Director, Government Affairs

Requisition ID: 109623

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Position Information

$149,500 - $198,900

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

Primary Role

The primary role of this position is to provide senior-level strategic government affairs counsel to the state leadership 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 partner and expert resource.

This role reports to the VP Business Development, Government Affairs/External Affairs indirectly to the center-led VP, Chief legislative and external affairs officer. This role interfaces and aligns government relations activities at the state level with the center-led Government affairs team at the to ensure the company is advancing an integrated and effective government relations strategy across the business.

Key Accountabilities

- Leads 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.

- Establishes regular proactive communication outreach strategies and tactics in the state and local political arena to ensure state and local political relationships are solidified and American Water is looked upon across all service territories with respect and positioned as the industry leader and trusted expert.

- 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.

- Serves as the lead state lobbyist for the company charged with helping to change or support key legislation on water, wastewater or utility/business issues that may have an adverse or positive affect on the company.

- Manages local contract lobbyists and maximizes effectiveness. Holds regular meetings with the contract lobbyist(s) to ensure expectations are met.

- 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.

- 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 events.

Key Accountabilities (cont.)

- Works closely with and regularly communicates/coordinates with state External Affairs. Obtain communications counsel, support and all necessary materials to ensure the company is effectively aligned and positioned to develop and sustain key relationships with community leaders, government and regulatory authorities, as well as elected and appointed officials.

- Implements and directs all lobbying activities on behalf of the company. Prepares and manages the development of legislative testimony.

- Testifies on behalf of the company and/or prepares the state president or other members of the state senior management team to provide legislative testimony, as appropriate.

- Creates and manages a state-focused PAC and ensures all Election Law Enforcement rules, regulations and other reporting requirements are met. Ensures the senior leadership team is aware of PAC-related opportunities to derive maximum benefit from PAC-related expenditures.

- Works closely with an array of political, utility, industry and

- business-related state organizations to create strategic alliances and issue-oriented coalitions on key issues affecting the water and wastewater industry. Works with key political, industry and business organizations to solidify relationships and foster business development opportunities for American Water.

- Is active and visible at various state and national conferences to ensure American Water is properly and effectively positioned.

- Represents the company at key business organization functions, political fundraisers, etc. and ensures senior management is poised to participate.

- Assists in regulatory relationship building, making sure regulators are kept abreast of key issues within the company. Works with senior leadership to ensure coverage at Commissioner and other regulatory events.

- Works directly with government affairs team at the state and center-led level to build capacity and ensure the development of professional capabilities and expertise.

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 leadership, center-led Government Afffairs, 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.

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.

- Fifteen years of experience in government relations or lobbying, preferably within the utility sector.

Travel Requirements

- 40% within the state and in the United States

Work Environment

- Located in a state supporting the full array of local/state government affairs activities.

Short Description

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.