The Associate Director of Government Relations supports the Senior Director of Government Relations and AKF’s Government Affairs department with the development and implementation of federal public policy efforts on behalf of the organization. This includes the support of legislation to support and improve policies for kidney disease patients and organ donors. The Associate Director of Government Relations must be an excellent communicator, both written and verbal, and able to educate policy makers on kidney health policy issues on lawmakers, regulators, American Kidney Fund (AKF) ambassadors and advocates, patients, stakeholders, and AKF employees. The Associate Director of Government Relations will also play a role in creating kidney policy conferences and summits.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Federal Government Advocacy:

• Develop working relationships with lawmakers, staff, stakeholders, and advocates to promote AKF’s federal public policy agenda. This includes working with key healthcare policymakers, patient advocacy organizations, health care providers, and other stakeholders.
• Assist in the development and implementation of strategies to achieve AKF’s federal legislative goals. 
• Understand health policy and be able to communicate AKF positions strongly and effectively on issues such private and public health insurance, appropriations, biomedical research, access to affordable treatment, transplantation, immunosuppressive drugs, and other general health care issues.
• Collaborate with colleagues in the Office of Government Affairs to help develop grassroots action plans that strategically engage AKF patient advocates to achieve desired policy outcomes.
• Engage in the creation of leave-behind and other relevant documents. 
• Assist in creation and management of Congressional briefings, corporate-funded projects, and grassroots advocacy education.

Organization Support:

• Represent AKF at meetings, events, and conferences such as the annual Public Affairs Council meeting, other stakeholder fly-ins, Congressional briefings, National Health Council policy groups, etc.
• Communicate effectively and work closely with colleagues in the AKF Office of Government Affairs and other AKF colleagues, as well as the AKF Ambassador Network. 
• Assist the Vice President of Government Affairs in developing kidney related conferences, briefings and summits.
• Other duties as assigned.