Job Description

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) seeks to fill a vital role on our Government Affairs team - Director, Legislative Affairs. The incumbent will play a prominent role in formulating and implementing the Association’s legislative advocacy agenda. 

NACWA is a trade association that works on a bipartisan basis to support the work of the nation’s public wastewater and stormwater management agencies. Current Association priorities include water affordability, federal infrastructure investment and municipal bonds, emerging contaminants, extreme weather, Clean Water Act permitting and modernization, and more. 

The responsibilities of this position include:

• Develop, coordinate, and implement legislative strategies to achieve NACWA's goals and objectives related to supporting and advancing the work of public clean water agencies.

• Establish and maintain ongoing relationships and represents NACWA’s interests with Members of Congress and their staff, including but not limited to key committees of jurisdiction.

• Monitor, review, and analyze legislative proposals, coordinating with the Government Affairs team and NACWA members as needed to craft responses and implement related advocacy.

• Draft Congressional testimony and works collaboratively with witnesses from NACWA member agencies to prepare them for testifying.

• Regularly inform the membership of advocacy developments through the weekly Clean Water Current, occasional Updates and Alerts, articles for trade publications, and other written communications, as well as webinars.

• Participate in the planning and staffing of NACWA meetings and conferences, including in-person (occasional domestic travel required) and virtual events.

• Engage directly with NACWA member agencies, including as staff liaison to assigned NACWA Committees and Workgroups.

• Represents NACWA at conferences and events organized by other organizations, as assigned.

• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with relevant outside stakeholder or partner organizations to enhance NACWA’s, leverage opportunities to collaborate, and advance the interests of its members.

• Exercises oversight and supervision of contractors who provide services and support to NACWA.

Our collaborative Government Affairs team involves legislative, regulatory, legal and communications advocacy. We seek a candidate with legislative experience who takes initiative, yet works well as part of a broader team, and is a skilled communicator. Candidates should be interested in learning from and interacting with our public member agencies around the country.

The ideal candidate will have experience working on or with Capitol Hill to advance legislative strategies. Candidates may also have experience working at related agencies or associations on issues pertinent to the municipal clean water sector which impact public health protection, environmental management, or public sector finance.

The salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. This full-time position has excellent benefits, including 100% coverage of medical and dental insurance premiums for NACWA employees and immediate dependents; flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent daycare accounts; employer contribution to a retirement plan without employee match; and generous contribution to a retirement plan without employee match; and a generous paid time off program.

NACWA is a national advocacy organization located in Washington, D.C. This position is D.C. based and follows a hybrid work schedule with a required in-office presence of 3 days per week and the option of 2 days per week telework. This position requires some domestic travel.

NACWA's offices are accessible by Metro and public transportation and are located near the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC. For more information about NACWA, visit –  

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample in PDF format to hr@nacwa.org with "Director, Legislative Affairs” as the subject line no later than 5 pm EST on February 28, 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, with interviews for promising candidates scheduled on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

NACWA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment and personnel practices based on race, gender, age, handicap, religion, national origin, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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