Managing Director, Global Affairs - Full-time

Position Summary

The position is responsible for serving as the lead technical resource for the American Chemistry Council’s regulatory advocacy efforts with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal and State agencies responsible for international trade and chemical regulatory policy. The position is also ACC’s primary staff contact with the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and supports ACC’s President and CEO with ICCA roles. The position is responsible for leading ACC’s Global Affairs matrix team as well as Global Affairs staff on the administrative, technical, and regulatory advocacy related to international trade and chemical regulation. The position is also responsible for coordinating related technical and regulatory support to other ACC divisions and departments, including product- and sector-specific groups. The position reports directly to the Vice President, Regulatory & Scientific Affairs.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Possesses demonstrated extensive knowledge of international affairs and policy-making within the U.S. government and intergovernmental organizations, as well as trade, health, energy and chemical regulatory issues of interest to the chemical industry.
• Acquires a broad working knowledge of ACC’s advocacy priorities, policy and technical policy, issues, and processes related to advocacy in other federal agencies, and applies that knowledge at the global level.
• Provides staff support to ACC’s Board Global Strategy Committee, ACC Global Affairs matrix team as well as ACC’s participation in the ICCA Board of Directors, Steering Committee, and relevant subgroups, as appropriate, including:
  • Establishing an excellent working relationship with the chairman and member company representatives on the Committee(s) and subgroup(s).
  • Managing the Committee’s identification of priority advocacy issues.
  • Developing and implementing appropriate advocacy strategies.
  • Managing ACC’s outside purchased services budget for global affairs, including ACC’s financial contribution to support ICCA activities.
• Leads ACC’s internal Global Affairs matrix team (inclusive of key departmental stakeholders.) to ensure that the advocacy efforts of the relevant ACC divisions and departments are effectively coordinated and executed at the global level.
• Identifies and engages other Regulatory & Scientific Affairs staff as appropriate to understand and respond to the needs of ACC member companies and ACC’s advocacy partners relevant to global affairs.
• Supports the Vice-President and the Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Department in identifying new issues, advocacy priorities, tactics and strategies that could be advanced through the relevant policy arenas both domestically and internationally, particularly in ICCA and other international intergovernmental organizations.
• Monitors, analyzes and tracks emerging issues, developments and trends on relevant policy issues. Provides timely assessment and summaries of relevant trade and regulatory proposals, and draft and coordinate the development of ACC comments on those proposals.
• Assists in preparing technical and policy materials to support ACC’s advocacy goals and objectives with particular attention to forward-looking planning that anticipates ACC’s advocacy needs.
• Recommends, develops and implements strategies and projects related to relevant policy issues.
• Monitors, analyzes and tracks emerging issues, developments and trends in the relevant policy areas to support other ACC divisions and departments.
• Prepares technical and policy materials to support ACC’s goals and objectives with particular attention to emerging issues.
• Assists in the development of ACC policy and positions.
• Represents ACC before a broad range of outside stakeholders. Builds and maintains strong working relationships with government representatives, intergovernmental organizations, technical experts, credible third parties, key staff in academic and research entities, and regulatory agencies.
• Manages assigned groups and ad hoc teams on cross-cutting policy/technical issues.
• Performs other related duties.

Qualifications/Requirements

Required

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 12 years of international advocacy experience.
• Relevant experience in a technical, policy, legal or scientific field.
• Proven ability to work in a team environment.
• Strong written and oral communications skills, as well as the ability to give both internal and external presentations.
• Ability to build consensus, work in a team environment, and coordinate across multiple groups within a large organization.
• Ability to process complex, technical, abstract verbal and written information for purposes of establishing strategy, direction and action plans.
• Expertise as a senior-level leader with demonstrated skills in leading, coaching and mentoring local and regional-based staff.
• Ability to cultivate and manage high quality stakeholder relationships, including the development and maintenance of high-quality relationships with federal and state agency personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to understand regulatory/legislative issues and their possible impact on the business of chemistry and industries that use the products of chemistry.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading coalitions to support international advocacy in targeted campaigns, on priority issues, and in specified global regions.

Preferred

• An advanced degree in international policy.
• Possesses a strong network across global affairs agencies, diplomatic missions, and international organizations.
• Experience marshalling domestic and international government support for policy changes and other actions.