State Legislative Director, Great Lakes Region

Summary:

The State Legislative Director for the Great Lakes Region will be responsible for developing and advocating for the implementation of priority policy issues in the state of Michigan. The Great Lakes regional director will work with the Senior Legislative Director of the Eastern Division and the Vice President of State Affairs to identify and develop opportunities to advance priority issues at the state and local levels as well as working with the broader state legislative team to identify and implement coordinated strategies to achieve goals. This role also requires close collaboration with the larger Government Relations team and ASPCA experts as well as external partners to proactively achieve established policy goals as well as assist in facilitating policy solutions to resolve issues the ASPCA encounters while delivering direct care in the Great Lakes region.

The State Legislative Director will work from a home office a commutable distance from the Michigan State Capitol (e.g. the Lansing, MI metropolitan area).

In addition to its primary focus on Michigan, this position will monitor and oversee ASPCA’s legislative activity in Ohio and work with the Eastern Division Sr. Director and the Vice President of State Affairs to determine our level of engagement in the state on a case-by-case basis.   

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Policy Development/Strategy (~70%)

• Develop a plan to carry out state legislative strategies consistent with ASPCA’s philosophy and strategic goals and promote and implement tactics to achieve legislative goals.
• Research, develop, and work with legislative counsel to draft legislation to strengthen legal protections for and public policies towards animals.
• Read animal-related legislation and critically analyze its impact on animal welfare.
• Participate in weekly discussions with state legislative team regarding activities and policy work being advanced across the country.
• Integrate and coordinate state legislative strategies with Legislative Engagement, Community Outreach, and other ASPCA sections and activities.
• Participate in regular meetings with other lobbyists, regulatory staff, grassroots staff, and interns.
• Work with relevant staff on filing state lobbying reports.
• Attend and participate in panels at conferences with other department staff as needed.
• Ensure adequate tracking and movement of legislation in Michigan and Ohio pertaining to animals.

Operations and Communication (~20%)

• Work closely with ASPCA Legal Advocacy to ensure the legal strength of proposed legislation and conduct analysis of bad policy proposals.
• Initiate and guide requests for communications needs (ie: alerts, blogs, social media, and other outreach).
• Participate in regular conversations with other state directors and legislative engagement team as well as federal team members to ensure proper workflow and to connect appropriate staff to issues encountered in Michigan. 
• Cultivate positive, productive, and enduring working relationships with members of legislature and their staff as well as with both traditional and non-traditional allies. 
• Prepare and present workshops and seminars to various education levels.
• Represent the ASPCA in a professional, courteous, and congenial manner while lobbying and negotiating with legislators and their staff to support or oppose legislation, and implement campaigns to secure passage or defeat

Special Projects (~10%)

• Provide projects and guidance as needed for interns
• Participate in internal working groups as needed to facilitate policy development and provide guidance to other departments.
• Participate in planning for department’s involvement in national trade shows and exhibits as needed.

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals
• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes
• Believes in Team – that we are stronger together
• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible
• Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 3 years of experience working with a non-profit, legislative office or government agency in the legal and/or government affairs department.
• Experience with the legislative process and working directly with legislators highly preferred
• Experience working within any of the following policy areas a plus: animal welfare or animal-related policy issues (e.g. access to healthcare, shelter regulation, puppy mills, etc.), housing, agriculture, climate change and/or disaster response
• Prior or current experience working within or with the Michigan State Legislature preferred

Travel Requirements:

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% of the time as needed, both within the Great Lakes region as well as nationally. 
• The initial focus of the Great Lakes Region will be on Michigan.
• Additional travel will include conferences, department meetings, etc.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of the legislative process, the committee structure, leadership positions, procedures, and political and cultural trends in Lansing
• Knowledge of and ability to develop and handle the drafting of complex legislation
• Knowledge of animal welfare issues and laws
• Knowledge of Michigan climate and wildfire policies preferred
• A strong ability to build and maintain relationships with legislators, their staff, and other stakeholders important to the passage of identified policy initiatives is also required.
• Willingness to conduct regional outreach and cultivate strong community ties.
• Ability to move between big picture thinking and region-specific, tactical thinking.
• Strong perception of legislative process and ability to anticipate trajectories for bills, issues, and lobbying needs.
• Critically think about and proactively promote organizational goals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interest in and ability to articulate animal welfare issues.
• Ability to prioritize work effectively, complete work efficiently, and work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Dynamic presentation and public speaking skills.
• Represent the ASPCA with professionalism.
• Positively collaborate with other departments within the ASPCA.
• Work under tight time frames and on a wide variety of issues at the same time.
• Balance passion for issue with appreciation of incremental nature of legislative process.
• Self-motivated and able to work remotely without significant direct supervision. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and a high degree of integrity and accountability
• Willingness to work on new projects as they arise.

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and staff compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary range for this role is set forth below and may be modified in the future. 

The target hiring range for this role is $105,000 - $112,000.

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

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Qualifications:

See above for qualifications details.

Language:

English (Required)Education and Work Experience:

Bachelors (Required)

About Us:

The ASPCA was founded in 1866 on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans and must be protected under the law. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than two million supporters nationwide, the ASPCA is committed to preventing cruelty to dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals throughout the United States.

The ASPCA is headquartered in New York City, where we maintain a full-service animal hospital, spay/neuter clinic, mobile spay/neuter and primary pet care clinics, a rehabilitation center for canine victims of cruelty, kitten nursery, adoption center, and two community veterinary centers.

The ASPCA also operates programs and services that extend nationwide. We assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources.

At the ASPCA, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and we welcome all voices to contribute to our lifesaving mission. Our staff represent a vast array of backgrounds and diversity dimensions, bringing with them valuable experiences and perspectives. They join the ASPCA to learn, grow, and continually do their best work on behalf of animals. We are inspired by our staff, partners, and the communities we support across the country who work to improve animal lives. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the ASPCA because it elevates our organizational culture, aligns with our Core Values, and enables us to move further and faster toward the ASPCA’s vision – that all animals live good lives; valued by society, protected by its laws, and free from cruelty, pain and suffering.

Applicants that are residents of Colorado: Per CO Senate Bill 23-058, we cannot generally request or require any age-related information (i.e., age, DOB, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution) on an initial employment application; this includes any age-related inquiries in the initial interview. We are permitted to require/request additional application materials; if those materials contain any age-related information, an applicant may redact the information before submitting an initial employment application.