Regulatory Affairs Director, Broadband

Job Description

NRECA is a unique national trade association providing advocacy, financial services and business support services to over 900 consumer owned electric cooperatives across the country. NRECA employees are united by our mission, inclusive culture, collaborative workplace and commitment to service excellence.  As a “best place to work” employer, we operate with integrity, transparency and a spirit of innovation.

Position Summary:

Join a growing team supporting NRECA members that are bringing vital broadband networks to unserved and underserved rural communities. This position is responsible for collaborating with professionals across NRECA’s Government Relations Regulatory Unit, which is focused on advocacy before the Executive Branch and independent regulatory agencies. The Regulatory Affairs Director, Broadband will collaborate with the broader broadband advocacy team in support of the continuation of broadband funding and the favorable structure of broadband programs and regulations before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Additional Background:

In our digital economy, high-speed broadband access has become a necessary part of everyday life. Electric cooperatives increasingly rely on robust telecommunications networks, systems and various technologies to provide safe, affordable and reliable electric service and other programs and services for their member-owners. In addition, many of these same rural Americans are locked out of the modern economy simply because broadband internet service is not available. Access to sufficient, affordable, and reliable broadband service is not only critical to cooperatives’ business operations but increasingly a necessity for communities, education, healthcare and commerce. For this reason, numerous electric cooperatives are working toward meaningful and diverse solutions to provide broadband services, which can help bridge the digital divide and jumpstart local economies. NRECA has taken a prominent leadership and advocacy role across government to ensure electric cooperatives can provide broadband service, including middle-mile broadband connectivity, voluntarily, on their own or in partnership with other providers.   

Essential Regulatory Advocacy Responsibilities:

Identify Federal Broadband Policies and Regulations Impacting Electric Cooperatives:

• Leverage strong working knowledge of federal broadband policies to advocate on behalf of electric cooperative interests before policymakers.
• From a broadband regulatory perspective, evaluate the policy landscape and identify regulatory risk to, and opportunity for, not-for-profit electric cooperatives in broadband.
• Describe the unique set of circumstances electric cooperatives must consider as they deploy and operate broadband infrastructure to serve rural unserved and underserved locations.

Develop Policy Positions that Support Broadband for Electric Cooperatives:

• Develop policy positions that mitigate broadband-related regulatory risk to electric cooperatives and create new opportunities in a pro-growth policy environment with a focus on deregulation, public safety and consumer protection. For example:
  • Reforming the FCC’s National Broadband Map to more effectively direct state and federal investment in broadband infrastructure.
  • Exempting cooperatives and small entities from onerous new regulations, such as the FCC’s digital discrimination rules.
  • Ensuring affordability and FCC Universal Service Fund sustainability.
  • Ensuring any federal broadband funding programs support high-speed, scalable broadband service in rural communities that will meet growing bandwidth demand.
  • Agencies of focus include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Advocate on Behalf of Electric Cooperative Positions Before Policymakers:

• Proactively engage, educate and advocate before policymakers on the unique set of broadband-related business considerations not-for-profit electric cooperatives must evaluate.
• Successful agency advocacy results in policymakers that better understand the electric cooperative business model and the mitigation of any regulatory risk that drives up consumer-member costs without benefit.

Activities th