Director of Policy, Advocacy and Government Affairs, Feeding

Job Details

Job Location:

Greater Chicago Food Depository - Chicago, IL, Position Type:
Full Time, Education Level: None, Salary Range: $115000.00 - $125000.00

Salary,

Job Shift: Day,

Reports to:

Senior Director of Community Advocacy and Government Affairs [Greater Chicago Food Depository], with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Executive Director of Feeding Illinois.

Location:

Illinois (Remote;
Springfield presence during legislative session, and occasional travel to food banks statewide and Washington D.C.).

The Director of Policy, Government Affairs & Advocacy leads Feeding Illinois’s legislative, regulatory, and public policy strategy at the state and federal levels. This role serves as the chief lobbyist and policy strategist, advancing a proactive agenda that strengthens anti-hunger programs, protects critical nutrition program funding, and promotes equitable policies that address food insecurity across Illinois.

The Director builds and maintains strong relationships with lawmakers, state agencies, coalition partners, and community stakeholders, and works closely with member food banks to align advocacy priorities and mobilize collective action.

This hire will be paid by the Greater Chicago Food Depository but will be a remote staff person of Feeding Illinois, providing support to any food bank interested in delegating on or collaborating around responsibilities aligned with the duties below.

Feeding Illinois is the Partner State Association of Feeding America food banks that serve Illinois. Together, they provide food and other services to every county in Illinois through a vast network of member agencies and specialized feeding programs. The number of residents who are hungry in Illinois is staggering and saddening - yet solvable. But only together, with collective support across public and private sectors.

As the state association for food banks serving Illinois we work with our members to strengthen and support their efforts to eliminate hunger. Each food bank has identified the specific needs of their communities and has developed a comprehensive array of programs and services to combat hunger in their region.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive government affairs strategy aligned with organizational and network member priorities. Serve as the primary liaison to state legislators, legislative staff, and relevant state agencies for Feeding Illinois.
• Bolster the capacity of the Feeding Illinois network for pro-active, strategic elected official relationship building and engagement at the federal, state and local levels.
• Create templates (call scripts; meeting templates; draft emails and letters; sign-on letters, etc.) for network member engagement of elected officials on policy priorities.
• Coordinate/schedule and help prepare food banks for in-district, virtual and in-Capitol engagement.
• Manage data-entry on all elected official engagements for network visibility and impact metrics.
• Monitor, analyze, and influence legislation, budget proposals, and regulatory actions impacting hunger relief and public benefits programs (e.g., SNAP, WIC, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, senior and child nutrition programs, and more).
• Represent the organization in hearings, briefings, and stakeholder meetings.
• Coordinate federal advocacy efforts in partnership with national network partners.
• Manage all lobbying compliance and reporting activities, and provide guidance to food banks around lobbying registration and reporting.
• Help plan and execute food bank special events, such as legislator breakfasts, press conferences, service events with elected officials, and more.