Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs

LOCATION

Alexandria, VA

ABOUT US

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is a national non-profit organization that aims to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. ACB was founded in 1961 and has since been actively involved in policy reform, legal advocacy, as well as grassroots program management to meet the needs of its members at every level.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs leads the promotion and development of ACB’s advocacy and legislative agendas (e.g., strategic goals, initiatives) through maintaining relationships with elected and appointed government officials, corporate partners, and disability and civil rights organizations. The Director also oversees resolution implementation and monitoring issues of interest to ACB.

Responsibilities:

ACB Representation

• Represents ACB on advisory committees and consultative bodies seeking organizational input.

Legislation and Government

• Leads the promotion and development of ACB’s advocacy and legislative agendas (e.g., strategic goals, initiatives) and makes recommendations regarding actions and policies to be adopted by ACB.
• Develops and maintains ongoing working relationships with members of Congress, Congressional staff, and agency administrators to promote ACB’s legislative and regulatory agendas.

Public and Corporate relations

• Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with other disability and civil and human rights organizations to expand ACB’s sphere of influence.
• Creates and enhances collaborative relationships with corporations and private stakeholders to influence the usability and accessibility of their products and services.

Communication

• Prepares external communication on legislative, judicial, and administrative developments for ACB content channels (e.g., ACB Media, social media), newsletters, and other external content channels.
• Ensures that ACB members receive timely communications regarding ongoing legislative and advocacy initiatives.

Supervision

• the Advocacy & Governmental Affairs Department, including the Audio Description Project. This includes leading the recruitment process, training, performance appraisals, recognition initiatives, and addressing complaints.

Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

Qualifications

Required:

• At least 5 years of related work experience.
• Experience working with federal legislative and regulatory processes.
• Microsoft Office Suite.
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in political science, public policy or related field.

Preferred:

• Disability-related advocacy experience preferred.
• Advanced degree preferred, for example a MA or JD.
• Working knowledge of accessible and assistive technology used by people who are blind or low vision.

Competencies

• Analytical – Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data; Uses intuition and experience to complement data; Designs workflows and procedures.
• Interpersonal Skills – Displays people-oriented leadership focused on building relationships through communication and empathy. Remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
• Innovation – Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others’ attention.
• Strategic Thinking – Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals in accordance with the organization’s strengths & weaknesses; Analyzes market and identifies external challenges and opportunities; Adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Written Communication – Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet the needs of the intended audience; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.
• Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Leads and participates in internal and external meetings.

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $90,000 – $102,000.

Travel

15% of this position requires travel outside the Metro Washington D.C. area. Local travel within the Washington D.C. Metro area is more frequent. Events include state and affiliate conferences and conventions, industry and disability conventions and stakeholder events.

Application Process

To apply for this position, please email your resume to hr@acb.org.

Application Deadline

11/26/2023

Relocation Expenses

Negotiable