DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC POLICY

We are seeking a dynamic professional to join our Public Policy and Legal Affairs team as the Director for Public Policy. In this role, you will play a pivotal part in promoting public policies to advance Christian education at the national and state levels. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of legislative processes, advocacy strategies, and a passion for championing the values and principles of Christian education.

This position requires that the employee lives in a region that allows for commuting to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for a minimum of three days per week.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary based on work experience, education, training, knowledge, skills, and internal and external equity.

Employees may choose from benefits including HDHP and copay medical plans, dental, vision, health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 403b retirement plan, and supplemental life and disability insurance. In addition, ACSI provides vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, basic life, basic accidental death and disability, long term disability, employee assistance plan, Christian school tuition benefit, and discretionary annual bonus.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the VP for Public Policy and Legal Affairs on national advocacy issues
• Advocate for policies that support the mission and values of ACSI
• Advocate for policies that support the mission and values of Christian education
• Establish, collaborate, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, policymakers, and government officials to influence policy decisions that impact ACSI Christian schools and Christian education
• As a communication liaison, effectively communicate and use media to communicate the PPLA department priorities
• Stay informed about relevant legislation, policy trends, and educational developments to provide informed recommendations and responses to the VP for Public Policy and Legal Affairs
• Stay informed about relevant legislation, regulation, judicial action, policy trends, and educational developments to provide informed recommendations and responses to the VP for Legal Affairs
• Collaborate with the National Director for State Advocacy on federal and state legislative priorities
• Collaborate with the PPLA team on various initiatives
• Work with the PPLA team on PPLA’s annual Public Policy & Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., including recruiting Congressional and policy-related speakers and other planning of the event
• Other duties as assigned

Essential Qualifications

Spiritually the ideal candidate shall possess characteristics that reflect

• a demonstrated acceptance without reservation of the ACSI Statement of Faith
• a strong, clear Christian testimony, acknowledging Christ as Savior and seeking to live as His disciple
• a desire for spiritual growth as evidenced by his/her prayer life, Bible study, and spiritual outreach to others
• a mature, godly spirit
• a Christian role model (Luke 6:40) in attitude, speech, and actions toward others. (This includes being committed to God’s biblical standards for sexual conduct.)
• a person of faith and prayer
• a broad acceptance of and by the evangelical Christian community
• a strong knowledge and understanding of Scripture
• a servant leader
• an active participation in a local Bible-believing church
• a willingness and intent to enroll K-12 school-aged children in a local Christian school

Required Experience and Education

• Three or more years in public policy, politics, advocacy with a track record of policy engagement
• Bachelors degree preferred
• Understanding of legislative processes, educational policy, and issues related to Christian education
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to articulate complex policy issues to those inside and outside the political arenas
• Strong leadership development skills
• Excellent of interpersonal skills (for departmental team building)
• Mastery of internal and external communication skills
• Basic understanding of school choice, and cultural and religious liberty issues affecting religious education
• Ability and willingness to be on Capitol Hill or in DC a minimum of three days a week
• Highly proficient in computers, Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook
• A passion for giving every child the opportunity of a Christian education and for Christian renewal

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Professional remote work environment in which to conduct videoconferences and phone calls
• Involves travel and work on Capitol Hill for a minimum of three days per week
• Must be willing to travel by plane or automobile up to 10%
• Driver’s License required to be kept current and in effect as a condition of employment
• Employee is regularly required to walk, sit, use hands and fingers, talk, and hear
• Essential duties require the use of computers to process information
• The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal