Director, Government Affairs (State)

• The primary role of this position is to provide senior-level strategic government and consumer affairs counsel to the state president and the state senior management team
• This role establishes and manages a comprehensive and effective state and local best practice government affairs program to advance and support the company’s overall business plan and state–specific objectives
• This role also tracks all legislation with the potential to impact the company, either positively or negatively, and provides strategy recommendations and tactical implementation regarding how to employ government affairs activities in support of legislative objectives
• This role is the senior government relations professional responsible for establishing, nurturing and maintaining relationships with elected and appointed individuals at the state, county and municipal levels of government, for ensuring that the state president and state leadership team are properly and effectively positioned with key elected/appointed individuals, and that the company is effectively positioned as a trusted and expert resource
• This position also maintains an active presence in the functions of State Government departments (i.e., Environmental Regulations, Public Utility Regulations, etc
• The Director of Government and Consumer Affairs reports directly to the State President and indirectly to the Vice President National Government and Regulatory Affairs
• This role interfaces and aligns government relations activities at the state level with the Director of Government Relations at the corporate and national level to ensure the company is advancing an integrated and effective government relations strategy across the business
• Leads and directs the effective development, implementation and assessment of an integrated government affairs program at the state and local level, to enhance the company’s reputation, and position American Water as the trusted expert and industry leader relative to water and wastewater issues
• Proactively meets with state and local government officials on a regular basis to create strong relationships, mitigate emerging or potential problems, and establish a level of trust between American Water, mayors and other appointed and elected officials
• Is poised as the lead state lobbyist for the company charged with helping to educate legislators and support key legislation on water, wastewater or utility/business issues that may impact the company
• Manages contract lobbyists and maximizes effectiveness
• Holds regular meetings with the contract lobbyist(s) to ensure they are kept abreast of services needed and that they understand they are not just “bill trackers”, but rather are additional eyes and ears for the company and are expected to help identify business development opportunities, as well as other opportunities for the company
• Establishes and maintains an effective bill tracking program and takes full advantage of opportunities for the company to be out front on industry-related issues
• Provides oversight and strategic input on bills that are being tracked to ensure they are beneficial to the state operations and aligned and integrated with the overall corporate government affairs strategy and the overall strategic plan for American Water
• Builds effective alliances and coalitions to advance the company’s position on key legislative initiatives
• Helps identify business development opportunities through established relationships and through relationships that the company’s contract lobbyist and other employees may have
• Manages the consumer affairs team to develop growth opportunities through acquisitions and economic development
• Contacts municipal and privately owned water and wastewater operations to discuss acquisition, potential operations and management contracts, negotiate sales for resale contracts and develop other related business opportunities
• Reflect a working knowledge of regulatory and technical developments, new technologies and current trends as they affect water and sewer utility facilities, operations, management and revenue recovery
• Meets regularly with mayors and other local officials to ensure a strong and effective working relationship is in place
• Mitigates issues and provides information for problem resolution
• Ensures local government officials are kept updated when problems such as main breaks and other water-related emergencies occur
• Develops the communications strategy/approach and schedules meetings with mayors and other local officials during rate cases and other capital investment program events, ensuring that appropriate company personnel is available to meet elected officials and answer specialized questions and that relationships are firmly established and key company leadership is properly positioned
• Represents the company at mayoral, municipal and regulatory trade show events, ensuring that booths are properly staffed with appropriate personnel
• Works closely with and regularly communicates with the Major Accounts Manager and the External Affairs Manager

• Leads and directs the effective development, implementation and assessment of an integrated government affairs program at the state and local level, to enhance the company’s reputation, and position American Water as the trusted expert and industry leader relative to water and wastewater issues.
• Proactively meets with state and local government officials on a regular basis to create strong relationships, mitigate emerging or potential problems, and establish a level of trust between American Water, mayors and other appointed and elected officials.
• Is poised as the lead state lobbyist for the company charged with helping to educate legislators and support key legislation on water, wastewater or utility/business issues that may impact the company.
• Manages contract lobbyists and maximizes effectiveness. Holds regular meetings with the contract lobbyist(s) to ensure they are kept abreast of services needed and that they understand they are not just “bill trackers”, but rather are additional eyes and ears for the company and are expected to help identify business development opportunities, as well as other opportunities for the company.
• Establishes and maintains an effective bill tracking program and takes full advantage of opportunities for the company to be out front on industry-related issues. Provides oversight and strategic input on bills that are being tracked to ensure they are beneficial to the state operations and aligned and integrated with the overall corporate government affairs strategy and the overall strategic plan for American Water.
• Builds effective alliances and coalitions to advance the company’s position on key legislative initiatives.
• Helps identify business development opportunities through established relationships and through relationships that the company’s contract lobbyist and other employees may have.

Additional Key Accountabilities:

• Manages the consumer affairs team to develop growth opportunities through acquisitions and economic development.
• Contacts municipal and privately owned water and wastewater operations to discuss acquisition, potential operations and management contracts, negotiate sales for resale contracts and develop other related business opportunities.
• Reflect a working knowledge of regulatory and technical developments, new technologies and current trends as they affect water and sewer utility facilities, operations, management and revenue recovery.
• Meets regularly with mayors and other local officials to ensure a strong and effective working relationship is in place.
• Mitigates issues and provides information for problem resolution. Ensures local government officials are kept updated when problems such as main breaks and other water-related emergencies occur.
• Develops the communications strategy/approach and schedules meetings with mayors and other local officials during rate cases and other capital investment program events, ensuring that appropriate company personnel is available to meet elected officials and answer specialized questions and that relationships are firmly established and key company leadership is properly positioned. Represents the company at mayoral, municipal and regulatory trade show events, ensuring that booths are properly staffed with appropriate personnel.
• Works closely with and regularly communicates with the Major Accounts Manager and the External Affairs Manager.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Must be knowledgeable of the federal, local and state government and legislative processes.
• Must possess an excellent working knowledge of the legislative process at all levels, and understand the hierarchy of government officials so the company has access to the right people, at the right time, in the right departments, for the right purpose.
• Has a thorough understanding of PAC laws, Election Law Enforcement Laws (ELEC) for the state, where applicable, and a knowledge of the various reporting requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to testify before legislative audiences and knows when and how to bring senior management and other departments into the process so that political officials have the benefit of the full expertise of the company.
• Must know how to access information and gain knowledge of issues in the business arena, as well as in the political arena, that may impact the company.
• Must be a registered lobbyist.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budget resources efficiently in order to maximize benefits to company.
• Able to manage/coach people to develop potential and build capabilities.

Experience/Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, government, journalism, communications, public relations or related field preferred, or demonstrated experienced commensurate with the requirements of the position.
• Seven to ten years of experience in government relations or lobbying, preferably within the utility sector
• Competencies Prioritizes & Role Models Safety Self-Awareness Develops Talent Plans, Aligns, & Directs Drives Engagement Decision Quality

Join American Water… We Keep Life Flowing ™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws