Senior Director of Federal Relations

The Office of Federal Relations advocates on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Washington, DC. Our office works to advance the university's interests and serves as a liaison to the federal government.

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for University Relations, the Senior Director of Federal Relations will provide leadership and oversight to the Office of Federal Relations and direct supervision to the Director of Federal Relations.

The Senior Director will oversee the office's development of UW-Madison's federal agenda, in consultation with, and with direction from university leadership. The Senior Director will work with the Director of Federal Relations to monitor federal legislative and executive activity to assess potential implications and opportunities for the university.

Primary duties include, but are not limited to:

• Track federal activity related to higher education policy and maintaining an in-depth knowledge of national higher education issues.

• Prepare and implement annual appropriations strategy for UW-Madison.

• Provide a positive, high-profile presence to the campus community and federal stakeholders to further support how legislators and key government officials perceive the university.

• Develop and maintain relationships with campus faculty and staff, including colleagues in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, the Office of University Relations, school/college leadership, and other campus stakeholders.

• Build and maintain working relationships with members of Congress and Congressional staff; Congressional committees and caucuses; agency, business and industry leadership, and personnel; as well as higher education associations and professional societies

• Develops and audits the unit budget

• Manages the Office of Federal Relations which serves as the main point of contact and unit liaison to governmental stakeholder groups providing organizational information and representing the interests of the unit

• Evaluates and manages relationships with external consultants, in collaboration with the Vice Chancellor for University Relations

• Monitors and disseminates legislative actions that affect institutional activity

• Develops, implements, and monitors strategic communication initiatives to government entities and stakeholders to maximize engagement, strengthen collaboration efforts, and communicate institutional objectives and concerns

• Serves as a subject matter expert to institutional leadership on legislative matters and on issues and actions of national higher education associations

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Develops operational policies and procedures to align with legal requirements and applicable laws

Office of University Relations | Federal Relations

The starting salary range for the position is $195,000 to $230,000. Actual pay is determined at hire and is based on experience and qualifications.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Learn more here.

• 8+ years professional work experience in federal government affairs, public policy, external relations, or a related field.

• Demonstrated understanding of federal legislative and appropriation processes.

• Experience developing and implementing successful advocacy and legislative strategies.

• Current relationships with elected officials, agency heads, and/or policymakers.

• Experience managing relationships with lobbyists and consultants.

• Strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to work under pressure and to adapt quickly to changing environments.

• 2+ years of direct supervisory experience

• Familiarity with higher education institutions and knowledge of national higher education issues.

• Familiarity with the State of Wisconsin.

Bachelor's degree required

Master's Degree or other advanced degree in public policy, law, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience preferred

To apply for this position, click on the "I am a current employee" button or "I am not a current employee" button under Apply Now. Please upload a cover letter and resume. Your materials should highlight how your knowledge, skills, and experience align with the qualifications listed in the job posting.

Kory Breuer, HR Manager, kory.breuer@wisc.edu

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.