Advocacy Manager

Overview

AIA Seattle is seeking an Advocacy Manager to support work in design, the professional practice of architecture, and the built environment. AIA Seattle’s mission is to champion the central role of architects in creating and sustaining a better built environment. AIA Seattle is one of the largest architectural associations in the US, with more than 2500 members in ten counties. AIA Seattle is a member-led organization with volunteers and staff working together for greater impact.

AIA Seattle advocates for solutions for housing, sustainability, equity, diversity and anti-racism, and to support industry-wide culture change. AIA Seattle operates in alignment with its  strategic plan in relation to Seattle Design Festival.

The ideal candidate will position AIA members as leaders on policy related to the practice of architecture and the built environment. We seek an independent, motivated, and passionate leader who will work with senior staff and members to identify and develop consensus on policy issues and organize direct action and communication. The candidate should be passionate about policy and the built environment, a natural facilitator and consensus-builder who can collaborate with and mobilize our membership, as well as publicly represent the organization.

• Mobilize, motivate and engage AIA members in advocacy on issues such as climate action, housing, and land use
• Improve our built environment and the profession by impacting policy through member engagement
• Create linkages between advocacy and other AIA Seattle initiatives to inform programs and member engagement
• Cultivate and steward relationships, partnerships and member engagement beyond the City of Seattle

• Motivate, recruit and engage members in advocacy activities in the ten-county membership area of AIA Seattle
• Collaborate with programs team to inform public and member events and education programs to support advocacy priorities and issues
• Organize and prepare members to influence elected officials and their staff

• Summarize and synthesize policy information for stakeholders including board, staff, and AIA members
• Develop issue briefs, position statements, talking points, letters, and other communications
• Manage and produce content for written and verbal communications for internal and external use regarding AIA policy positions and advocacy efforts

• Cultivate and steward advocacy partnerships to develop aligned policy initiatives and activities
• Identify sustainable ways to grow impact across ten counties of membership
• Steward and develop relationships with members, elected officials, and municipal staff

• Evaluate legislation and policy issues for relevance to strategic plan and priorities of AIA Seattle
• Prioritize issues in current and potential policy to create opportunities for engagement and impact
• Collaborate with AIA Seattle committees and staff to develop advocacy strategies and engagement plans
• Understand impact of AIA national policy positions
• Provide information and resources on current policy topics to support program development and member engagement

• Manages, prioritizes, and plans independently and collaboratively to drive projects to completion from a given objective
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• A commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion
• Proven ability to engage with and steward forward the work of members;
  Comfortable “leading from behind” and putting members in front
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret policy

• Bachelor’s degree in public affairs, public policy, government affairs, communications, built environment field or relevant field or equivalent lived experience
• Experience with advocacy organizing, lobbying, coalition engagement and/or grassroots advocacy
• Familiarity with municipal structures and processes in AIA Seattle’s 10 County membership area a plus
• Experience with and knowledge of architecture and built environment fields a plus

AIA Seattle offers competitive wages and benefits and…