses, legislative updates, and advocacy briefings.

-Demonstrate knowledge and experience with managing political contributions, lobbying compliance, external consultants, and budgets.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS:

-5+ years of experience in corporate, trade association, legislative, or regulatory roles.

REQUIRED EDUCATION:

-Bachelor’s degree.

OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

-Excellent organizational and time management skills.

-Exceptional written, presentation and interpersonal skills.

-Ability to understand how technical language in legislative and regulatory proposals could affect corporate operations, identify business implications and synthesize policy documents for internal stakeholders that identifies the best course of action in the clearest possible terms.

-Ability to influence, negotiate with and persuade others is required. Must be flexible and demonstrate strong judgement/decision-making skills and political acumen.

-Self-motivated with great internal compass for prioritizing.

-Solution-oriented problem solver.

-Skilled at building and maintaining productive relationships.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

-Experience managing advocacy efforts in multiple states

LOCATION:

-Orlando, FL, Sacramento, CA, Austin, TX, Phoenix, AZ, or Chicago, IL, Washington DC

-Frequent travel required, up to 60%.

Learn more here