Senior Manager of Government Affairs

General Description: The Senior Manager of Government Affairs advances the Food Depository’s legislative agenda and relationship goals with local, state, and federal elected officials under the direction of the Senior Director of Community Advocacy and Government Affairs.  

Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty and racial inequity.

The Food Depository’s Policy and Advocacy team leads organizational efforts to advance policy solutions to food insecurity in Cook County and throughout Illinois.

The Policy and Advocacy team advances legislative and administrative policy solutions at the federal, state, and local level and maximizes the implementation of the social safety net in Illinois. 
 

The Senior Manager of Government Affairs is responsible for engaging Cook County elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

The role is responsible for monitoring, reporting, and influencing legislative action by the Chicago City Council, the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Illinois General Assembly, and Congress.

The Senior Manager of Government Affairs will implement a relationship management strategy to deepen legislator engagement around food insecurity at the local, state and federal level.

The Senior Manager of Government Affairs will work closely with the Manager of Advocacy to cultivate individual and organizational advocates to lift up the issue of hunger, its impact on communities, and its solutions.

The Senior Manager of Government Affairs will also work closely with two Policy Advisors on designing and executing engagement strategies to enact and implement priority bills or administrative actions.

The role works across departments to understand and proactively advance Food Depository and community partner policy and government relations needs.  

Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions: 


* Create and maintain strong relationships with elected officials and their staff. 



* Advance the Food Depository’s legislative agenda at the local, state, and federal levels, including shaping and executing a legislative strategy for priority bills. 



* Execute the Food Depository’s government affairs relationship strategy with local, state, and federal representatives. 



* Implement all outbound communications and meeting coordination with elected officials and their offices, and work with the Manager of Advocacy to craft impactful communications to advocates to engage with their elected officials.  



* Maintain strong working knowledge to be able to accurately and strategically represent Food Depository programs, operations, and policy goals. 



* Strategically deploy Food Depository staff, advocates, partners, board members, and other stakeholders to advance legislative and government relations goals. 



* Organize engagement events including legislator breakfasts, site visits, volunteer events, and similar experiences. 



* Represent the Food Depository at public and priva...