Director, Strategic Partnerships and Government Relations

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Government Relations

Aloha mai! Mahalo for your interest in Kamehameha Schools. If you are looking for an opportunity to utilize your skills and talents and grow in your profession, while serving and strengthening our Native Hawaiian community, we would love to have you join our ʻohana!

Job Summary

This role leads Ke Kula o Kamehameha (KS) policy and partnership strategies to advance Pauahi's mission and the organization's key priorities. This leader builds high-impact alliances, leads advocacy efforts, and shapes government relations to influence systems change and collective impact to strengthen Hawaiian self-determination.

Working closely with internal teams, such as the Government Relations Committee (GRC), and external partners, the Director ensures alignment between messaging, policy, and enterprise initiatives. This leader ensures that Kamehameha is well positioned in key decision-making, community, and economic arenas—creating the conditions for culture-based educational excellence, vibrant ai na, thriving kaiaulu, and sustainable financial outcomes—all in service to the ea of the lahui and the well-being of Hawaii as a whole.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Guidance and Integration

• Translate KS strategic priorities from senior leaders and the Government Relations Committee (GRC) into a unified strategy for partnerships, advocacy, and government relations.
• Lead and partner with other KS divisions to plan and align external initiatives and enterprise priorities, ensuring unified messaging and advocacy efforts lead to collective impact.
• Incorporate community insight, policy trends, and market realities into decision-making.

Government Relations & Policy Impact

• Lead government engagement for KS at federal, state, and county levels, implementing GRC's priorities and advocacy strategies through tactical plans.
• Prepare policy analyses, recommendations, and briefing materials for GRC and executive leadership; facilitate alignment on positions and priorities.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with public officials to advance policies supporting Native Hawaiian education, ai na stewardship, housing, and sustainable development.
• Oversee contracted lobbyists and advocacy partners for effectiveness and in alignment with KS values and identity, such as E Ola!.

Partnerships & Alliance Building

• Design and steward partnerships and solutions that reflect KS values and advance priorities in education, ai na stewardship, kaiaulu-building, and financial sustainability.
• Convene and co-create advocacy, investment, and grant strategies with Native Hawaiian organizations, government, philanthropy, and business leaders.
• Cultivate relationships that enhance mutual accountability and KS influence across cultural, community, and economic arenas.
• Ensure KS is viewed as a credible, principled, culturally grounded, and dependable partner whose approaches are expressed through E Ola!

Ai Na Development, Kaiaulu Building, and Financial Sustainability

• Support ai na initiatives by cultivating partnerships and advocacy pathways that enable culturally grounded, income-generating projects.
• Promote policy environments and model developments that integrate cultural integrity, environmental stewardship, and economic success.

Organizational Leadership

• Model KS values and identity through leadership that advances ea, connecting people and systems toward collective renewal.
• Inspire and develop high-performing teams through collaboration, trust, foresight, and accountability.
• Build cultural and professional capacity of teams by promoting strategic thinking, transparency, and accountability.
• Develop and track performance measures for partnerships, advocacy, and kaiaulu-building; providing progress updates to senior leadership.

Position Requirements

Minimum Qualifications - An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered for the requirements listed.

• Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Government Relations, Urban Planning, Hawaiian Studies, or related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience in government relations, strategic partnerships, advocacy, providing legal counsel
• 5 years of…