Program Director, State Government Relations

At ACT Your Work Makes a Difference

ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to an important mission: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. 

Advancing the mission internally, by helping team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT supports team members by offering market-competitive pay, generous paid leave, flexible working arrangements, and access to an array of well-being programs including health and wellness programs and professional learning and development opportunities.

You will be joining a team that aligns ACT solutions with state goals and initiatives, fosters relationships with decision-makers, and advances and defends the organization's interests with state legislators, governors' offices and other state officials, in multiple states simultaneously.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary in the range of $115,000 to $135,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity.  This position is incentive eligible.

Location: This is a remote position, based in the United States.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

The Program Director, State Government Relations will develop and execute a strategic multi-state outreach and lobbying plan that grows and retains state revenue. The Program Director will represent, advance, and grow revenue through ACT’s government relations agenda with elected officials and government decision-makers primarily at the state and local level in key states. Works both internally and with external partners to identify, develop, implement and effectuate advocacy, outreach and lobbying strategies to secure state policies, legislation, funding, or administrative actions that foster existing business lines or lead to new opportunities for ACT solutions. Additionally, this position works with a variety of ACT staff to understand complex state relationships, build relationships and understand the specific policy needs of states through interactions that support the delivery and growth of ACT’s products and services in a manner that achieves retention and growth of revenue. Targets state budgets and legislative appropriations.

What you will be working on:

• Develops and manages relations with various state entities including but not limited to: Governors’ Offices, State Legislatures, Jurisdictional Agencies, and State Boards of Education
• Serves as the lead state lobbyist responsible for outreach and execution of the state strategy in assigned states
• Responsible for planning, execution and attainment of state revenue goals targeting state budgets and legislative appropriations
• Is accountable for and works with legislators and lobbyists to maintain current legislation that supports ACT State Contracts and grows existing revenue
• Is accountable for and works with legislators and lobbyists to introduce new legislation that will support the introduction of ACT State Contracts and drive revenue. 
• Is accountable for and works with legislators and lobbyists to suppress and defeat proposed legislation by competitors and other entities that would be detrimental to ACT
• Monitors, analyzes and communicates the impacts or potential impacts of state legislation or regulations
• Serves as a member of internal teams in support of strategic state goals
• Develops and maintains relationships with ACT internal departments and leadership to identify operational issues requiring legislative action
• Works with RFP teams to provide insight into RFP strategy and response development as appropriate based on legislative directives of given states
• Assists State Partnerships in developing comprehensive State Plans including but not limited to: incorporating legislative priorities, providing legislative landscape, and identifying legislative key players
• Analyzes competitive intelligence, local information, and strategic advantages in order to develop best strategies to drive future business opportunities from a policy/advocacy perspective
• Provides leadership, problem solving, and decision-making; works closely with state clients and contacts to identify and select solutions that best meet their needs
• Provides excellent customer service and stellar, professional communication to external audiences
• Responsible for strict compliance with all applicable lobbying, reporting and gift laws

Role Progression:

At the end of 3 months you will have:

• Become familiar with ACT products and services and funding process for state contracts.
• Establish relationships across the organization where there are common goals.
• Learn the policy-making process and timelines associated with each assigned state and determine opportunities and threats.

Within 6 months you will:

• Be able to discuss and align ACT programs with to stated goals of governors and state legislators.
• “Own” assigned states and be responsible for implementing strategies to advance or protect ACT interests.
• Monitor legislation via tracking system and document actions and progress.
• •  

Within 12 months you will:

• Achieve successful outcomes via legislative process and Governor-led initiatives.
• Secure and have 1:1 meetings with Governor’s Offices and state officials via designated political membership organizations.
• Secure testimony from state stakeholder in support of ACT interests and/or testify on behalf of ACT in legislative hearings.

This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements):

• Minimum of 7 years of experience required that includes:
  • State lobbying and engagement experience
  • State sales experience that includes successful attainment of revenue generation goals
• Strong knowledge of state legislative processes
• Knowledge of Sales Cycle and how to plan and execute on revenue generation goals
• Ability to learn in depth product knowledge of ACT’s products and services and how those products and services are collectively used to provide solutions to state customers
• Strong working knowledge of education industry, workforce development, and assessment business
• Exceptional legislative, lobbying, and state government advocacy experience and skills 
• Proven track record of having legislation introduced which led to state level contracts
• Working knowledge of state legislative and policy processes, key competitors to ACT’s products and services, and how the market perceives these competitors
• Ability to learn competitor’s products and ACT’s differentiators
• Outstanding presentation skills
• Strong relationship skills
• Strong analytical abilities
• Competence in using computers, devices, and software including word-processing, spreadsheet, database, and CRM 
• Ability to determine logical solutions to complicated problems
• Ability to set goals and priorities and manage campaigns to completion
• Strong negotiation skills
• Ability to travel domestically, within designated territory 25-50% of the time

It's a plus if you have:

• Multi-state lobbying in education and/or workforce sectors 
• Previous state contract experience, account management, or sales experience 
• Experience in state procurement processes 
• Experience working with State Department of Education GR staff 

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it.  By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry—helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life’s transitions. 

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We’re doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we’re all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That’s why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

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