About CEI

CEI is a nonprofit public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty. Our mission is to reform America’s unaccountable regulatory state. We make the uncompromising case for economic freedom because we believe it is essential for entrepreneurship, innovation, and prosperity to flourish. CEI pursues a full-service approach to advancing public policy, which includes original scholarly research, active communications campaigns, direct advocacy, and litigation. Founded in 1984, CEI is an effective advocate for freedom on critical regulatory policy issues, including: energy and environment, banking and finance, technology and telecommunications, antitrust, trade, labor, transportation, and health care.

About the Role

The Competitive Enterprise Institute seeks a Government Affairs and Coalitions Director to develop, build, and maintain relationships with public officials, their staff, and other allies. We will also consider hiring at the Manager level for a slightly less experienced candidate.

The Director will communicate CEI’s policy and legislative agenda to key policymakers in Congress, the White House, and federal agencies, and direct coalition outreach. The Director will oversee and manage the Government Affairs and Coalitions Associate. Ultimately, CEI seeks someone with energy and enthusiasm to help increase its presence on the Hill through traditional government affairs practices.

This role is based in CEI’s headquarters in Washington, DC, and reports directly to the Vice President of Communications.

The ideal candidate demonstrates flexibility, cooperation, entrepreneurialism, and an ability to juggle multiple tasks with a steady attention to detail. There is an opportunity for growth in this position, with respect to both additional responsibilities and greater autonomy at work. CEI frequently promotes from within.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Develop, build, and maintain relationships with key members and staff on Capitol Hill, policymakers in the executive branch of government, and coalition allies:
    • Ensure lawmakers, staffers, and other policymakers are aware of CEI’s scholarly work and have access to CEI experts.
    • Arrange and attend meetings between CEI experts and policymakers in Congress, the administration, and periodically in state capitals.
    • Attend regular congressional, executive branch, and coalition meetings.
  • Communicate CEI’s policy agenda to legislative and executive branch policymakers and allies:
    • Secure opportunities and help prepare CEI experts to testify before legislative committees in Congress and at the state level.
    • Coordinate with policy center leaders to organize, secure signatures for, and distribute CEI-led coalition letters. Oversee the process for evaluating requests to sign onto other organizations’ coalition letters.
    • Circulate CEI research and policy work to key audiences and allies on Capitol Hill.
    • Present CEI research and updates on CEI events at regularly scheduled congressional and ally meetings.
  • Keep CEI staff informed of legislative and policy developments.
    • Educate CEI staff on congressional structure and operations, legislative process, and strategy while coordinating with CEI experts on reminders for congressional and executive branch deadlines.

Qualifications:

  • Alignment with the mission of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
  • 6+ years of experience working in Congress or a legislative affairs role.
  • The ideal candidate will have pre-existing relationships with policymakers in Congress and the administration.
  • Strong writing, communications, and organizational skills are required.
  • Experience with Quorum, Salesforce, and Pardot is helpful.

Characteristics:

  • Communicator. You have excellent oral communication, writing, and editing abilities.
  • Detail-oriented. You are relentless about accuracy for both content and formatting, and obsessive about meeting deadlines.
  • Team Player. CEI’s communications team is a close-knit, seven-person team that works hard (and sometimes long hours) to serve the organization and its external and internal audiences.
  • Discreet. You have a lifelong commitment to discretion and to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information entrusted to you. You are comfortable and diligent in handling highly confidential materials and information.
  • Self-Starter. You are willing and able to manage projects. You know when to ask for help, but don’t need handholding. You’re comfortable receiving increasing autonomy to manage your own work and important processes.
  • Multi-Tasker. You thrive in an environment that demands multitasking.
  • Curious and Policy-Minded. You like public policy and are curious enough to enjoy the challenge of taking complex policy ideas and distilling them in ways that are both factually accurate and interesting to both internal and external audiences.
  • Planner. You enjoy planning and executing complex processes.
  • Deadline Driven. You are punctual. You are deadline-driven. Making the trains run on time and meeting deadlines are simply part of your DNA.
  • Flexible. You maintain a positive, flexible attitude whenever needs or priorities shift.

Compensation

The projected salary range for this role is $80,000-$120,000, contingent on the selected candidate’s skills and experience.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout employment. CEI does not provide visa sponsorship now or in the future for positions.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

  • A cover letter describing your interest in the position and the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s mission, as well as your salary requirements.
  • Your resume.

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link:

https://talentmarket.org/candidates/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Claire Kittle Dixon, President of Talent Market, who is assisting with the search: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.