The Director of Public Policy (Federal) Outreach is an external-facing, leadership role within the Academy’s Public Policy department and in support of the Academy’s public policy mission, strategy, and goals. The Director works under the direction of the Senior Director and collaboratively with other Department directors to promote and support the Academy with two primary responsibilities: executing the federal external outreach strategy and supporting department management. The Director will interact and develop relationships with external stakeholders. This is not a lobbying role.
The Director will support and influence the development and execution of a strategic plan to enhance and grow the organization’s outreach and awareness with identified policymakers, including federal legislators and regulators, trade associations, and other industry-related organizations. The Director will also work with the Senior Director to support the organization’s international monitoring and awareness. Working with two direct reports and in partnership with the other Directors, this role has a strong emphasis on cross-department and cross-organizational collaboration and external engagement. Internally, the Director is responsible for effectively managing and empowering policy staff to advance the Academy’s strategy and assigned practice council agendas. The Director has two direct reports and will also indirectly support the other policy project managers. The Director will assist the Senior Director and department leadership to build strong team spirit, create professional growth opportunities, and foster a work environment that reinforces our core values and encourages independent judgement and a self-starter mentality.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Policy Stakeholder Engagement (40%)
Plan, conceptualize and implement federal external strategies to understand stakeholder needs and market opportunities while emphasizing public policy issues across the actuarial practice spectrum and the broader insurance industry.
Assess and track national political landscapes relevant to the actuarial profession, identifying opportunities and needs.
Develop and maintain a working knowledge of key public policy issues related to the actuarial profession, leveraging the knowledge of broader political and policy landscapes to develop and inform work products that support the public policy mission of the Academy and its volunteers.
Collaborate with Department leadership team to devise comprehensive outreach tactics to enhance and refine strategic priorities.
Using source materials including analytical reports and technical comments made by Academy members, translate the technical material into digestible and accessible materials that are more understandable by mainstream readership or other target audiences, including policymakers, Hill staff, trade members, and consumer advocates.
Collaborate with policy staff in the development of Academy external outreach, specifically via blog posts, podcasts, and other Academy-produced communication vehicles.
Develop standards of practice (SOPs) for federal external engagement, particularly related to hill visits and other public events with public stakeholders and the broader membership base.
Maintain strong network of contacts to strengthen ongoing relationships to advance policies and further strengthen awareness of the Academy’s role and work products.
Take ownership of and develop a consistent strategy for executing annual Academy hill visits.
Department Management (40%)
Assist Senior Director and work with other directors in managing various administrative duties related to the policy team, including overseeing aspects of the team’s operations and work. This includes project management and SOP development; assisting with the drafting and monitoring annual budgets for assigned practice councils and the overall Department; actively participating and engaging in practice council and department annual strategic planning and work product deployment; and other organizational needs.
Leverage and refine department processes and protocols related to the monitoring, analyzing, and reporting of market development and Public Policy-related activities concerning department work products, external events, and other opportunities. Prioritize keeping volunteers informed of process and engagement statuses, engaging with identified key external constituents, and furnishing insights for decision-making and strategic planning.
Supervise and manage direct staff. Under the direction of the Senior Director and other Directors, serve as a mentor and resource for staff. Assist the Senior Director in ensuring that department staff are well trained in the substantive areas of their practices and in all relevant organizational policies and procedures.
Provide robust review of public policy publications as assigned, ensuring that public statements are responsive to stakeholder needs and market dynamics, drafted with appropriate tone, awareness of the policy environment and in accordance with Academy policies and procedures.
Collaborative Engagement (20%)
Work with public policy staff to synthesize analytical reports and technical comments made by Academy members into more understandable publications by mainstream, non-actuarial audiences.
Meet with policy project managers, department leadership, and other departments on a regular basis to discuss practice area priorities, opportunities for external engagement, and discuss future strategic priorities that will inform our external engagement strategy.
Assist the Department, Academy leadership, Practice Council leadership, Senior Fellows, and other key volunteers to develop and maintain relationships with influential individuals, associations, and organizations to engage on shared priorities.
Coordinate with senior leaders across practice councils and internal departments to ensure holistic policy alignment and strategic engagement.
Travel: Less than 5%. Weekends/overnight attendance may be required
Other duties as necessary.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Extensive expertise in policy, relationship management, and strategic engagement.
Strong interpersonal communications, leadership ability, and organizational skills.
Excellent writing and editing skills.
Overall resourcefulness and ability to take initiative.
Extensive expertise in relationship building and understanding of stakeholder relationship development.
Keen acumen to assess risks and opportunities in public policy engagement.
Ability to prioritize and lead/manage multiple projects, coordinate, and actively work on several projects at once while working under strict deadlines.
Strong project management skills, with experience using Asana or other project management tools.
Experience navigating and deep understanding of federal legislative and regulatory processes and the federal political landscape. Similar understanding of the insurance environment is helpful.
Collaborative work ethic.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
A bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 8 years of policy, government relations, or legislative experience in a Congressional office and a minimum of 5 years of management experience.
Familiarity with insurance and financial solvency issues in the U.S., as well as the current legislative and regulatory landscape.
Preferred Experience:
Prior experience in member associations or trade organizations.
Former experience managing and leading Congressional fly-ins a plus.
Project management experience and experience with Asana is a plus.
The American Academy of Actuaries is a D.C.-based 20,000 member professional association whose mission is to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. Academy members include consultants, corporate executives and staff, regulators, government officials, academics, and retired actuaries. Their areas of practice cover pensions, life insurance, casualty insurance, health insurance, financial reporting, risk management, and more.
The Academy assists public policymakers on all levels by providing leadership, objective expertise, and actuarial advice on risk and financial security issues. The Academy also sets qualification, practice, and professionalism standards for actuaries credentialed by one or more of the five U.S.-based actuarial organizations in the United States.
Many of today's most pressing public policy issues require the sound application of actuarial principles. The Academy provides actuarial expertise and advice to public policy decision makers on a wide array of issues that require the special set of skills and qualifications that actuaries offer.
