Position Summary:

The Director, Legislative Affairs will develop and execute the Association’s legislative program; communicate the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry’s concerns before Congress and advocate for those priorities; support AIA events and informational sessions on Capitol Hill; and inform AIA members of key congressional actions and potential impacts the A&D community. In this role, you will develop AIA positions and strategic advocacy on legislation affecting the industry primarily related to civil aviation issues. This includes partnering with the leadership team and AIA members to develop and execute AIA’s legislative strategy and advocating those positions before Congress. It is expected that this position will involve registration and reporting as a federal lobbyist, as required by law, but not registration as a lobbyist before any state.

Our ideal candidate must have a strong working knowledge of the federal legislative process, the current organization of Congress, and the legislative timetable for annual appropriations and policy legislation. Recent and relevant experience on Capitol Hill is a requirement for this position.

This position reports directly to the Vice President, Legislative Affairs and will be a critical partner alongside other members of the Legislative Affairs, Communications, and Civil Aviation teams to support our mission.

Key Responsibilities:

This position is responsible for successful execution of AIA’s legislative strategy as it relates to civil aviation legislation before the U. S. Congress. Under direction of the Vice President, Legislative Affairs, the position provides broad support to and leads AIA’s overall legislative strategy with a focus on Civil Aviation issues. Where needed, it is expected that the Director will also support legislative advocacy on cross-cutting issues aligned with AIA’s strategic priorities such as federal tax policy, workforce, and annual defense legislation. This is a strategic role requiring adaptability, creativity, and motivation. The individual is expected to deliver high levels of support to AIA staff and members and be available as a subject matter expert in legislative affairs who can help identify and solve near-term problems for stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience:

Minimum Requirements:

• 5 years of full-time experience on Capitol Hill working for a Member of Congress or Congressional committee (civil aviation and/or aerospace experience preferred)
• In-depth and demonstrated knowledge of the federal legislative process
• Excellent interpersonal and legislative research skills
• Excellent business writing and oral presentation skills with an ability to communicate in written form to different audiences with minimal oversight
• Ability to execute work and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Goal-oriented with strong ability to self-manage tasks and deadlines
• Ability to successfully coordinate multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to work reliably and timely with a demonstrated ability to maintain the highest level of ethical and professional standards
• Demonstrated experience working in a highly collaborative environment while developing and maintaining positive work relationships

Education Requirement:

Bachelor’s degree required; political science or related concentration preferred

To Apply, please send the following documents to jobs@aia-aerospace.org:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AIA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression or veteran status.