Advocate for a vital industry that creates essential everyday products from renewable and recyclable resources.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Government Affairs, this position will advocates for member interests and manages California state and local government affairs, as well as other assigned western states. They ensure the coordination of association state lobbying efforts with overall policy goals of association members. With respect to California specifically, the Senior Manager, Government Affairs provides California regulatory, policy and technical support on various issues related to the marketplace and environmental regulations in California.

Working at AF&PA:

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) values diverse backgrounds and capabilities and invites all talented individuals to apply to be part of our team and support our culture and mission. We encourage the exchange of knowledge, innovative ideas and different perspectives to reach our goals and we support work/life balance.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Multistate Advocacy

• Advocate for industry and/or member interests in California and a portfolio of other assigned states (including Oregon and Washington) by tracking, analyzing, and reporting on state legislative activities
• Manage state contract lobbyists and other outside consultants as assigned
• Write letters, testimony and various association communications
• Serve as a liaison to California state and local public policy groups and similar groups in other assigned states
• Develop and maintain relationships with state legislators, executive branch officials and regulators in California and other assigned states
• Testify before state legislative and regulatory bodies in California and other assigned states
• Design and implement industry advocacy events which serve as educational opportunities for California state legislators, regulators, or other decision-makers and highlight the industry’s accomplishments
• Maintain relationships and coordinate with outside interest groups in coalitions and on shared state legislative goals
• Analyze emerging California state regulatory and policy issues; identify potential impacts/opportunities to the paper and wood products industry
• Formulate industry policies and positions based on California regulatory, policy, and legislative initiatives.

Drive Industry Alignment and Develop Issue Expertise

• Lead and coordinate member company engagement or coalition engagement on Association issues
• Build and maintain consensus among member companies to develop legislative and policy goals for California and other assigned states
• Serve on internal issue teams; manage, plan, and run meetings on relevant issue topics affecting the Association
• Serve as a subject matter expert on assigned issues, including extended producer responsibility, chemical regulations, recycling, and other environmental and energy issues as needed

Integrate Work with Association Priorities

• Participate in regular Association meetings virtually and occasionally in person
• Ensure AF&PA state legislative and regulatory goals are coordinated with other AF&PA departments and related industry groups, including providing comments on proposed regulations
• Coordinate with AF&PA’s federal affairs team to ensure that federal policy objectives are met and fulfilled at the state level
• Coordinate state grassroots campaigns for state legislative and regulatory priorities

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Undergraduate degree required
• Graduate degree in public policy or related field is a plus
• Five or more years of experience in federal or state policy development; in corporate or trade association government affairs; as a paid campaign or legislative staff member; or role of equivalent function
• Three or more years of experience with California state politics and policymaking process, both legislative and regulatory
• Experience in performing research, analyzing policy and contributing to policy development
• Experience with environment, energy, recycling, or other manufacturing sector issues is a plus

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:

• Strong understanding of California state politics and policymaking process, both legislative and regulatory, with understanding of political process in other states
• Strong relationships with California legislators and one or more regulatory agencies (e.g., California Air Resources Board, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), California Environmental Protection Agency)
• Ability to meet in-person with state legislators, executive branch officials and regulators, state and local public policy groups, contract lobbyists and other outside consultants in California and other assigned states as frequently as needed for the efficient and effective performance of the essential job functions
• Effective, clear, and concise written and oral communication skills
• High degree of teamwork, organizational, and project management skills
• Ability to juggle multiple responsibilities with high quality execution and performance
• Ability to work from a home office in the Sacramento, CA metro area
• Ability to maintain a typical work schedule matching typical Pacific business hours, participate in regular meetings within other time zones (sometimes as early as 7:00 am PT), and be available for weeknights and weekends as needed, especially during legislative sessions
• Ability to travel approximately 20-30 percent with most travel to or within assigned states and AF&PA’s Washington DC office
• Hold identification that is Real ID compliant for U.S. air travel
• Ability to take initiative, act independently with limited supervision, and exercise good judgment and discretion
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, and exercise discretion in sensitive AF&PA matters and on policy and market issues
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to maintain positive rapport with co-workers

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary for this position is expected to be between $116,000-$145,000. This is a good-faith estimate based on market data for comparable positions and the current budgeted amount for this role. Factors to be considered when determining the salary of the selected candidate include relevant skills, experience and knowledge, and the alignment of these qualities with those of existing staff.

We offer a generous benefits package that currently includes:

• Paid Vacation, Personal and Sick leave totaling 27-42 days per year (based on relevant experience), plus holidays and paid Parental Leave
• 100%-85% paid CareFirst medical plans for employees and their families
• Generous 401(k) retirement plan with up to 9% employer contribution (after waiting period)
• Plus dental, vision, life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account...

Location:

The person hired for this position will be expected to work remotely from home in the Sacramento, CA metro area.

About AF&PA

AF&PA serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day. The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural America, and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 44 states. Our industry accounts for approximately 4.7% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing more than $435 billion in products annually. AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industry’s decades-long initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2030. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org or follow us on X @ForestandPaper.

Equal Employment Opportunity

AF&PA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and welcomes all talented individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, veteran status or other category protected by law.

Your Rights

Applicants have rights under federal employment laws. Information may be found on the Department of Labor’s website (https://www.dol.gov) as well as through these available notices: Know Your Rights; Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).