Vice President, State & Local Government Relations -- National Multiple Sclerosis Society-HQ

Vice President, State & Local Government Relations Job posted by: National Multiple Sclerosis Society-HQ Posted on: May 29, 2013 How to apply To apply for this position or to see other employment opportunities with the National MS Society please visit our online Career Center using the web-link below. We no longer accept mailed, faxed, or e-mailed resumes. Only those candidates deemed most qualified will be contacted to interview. https://www1.apply2jobs.com/NMSS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.searchJobs EOE M/F/D/V Job description Founded in 1946, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (www.nationalmssociety.org) is a collective of passionate individuals who want to bring about a world free of multiple sclerosis. Through its dynamic nationwide chapter network, the Society funds research, furthers education, and provides services and programs to its 750,000 general members, including 400,000 people who live with multiple sclerosis. The Society has chapters in fifty locations across the nation. Its home office operations are housed in New York City, Denver and Washington DC. All told, 1200 employees and 500,000 volunteers support the Society's work annually. Approximately 75% of the Society's annual expenditures go towards research, services and programs for people with MS and their families, support and education for health care professionals, and federal, state and local advocacy efforts. This position leads the Society into a new organizational approach to activism, shaping the policy agenda and overseeing a new team charged with driving activism forward in each region. The VP, State and Local Government Relations is a leadership position requiring strong skills in strategic thinking, problem solving and relationship building. Essential Function/Responsibilities Include: Organizational Approach to Activism • Partner with Region Management Teams and advocacy staff to develop and build ongoing support in each region for a senior director of advocacy to oversee advocacy within the region • Develop region planning processes for advocacy, ensuring each region works to advance shared goals • Lead development of Unified State Policy Agenda, supportive materials and state adoption of unified policy issues • Analyze legislative and regulatory activity; evaluate policy areas aligned with the strategic response and determine likelihood of success • Demonstrates understanding of vision for organizational approach to activism and ability to implement vision • Ability to understand what needs to happen centrally, regionally or locally and develop appropriate work plan • Support regions, states and chapters in developing comprehensive advocacy campaigns • Work in concert with VP, Federal Government Relations and team to ensure coordinated organizational approach to activism Volunteer Engagement • Develop and implement strategies and tactics to engage activists at all different levels, with focused efforts on strategies identified by strategic response implementation team • Assess the effectiveness of volunteer engagement in advocacy efforts • Manage strategic direction of State Activism Advisory Committe Leadership • Build team of staff to oversee advocacy within regions Supervise region based team and additional staff; develop professional growth plans for each staff member • Promote integrated approach to advocacy through key partnerships with functional areas within the Society, including programs, services, clinical and marketing • Facilitates interdepartmental coordination and integration with all relevant Society departments • Increase organizational understanding of power of advocacy and potential impact for people affected by MS • Take leadership role in strategic response goal steering and implementation teams • Key role in Public Policy Conference and other department and organization functions and events • Build relationships with potential partner organizations to support Unified Policy Agenda issues Communications and Data • Understanding of value of organizational data and develop processes to collect data to support advocacy initiatives • Develop relationships with marketing/public relations team in order to enhance media advocacy around the Unified State Policy Agenda • Lead centralized story collection efforts and ensure integration at local level • Create communications plan in concert with federal policy team and marketing liaison; utilizing existing vehicles and developing additional resources as needed Minimum Qualifications – Position requires a minimum of BA/BS Degree plus 10 years experience (MS Degree preferred preferred in public policy, public administration, social science or related field). Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible management experience with at least 3 years supervisory experience. Experience with remote supervision a plus; Strong communication skills, comfortable with public speaking, problem solving, strategic thinking, decision making and interpersonal skills required Strong knowledge MS Office computer software including Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point. Experience with legislative tracking systems and electronic advocacy communications Legislative policy analysis How to apply To apply for this position or to see other employment opportunities with the National MS Society please visit our online Career Center using the web-link below. We no longer accept mailed, faxed, or e-mailed resumes. Only those candidates deemed most qualified will be contacted to interview. https://www1.apply2jobs.com/NMSS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.searchJobs EOE M/F/D/V