Government Affairs Director

Public Relations & Government Affairs Director

Portland, OR Area | Public Affairs and Communications | Regular Employee FT | Public Affairs and Communications

Job Description

The Director of Public Relations & Government Affairs will be a regional leader for Swire Coca-Cola, USA. As a rapidly growing beverage manufacturing and distribution company, we are keenly interested in supporting our business operations by raising the company’s visibility, building and maintaining key relationships, and growing our government affairs capabilities.

As a member of the Public Relations and Government Affairs team, the director will report to the vice president of the function.

We seek a dynamic leader equipped with excellent communications skills and well-rounded political acumen. We want the winning candidate to understand and value relationship building as a part of our day-to-day business.

• Build, preserve and improve relationships with state and local elected officials and other relevant stakeholders in order to be able to shape their perceptions of Swire Coca-Cola.

• Provide strategic counsel to industry campaigns, lobbyists and consultants on company’s positions on outside threats, including: tax and regulatory threats, derogatory labeling legislation, and other legislative, regulatory and public policy challenges.

• Monitor key local and national media outlets for coverage impacting or of interest to the company.

• Provide strategy on proactive media outreach and reactive response plans.

• Be accountable for ongoing public relations and community relations activities in assigned geography.

Key Duties:

• Build, preserve and improve relationships with key government agencies and officials, industry associations and NGOs, main community opinion leaders, as well as with other relevant constituencies (30%).

• Develop ongoing relationships with key elected officials, including identifying up-and-coming leaders. Network with industry, customer and other relevant peers for information gathering and relationship building. (20%)

• Participate in training and business team meetings to align with operational objectives and provide public relations and government relations perspective (25%)

• Recommend, activate, track and report on suggested memberships, contributions and other community participation by the Company. (25%)

Organization Impact/Influence:

• Key contacts with state and local (State Governors, State Legislators and City Mayors, regulatory authorities, etc.)

• Contacts with external and internal key stakeholders (Customers, NGOs, Trade Unions, Investors, Sales Center, Division and Corporate Leadership).

• Members of the board and/or key contacts with industry associations and community partners.

• Collaborate and influence state beverage associations

Position may be located in Portland and will support the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain area - Utah, Idaho, Nevada.

Skills & Requirements

Requirements:

10 years of experience working in any of the following fields: government relations, public affairs, public relations, and/or with an elected official.

Significant political campaign experience (candidate, party, issue, ballot initiative, etc.)

Experience in working in a medium to large corporation.

Excellent interpersonal and communications skills. Superior business writing capabilities. Fluency in English.

Ability to identify and take advantage of new opportunities, best practices and potential partnerships, while taking into consideration business objectives and key stakeholders’ expectations.

The capability to establish and build solid relationships with relevant external and internal audiences across all management levels.

Proven ability to get things done without close supervision.

Ability to travel extensively, up to 75%.

Analysis:

Must understand political and legislative processes, and the resulting implications upon our company and industry. Provide high-level counsel on these decisions and actions.

Maintain an acute awareness about the Coca-Cola System’s brands, products and activities.

Must develop creative approaches to raising visibility of company.

Operate in a highly polarized and politically charged environment while balancing the different actors and actions within the political spectrum.