Local Government Manager

This position requires occasional evening and weekend work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Local Government Manager is responsible for building strategic relationships with local government officials and their staff in Houston Food Bank’s 18 counties (HFB). This role is also responsible for collaborating with local organizations working on issues that drive food insecurity and those that present opportunities to grow HFB’s operations and programming, such as Chambers of Commerce. The Local Government Manager identifies and pursues new funding sources across local jurisdictions, prepares issue briefs, budget summaries, testimony, talking points, presentations, and other appropriate communiques to inform the community and local elected officials about what is occurring in their area. They will also assist during times of disaster as a liaison between local government entities and HFB departments.  

Adhere to PACT values. (Purpose: Using our strengths passionately to contribute to our mission. Accountability: Choosing to rise above one’s circumstances and demonstrating ownership to achieve results. See It. Own It. Solve It. Do It. Courage: Standing up for what’s right and acting. Transparency: Doing things openly and honestly). 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1.Builds Relationships with Local Government Officials.

• Serves as a liaison to local government officials and their staff for areas served directly by HFB.  
• Assists in connecting local government officials with HFB or community stakeholders/resources that can meet the needs of their constituents.
• Works with local elected offices to arrange tours of HFB and HFB partner organizations.
• Maintains a database of local government officials and their staff and inputs significant touchpoints to track metrics.
• Provides local government officials with information pertinent to their constituents, including data on food insecurity, HFB partners in their district/precinct, pounds of food distributed, etc.

2.Identifies and helps pursue local funding opportunities.

• Tracks budgets of strategic commissioner courts and city councils.
• Meets with local government officials on HFB budget priorities.
• Works with HFB’s Development and Government Grants Officer to further any local government grant funding opportunities.

3.Researches and analyzes local policies that impact HFB’s Affiliates, HFB partner organizations, and their clients, and communicates this information to internal and external stakeholders.

• Researches and tracks policies that could impact HFB’s operations or its client populations and reports this information to local government officials and HFB upper management.
• Tracks and reports on local election cycles. 
• Works collaboratively with other HFB departments to translate the impact of local policy for HFB leadership.
• Provides advocacy training for various stakeholder groups.
• Works with the Government Relations senior management and Government Affairs Manager to help create HFB’s legislative agenda and develops advocacy campaigns to support the advancement of HFB’s local legislative agenda.
• Regularly participates in local coalition meetings.

4.Assists the Government Affairs Manager in serving as a disaster liaison to local government entities.

• Helps ensure the Government Relations Department Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is successfully executed during a disaster.
• Works with local offices of emergency management to implement Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and keeps these documents and the Concept of Operations document up to date.

5.Shares talking points with media periodically.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Manage one (1) or more direct reports by providing guidance and/or oversight to employees and/or contractors. Develops and maintains roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Practices performance management in support of employee development and performs administrative duties associated with being a people manager. Responsibilities include interviewing, planning, assigning, directing work, and resolving problems. Responsibilities also include sponsoring and participating in and/or supporting project teams sponsored by other management team members.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Political Science, Public Affairs, or a closely related field
• 3-5 years of related experience in strategic interaction with elected officials
• 3-5 years in public policy or related work
• Experience giving presentations and preparing memos, reports, and essays using proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar 
• Bilingual: speak and write in Spanish, Mandarin/Chinese, Vietnamese, or other language preferred

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

• Must have reliable transportation, a valid driver’s license, and insurance.

Special Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the job holder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including but not limited to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Ability to work with a diverse population, including the public
• A passion for equity and ending poverty
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively interact and communicate with all levels within the company in English
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail
• Ability to work effectively with situations that require tact and diplomacy
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with direct report(s), co-workers, and staff of other departments
• Strong customer service skills and willingness to assist others, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate
• Demonstrated ability to work independently to complete projects and effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and senior-level leadership
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously on a variable schedule based on project demand
• Fluency in government policy and funding process, particularly at the state and local levels of government.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to effectively work and communicate with a diverse array of stakeholders 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced work environment  
• Ability to think strategically
• Exceptional organizational and logistical skills
• Excellent analytical skills (quantitative and qualitative)
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and to work as part of a team

COMPLIANCE:

Carries out responsibilities in accordance with HFB policies.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. (For best performance, the jobholder in this position would be expected to show the right knowledge, skills, and abilities in the listed areas.)

COMPETENCIES:

Business Insight / Instills Trust / Drives Engagement / Optimizes Work Processes / Directs Work / Composure / Manages Ambiguity / Communicates Effectively / Organizational Savvy / Decision Quality / Manages Conflict / Presentation Skills

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required on a daily basis to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a stationary position for several hours in a workday; and frequently access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The employee is regularly required to move about the facility. The employee must frequently lift/move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift/move up to 40 pounds. The employee must occasionally travel to other sites for business.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While the job is generally performed in an enclosed office environment, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, strong food-related smells, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the office environment is typically quiet, but the employee will be occasionally exposed to loud noise levels (e.g., horns, fans).

TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Travel is required for this position (up to 20-30% of the time and on a domestic basis within our 18-county service area). 

This role supports hours of operations at the Houston Food Bank facilities, as necessary, and may require flexibility (e.g., times of disaster, community events, company events).

*Is legally able to work in the United States.