Global Head of Government and External Affairs

The Global Head of Government and External Relations will lead ETS’s efforts to build and maintain relationships with government and association entities at the state, federal and international levels. This role is critical for influencing public policy, developing relationships for government contract opportunities, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the educational and workforce assessment landscape, excellent communication skills, a proven track record in government relations strategies that lead to business results and experience in leading a professional team.

Responsibilities

1. Advocacy and Policy Leadership:

• Lead the identification and development of policy positions consistent with overall company strategy.
• Advocate for the company’s positions on key issues, including drafting policy briefs, position papers, and testimony.
• Monitor and analyze legislative and regulatory developments related to education and workforce assessment and measurement.
• Build and maintain relationships with key government officials and influencers.
• Enhance thought leadership and influence, particularly in Washington DC.

2. Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with industry associations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to advance common objectives.
• Represent the company at industry conferences, meetings, and events.

3. Business Development:

• Identify and help ETS business units to pursue financially attractive government contract opportunities. Experience working with governments of the UK, Canada, India and the Middle East.
• Collaborate with internal teams to develop compelling proposals and ensure compliance with funding requirements.

4. Strategic Planning:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive government relations strategy aligned with the company’s goals and objectives, with an emphasis on attracting and generating business with government entities.
• Identify and prioritize key policy issues that impact the company’s business and stakeholders.

5. Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure the company’s compliance with all relevant lobbying, ethics, and disclosure requirements.
• Prepare and submit required reports and documentation in a timely manner.

6. Team Leadership:

• Build, lead and develop a team of government relations professionals.
• Initially, the team will consist of a senior level leader and two staff members.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the team.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, Political Science, Law, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in government relations, public policy, or a related field, with a focus on education and workforce assessment.
• Proven track record of successfully influencing public policy and securing government funding and/or contracts.
• Strong network of very high-level relationships with government officials, industry associations, and advocacy groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think strategically and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills.
• Deep understanding of government funding, budgeting and procurement.

Key Competencies:

• Strategy and execution duality – the ability to develop a compelling strategy, gain support for it, and execute on it in a way that generates results.
• Political acumen – strongly capable of navigating the full political landscape. Respected by leaders at high levels.
• Skilled at achieving results in a matrix organization. Able to leverage influence without having to rely on outright organizational authority.
• Relationship Building – is equally adept at developing important relationships inside the organization and externally.
• Communication and advocacy – talented in convincing people to take action.
• Compliance and ethics – embrace the highest standards
• Leadership and team management – builds and motivates teams that achieve surprising levels of performance. Revels in team accomplishment.