Director, Federal Advocacy

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is the nation's leading cancer advocacy organization. Together with our charitable partner, the American Cancer Society, we work in Congress, state legislatures and local jurisdictions to support evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

The Director, Federal Advocacy is responsible for advocating and achieving identified federal legislative and regulatory policy priorities in a bipartisan manner with the goal of reducing the cancer burden through evidence-based public policy. Serves as a principal (registered) federal lobbyist and strategist for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) on a portfolio of issues including, but not limited to, prevention, screening, and access to care issues before Congress and the Administration. Serves as a leader in coalitions and develops and maintains broad relationships across partner organizations, requiring significant externally facing strategic leadership. Leads and drives the execution of key legislative and regulatory goals and ensures incorporation of effective coalition/partner, media advocacy/campaign, and grassroots/volunteer tactics (as applicable). Demonstrate support and leadership in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Mission/Issue Campaigns: 

• Advocate for and achieve identified federal legislative priorities in portfolio area and as assigned. 
• Identify and recommend public policy advocacy opportunities and design and implement appropriate strategies in coordination with ACS CAN leadership and team members.  
• Defeat legislation that would negatively impact the mission of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and ACS CAN.  
• Represent ACS CAN before members of Congress and Congressional staff, Executive Branch/Administrative Agency personnel, coalition partners, and others, executing necessary external engagement to move federal legislative and regulatory priorities forward.  
• Serve as representative of ACS CAN and lead coalitions work within portfolio and as assigned.  
• Proactively identify needs for research and materials to support lobbying activities and enable quick response to inquiries and current events. 
• Ensure comprehensive approach to legislative strategies, including time-sensitive legislative and issue tracking, drafting, and analyzing legislative proposals, tracking, and reporting on budget and appropriations numbers, scheduling and staffing meetings, developing talking points, charts, fact sheets, and presentations, drafting correspondence and testimony, and conducting briefings on and off Capitol Hill. 
• Coordinate ACS CAN engagement with agencies as necessary, ensuring partnership and engagement for federal advocacy priorities. 
• Provide strategic guidance to ACS CAN senior leaders on annual federal appropriations process and legislative issues. 
• Collaborate with the Policy team to determine appropriate positions and opportunities on legislation and regulatory matters. 
• Collaborate with counterparts on grassroots advocacy, advocacy communications, field, and other internal ACS and ACS CAN teams to identify campaign execution strategies and tactics to move federal priorities forward. Cross-teams collaboration is a key component of ACS CAN’s enterprise work. 
• Respond effectively to information requests from Congressional offices and the public as well as inquiries from ACS and ACS CAN staff and volunteers. 
• Provides frequent status updates/reports to the Vice President, Federal Advocacy and Strategic Coalitions, and the Senior Director, Federal Advocacy on activities and work accomplished. 
• Attend Federal Government Advocacy Team and other ACS CAN meetings as assigned.   
• Attend approved relevant conferences and meetings. 
• Supports the Senior Director and Vice President of Federal Advocacy on reporting, presentations and advocacy engagement.

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Teamwork & Collaboration: 

• Drive collaboration and mutual support of regional field leadership and state Government Relations Directors, Grassroots Managers. 
• Support the organization’s volunteer capacity and training as needed.   
• Lead consistently, modeling the organization’s values and cultural beliefs. 
• Ensure collaboration with ACS colleagues to help facilitate the success of the entire enterprise. 
• Enhance the overall external visibility of the enterprise in a positive manner commensurate with the organization’s brand. 
• Model team leadership by embracing the organization’s technical tools and Direct Action Organizing (DAO) training. 
• Support and serve as an effective steward of relationships by communicating eff