Vice President, Legislative Affairs

Position Summary:

Vice President, Legislative Affairs

The Vice President, Legislative Affairs will lead the development and implementation of AIA’s comprehensive legislative strategy to support the association’s policy, industry advocacy, and membership goals. The incumbent will communicate the industry’s interests to members of Congress, White House and Administration officials, state and local leaders, and inform AIA members of key legislative policy developments and impacts. The Vice President is responsible for defining, shaping, and tracking legislation of interest to the aerospace industry; communicating legislative developments to members; presenting industry views and positions to Members of Congress and their staff; developing an engagement plan for the President and CEO, and serving as the principal staff contact for other organizations with overlapping legislative objectives. In this role, the Vice President will manage AIA’s development and execution of our industry positions, strategies, and programs on all matters related to building and supporting a dynamic future workforce for the aerospace and defense industry and our member companies. The ideal leader in this role will have the ability to focus and refine a legislative strategy while emphasizing the professional development of the staff.

This position is also responsible for ensuring the association’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to federal lobbying. This includes, but is not limited to, a leadership role in staff training and education as well as review of the association’s quarterly reports under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

In addition, the Vice President will develop the annual strategic objectives for legislative affairs, working closely with AIA senior leadership to ensure that strategy aligns with AIA’s mission, strategic plan, and specific objectives, in coordination with other departments. We’re looking for someone to ensure that AIA takes proactive actions to stay ahead of critical regulatory and legislative issues affecting our industry. It is expected that this position will involve registration and reporting as a federal lobbyist, as required by law, but not registration as a lobbyist before any state.

This position reports directly to the President and CEO and will be a strategic partner alongside all other Vice Presidents to support our mission. The incumbent currently manages a staff of one Senior Director, one Director, two Managers, and one shared Coordinator with the Communications Division.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Define, shape, and advocate for legislation of interest to the aerospace and defense industry (30%)

• Effectively communicate legislative developments to AIA members and present industry views and positions to Members of Congress and their staff.
• Develop and lead an engagement plan for the President and CEO, serving as the principal staff contact for other organizations with overlapping legislative objectives.
• Focus and refine a legislative strategy while emphasizing the professional development of the staff.

2. Lead the development of the annual strategic objectives for legislative affairs (35%)

• Work closely with AIA senior leadership to ensure that strategy aligns with AIA’s mission, strategic plan, and specific objectives, in coordination with the entire organization.
• Take proactive actions, collaborate across AIA policy divisions to stay ahead of critical regulatory and legislative issues affecting the aerospace and defense industry.
• Direct the monitoring and shaping of Federal legislation of interest to AIA and its members.
• Advise the President and CEO, member company Chief Executive Officers, and Washington Representatives on legislative matters and coordinates presentations to Congress advocating the AIA position and industry’s viewpoint.
• Seek active participation of industry executives and their government relations staff to formulate positions, prepare hearing testimony, and brief witnesses.

3. Build and maintain key relationships across Capitol Hill and Washington, DC (15%)

• Maintain and grow a network of contacts among Members of Congress and staff.
• Represent AIA on continuing and ad hoc coalitions of organizations and groups that collaborate to present a unified position to Congress on issues of mutual interest.
• Inform AIA members of developments of broad industry appeal through company government relations staff, periodic reports to the Board and its Executive Committee, presentations before the various division councils and committees, and through periodic gatherings of member company executives, Washington government relations staff, members of Congress, and the Executive Branch personnel to discuss matters of mutual interest.

4. Grow AIA value proposition to members and prospective members (10%)

• Lead the planning and execution of CODEL events associated with international air shows. Ensures that all necessary briefing, background material, and Ethics Committee paperwork are prepared to support the CODEL.
• Drive excellence in AIA events by obtaining key Congressional participation in AIA strategic calendar events, including international air shows, AIA Board of Governors meetings, and Congressional informational briefings or receptions both in D.C. and nationwide.
• Manage site visits to highlight efforts of our Member companies and to gain broader industry insights in support of our advocacy role.

5. Manage and oversee AIA’s entire legislative portfolio and team (10%)

• Manage the workload and delegation of legislative issues, including national security policy, civil aviation, space, and workforce to ensure appropriate coverage.
• Develop and manage the Legislative Affairs annual operating budget.
• Working with the VP-Finance and other AIA staff, help ensure the association’s ongoing compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to federal lobbying, including review and approval of the association’s quarterly lobbying reports to Congress.
• Staff of 5: Senior Director of Legislative Affairs, Director of Legislative Affairs, (2) Managers of Legislative Affairs, and the shared support of a Coordinator.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Executive in a company or association, with specific expertise in federal legislative advocacy or relations.
• 15+ years’ supervisory experience in government, an association, or aerospace-defense related corporation with responsibility over multidisciplinary functions.
• Experience in developing and managing departmental budgets.
• Superb interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collegially with others and with the highest standards of integrity.
• First-rate personal, political, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Creativity and ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues.
• Excellent communicator with great interpersonal and presentation skills, both for policy experts and the layperson.
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player in a multi-task work environment while producing the highest caliber work product in a timely manner.
• Self-starter with a sense of humor and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving and high-pressure environment.

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AIA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, or veteran status.

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