Position Information

Primary Role

The primary role of this position is to provide senior-level strategic government affairs counsel to the state leadership team. This role establishes and manages a comprehensive and effective state and local best practice government affairs program to advance and support the company’s overall business plan and state–specific objectives. This role also tracks all legislation with the potential to impact the company, either positively or negatively, and provides strategy recommendations and tactical implementation regarding how to employ government affairs activities in support of legislative objectives.

This role is the senior government relations professional responsible for establishing, nurturing and maintaining relationships with elected and appointed individuals at the state, county and municipal levels of government, for ensuring that the state president and state leadership team are properly and effectively positioned with key elected/appointed individuals, and that the company is effectively positioned as a trusted partner and expert resource.

This role reports to the VP Business Development, Government Affairs/External Affairs indirectly to the center-led VP, Chief legislative and external affairs officer. This role interfaces and aligns government relations activities at the state level with the center-led Government affairs  team at the to ensure the company is advancing an integrated and effective government relations strategy across the business.

Key Accountabilities

• Leads the effective development, implementation and assessment of an integrated government affairs program at the state and local level, to enhance the company's reputation, and position American Water as the trusted expert and industry leader relative to water and wastewater issues.

• Establishes regular proactive communication outreach strategies and tactics in the state and local political arena to ensure state and local political relationships are solidified and American Water is looked upon across all service territories with respect and positioned as the industry leader and trusted expert.

• Proactively meets with state and local government officials on a regular basis to create strong relationships, mitigate emerging or potential problems, and establish a level of trust between American Water, mayors and other appointed and elected officials.

• Serves as the lead state lobbyist for the company charged with helping to change or support key legislation on water, wastewater or utility/business issues that may have an adverse or positive affect on the company.

• Manages local contract lobbyists and maximizes effectiveness. Holds regular meetings with the contract lobbyist(s) to ensure expectations are met.

• Establishes and maintains an effective bill tracking program and takes full advantage of opportunities for the company to be out front on industry-related issues. Provides oversight and strategic input on bills that are being tracked to ensure they are beneficial to the state operations and aligned and integrated with the overall corporate government affairs strategy and the overall strategic plan for American Water.

• Builds effective alliances and coalitions to advance the company’s position on key legislative initiatives.

• Helps identify business development opportunities through established relationships and through relationships that the company's contract lobbyist and other employees may have.

• Meets regularly with mayors and other local officials to ensure a strong and effective working relationship is in place. Mitigates issues and provides information for problem resolution. Ensures local government officials are kept updated when problems such as main breaks and other water-related emergencies occur.

• Develops the communications strategy/approach and schedules meetings with mayors and other local officials during rate cases and other capital investment program events, ensuring that appropriate company personnel is available to meet elected officials and answer specialized questions and that relationships are firmly established and key company leadership is properly positioned. Represents the company at mayoral, municipal and regulatory events.

Key Accountabilities (cont.)

• Works closely with and regularly communicates/coordinates with state External Affairs. Obtain communications counsel, support and all necessary materials to ensure the company is effectively aligned and positioned to develop and sustain key relationships with community leaders, government and regulatory authorities, as well as elected and appointed officials.
• Implements and directs all lobbying activities on behalf of the company. Prepares and manages the development of legislative testimony.
• Testifies on behalf of the company and/or prepares the state president or other members of the state senior management team to provide legislative testimony, as appropriate.                                                     
• Works closely with an array of political, utility, industry and
• business-related state organizations to create strategic alliances and issue-oriented coalitions on key issues affecting the water and wastewater industry. Works with key political, industry and business organizations to solidify relationships and foster business development opportunities for American Water.
• Is active and visible at various state and national conferences to ensure American Water is properly and effectively positioned.
• Represents the company at key business organization functions, political fundraisers, etc. and ensures senior management is poised to participate.
• Assists in regulatory relationship building, making sure regulators are kept abreast of key issues within the company. Works with senior leadership to ensure coverage at Commissioner and other regulatory events.
• Works directly with government affairs team at the state and center-led level to build capacity and ensure the development of professional capabilities and expertise. 

Knowledge/Skills

• Must be knowledgeable of the federal, local and state government and legislative processes.
• Must possess an excellent working knowledge of the legislative process at all levels,and understand the hierarchy of government officials so the company has access to the right people, at the right time, in the right departments, for the right purpose.
• Demonstrated ability to testify before legislative audiences and knows when and how to bring senior leadership, center-led Government Afffairs, and other departments into the process so that political officials have the benefit of the full
• expertise of the company.
• Must know how to access information and gain knowledge of issues in the business arena, as well as in the political arena, that may impact the company.
• Must be a registered lobbyist.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budget resources efficiently in order to maximize benefits to company.

Experience/Education

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, government, journalism, communications, public relations or related field preferred, or demonstrated experienced commensurate with the requirements of the position.
• Fifteen years of experience in government relations or lobbying, preferably within the utility sector.

Travel Requirements

• 40% within the state and in the United States

Work Environment

• Located in a state supporting the full array of local/state government affairs activities.

Short Description

Competencies