Senior Vice President- Government Relations

Waterford is seeking a Senior Vice President, Government Relations. One who has a passion for education equity, an outstanding work ethic, and demonstrated excellence in inclusive leadership and communication. The role partners closely with the School Relations team to ensure alignment with school districts and the Community Engagement teams partners, including community-based organizations who help bring families into our programs.

In summary, this role guides Waterford's state level work in partnership with the Advocacy team, internal team liaisons, and external influencers and partners. Were especially interested in enhancing Waterford's profile as a leading expert and partner in equity-advancing early literacy practice Experience aligning federal and state strategies for early learning public funding and policy campaigns is an ideal asset for this role. How can you set yourself apart from the rest of the candidates? If you have experience designing, developing, and implementing effective advocacy and lobbying campaigns for state policy and appropriations action then we would love to connect.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Continuously champion, promote, and advance diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence at Waterford.org
• Develop, lead, and implement effective legislative strategies that establish new and sustainable sources of program funding across multiple states, as well as improve Waterford's policy brand to help shape early education at both the state and federal levels
• Design and deliver federal and state advocacy campaigns to increase number of children (Pre-Kindergarten through early elementary school) served by developing more legislative sponsors and generating more legislative activity in favor of Waterford implementation, funding and scale, particularly within mixed-delivery systems of early education
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with federal and state decision-makers who control sources of funding, as well as influencers and advocates who shape Waterford's decision-making process.
• Serve as an inclusive leader and trusted advisor on matters of legislative consequence with ease; monitor and assess state and local political environment and public policy (proposed legislation as well as existing regulations and rules) to determine where action is advisable
• Demonstrate effective organizational design, including definition of roles and responsibilities and improvement plans, to support sustainability and growth
• Maintain an awareness of state and federal political landscape, understanding of learning and family engagement topics and research, and asset-based appreciation of diverse communities served, and Waterford/Partner solutions to meet stated needs
• Manage expense budgets and forecasting of public funding opportunities; ensure public funding investments - including those in technology, training, administrative, and other support - yield productivity gains and performance consistent with established objectives
• Leverage Board of Trustees, Waterford Inclusive Practices Advisory Committee (WIPAC), Waterford experts on staff, and own public presence to represent Waterford and its message in a compelling and inclusive way in public and private settings, including expert panels, formal speaking engagements, legislative and agency hearings, as well as small group meetings at national and state levels

Desired Experience/Qualifications

• Commitment to Waterford mission, beliefs, and values - including focus on educational equity and inclusive excellence.
• Manages change effectively by using resources and creating alignment to expand organizational opportunities
• Experience in building and implementing comprehensive legislative strategies that result in balanced commitments (multi-year, multi-million) and engagement of external groups and influencers (national, state, and local supporters).
• Open, creative, and collaborative problem-solver who can effectively navigate intricate political environments
• Expertise in dealing with high-profile partners such as elected officials, executives, and a variety of external constituencies
• High level of integrity, ethics, emotional intelligence, and business judgment to drive internal and external candor, compliance, and mission
• Outstanding inclusive leadership, communication, mentoring/coaching, and interpersonal skills (someone who motivates and unites internal teams to advance equity and achieve Waterford's vision)
• 7-12 years of progressive experience achieving public policy and appropriations goals in rapidly growing organizations with $50-150 million annual budgets
• Four-year college degree from an accredited institution is preferred, but not required
• Knowledge of Salesforce.com, PowerBI, and Agile processes is highly preferred

About Waterford.org:

Waterford.org is an education nonprofit with a mission to achieve universal literacy for children through equity, access, and parent empowerment. Waterford creates programs that empower parents as a child's first teacher at home and supports teachers in the classroom. Currently, Waterford.org serves over 300,000 children across 43 states every year.

Our Commitment to Equity & Inclusion

Waterford's commitment to inclusive excellence is foundational to achieving our mission of universal literacy. Waterford.org is a mission-driven organization, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the heart of what we do. These values inform our internal culture and drive our external focus on making a difference for children and families in underserved communities. At Waterford, we actively seek talent who bring diverse backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and identities to their work and demonstrate a commitment to advancing our mission.

Working at Waterford.org

Waterford.org team members are located across the United States and primarily work from home. We anticipate a base salary of $165,000+ depending on the education, experience and skill of the individual we hire. In addition we offer an annual bonus of 1-2 months of compensation if we achieve preidentified financial targets. We also offer a phenomenal benefits package that includes fully paid premiums for health insurance, dental insurance, basic life insurance, and disability insurance. New hires receive a one-time HSA contribution. Retirement contributions are matched up to 5% by the organization. Plus, we offer a generous vacation, sick, and holiday offering. Currently, Waterford requires all new hires to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or file a religious or medical exemption (as applicable by federal, state, and local law).

Waterford is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Waterford is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.