Senior Director of Government Relations

Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community of more than 1 million strong—dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Founded in 1986, Rails to Trails Conservancy's national office is located in Washington, D.C., with regional offices in California, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, and Milwaukee. For more information, visit www.railstotrails.org. Connect with RTC @railstotrails on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Government Relations will serve as the deputy to RTC’s Vice President of Policy with responsibilities cutting across all facets of the organization’s strategy to shape federal, state and local policies and create sufficient political will to ensure that trail and active transportation networks are routinely prioritized as essential assets. Specific responsibilities include expanding RTC’s impact on Capitol Hill; tracking, prioritizing and commenting on federal regulations; scanning for policies of interest, analyzing and developing positions, and crafting and advocating for policy solutions; ensuring integration of organizing activities with federal and state policy initiatives. This position will collaborate regularly with the Senior Policy Strategist to develop and advance RTC’s policy agenda. The Senior Director will be responsible for leading and managing a team of 2 direct and 2 indirect reports, providing guidance, support, and professional development to ensure they achieve their goals and maximize their potential. This role will focus on building a high-performance team by identifying and leveraging individual strengths, fostering growth and aligning their efforts with RTC’s mission to drive long-term organizational success. This position will focus on legislative advocacy, executive branch policy making as well as federal, state and local implementation of policies and programs. Tactics will include direct interactions with decision-makers, collaboration with partner organizations and grassroots and “grasstops” movement-building. 

Job Location

This position is located in our Washington, D.C. National Headquarters and is eligible for a hybrid work schedule in accordance with RTC’s policies. 

Job Duties

• Cultivate a broad set of relationships with Congressional members and staff of both parties and both chambers, and, in collaboration with the Senior Policy Strategist, advocate for RTC’s policy agenda on Capitol Hill.
• Cultivate relationships with USDOT leaders and take lead responsibility for monitoring and responding to relevant rulemakings and other administrative initiatives.
• Track and analyze new federal policy proposals and work with the federal policy team to establish RTC positions and strategies for priority bills and administrative actions. Monitor trends in active transportation policy and originate policy proposals at the federal and/or state levels, where appropriate, to accelerate progress.
• Provide information and strategic support to state and local partners in taking full advantage of federal and state funding programs that may be used to develop trail and active transportation networks. Organize applicants to advocate for further policy advances. 
• Direct the efforts of Director of Advocacy Outreach and, indirectly, the Advocacy Coordinator.
• Direct the efforts of Director of State-Level Policy and, indirectly, the Midwest Policy Manager, including guiding the strategic shift to increased use of ballot initiatives to drive state and local funding for trail and active transportation networks.
• Directly advocate in states where have best relationships or most knowledge, or where circumstances require additional capacity.
• Assist the Vice President of Policy with management of RTC’s policy department, including standing in for the Vice President when needed and supporting organizational management duties as appropriate (e.g., development of budgets, performance objectives and metrics).
• Represent RTC on key national coalitions, especially those addressing transportation policy reform.
• Work with the Senior Strategist for Policy Advocacy, the Advocacy Outreach Director and the Development team to create and implement a strategy to deploy influential individual supporters to engage key decision-makers.
• Work with the Communications staff to ensure accurate content and appropriate messaging to engage key audiences.
• Develop and implement campaigns to achieve top policy goals that engage all parts of the organization, as appropriate.
• Provide support to TrailNation project staff and the TrailNation Collaborative by sharing relationships and providing policy expertise and political strategy.
• Represent RTC at national, state and local events in strategically important places. 

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position directly supervises the Director of Advocacy Outreach and the Director of State-Level Policy. The Midwest Policy Director and Advocacy Coordinator are indirect reports. Additional positions may report to the Senior Director over time. Further, the position entails leadership responsibilities within the policy team, serving as the deputy to the Vice President of Policy on management matters. The position coordinates closely with the rest of RTC’s policy team as well as colleagues on the trail development and communications teams. The Senior Director reports to the Vice President of Policy.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications and Personal Attributes

• A minimum of ten years of relevant and varied professional experiences, such as experience working:
• on Capitol Hill;
• In federal or state agencies in policymaking role;
• In federal or state advocacy
• on federal, state or local policy
• on federal or state electoral campaigns

• The ideal candidate will have a mix of federal and state-level experience, including direct advocacy relating to both legislative and executive branches.
• A minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience with a team of at least two, including motivating, leading, setting objectives, and managing performance Outstanding critical thinking, writing and presentation skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Ability to develop ambitious goals and pragmatic strategies to achieve them
• Strong policy development, analysis and advocacy skills, ideally including legal training or experience
• Experience with surface transportation policy, ideally relating to trails, walking and biking
• Academic and/or practical work experience in a relevant discipline such as law, political science or public management. 
• Experience with electronic grassroots advocacy preferred
• Experience creating and managing a budget preferred
• Experience with the development of funding proposals preferred 
• Some travel required 

Work Environment

Normal office setting with low to moderate noise level. RTC currently operates under a hybrid work arrangement with two days per week in the office and up to three days per week telecommuting.

Employer's Rights

RTC reserves the right to revise, change or reclassify this job description at any time in accordance with RTC’s business needs. This job description is by no means an implied contract.

Commitment to Diversity

Rails to Trails Conservancy seeks diverse, passionate and qualified individuals who want to make a difference in the world. RTC is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, and other legally protected characteristics.

If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the interviewing process, please e-mail careers@railstotrails.org and provide the nature of your request and your contact information.