Energy Lobbyist

The energy industry is the engine that drives more than 50 percent of all job hours logged by North America’s Building Trades Unions’ (NABTU) members on an annual basis. Consequently, it is vital that NABTU’s over 3.5 million skilled construction workers, comprising our 14 affiliate unions, have a strong and effective representative to positively impact federal energy policy on their behalf. Therefore, NABTU is hiring an in-house energy lobbyist, based in Washington D.C., to advocate before Congress and the Executive Branch regarding energy policy issues impacting construction workers.

The Position

This is a professional lobbying position responsible for the development, planning, coordinating, policy research, lobbying and implementation of NABTU’s federal legislative and regulatory agendas focused on energy. This will include representing NABTU before Congress, the Executive Branch, and other organizations regarding the impact of the energy industry, and associated public policy issues, on construction workers and their respective craft(s).

Responsibilities

• Proactively build and maintain strategic relationships with energy focused staff and committees in Congress and officials and agencies in the Executive Branch while establishing and/or managing relationships with energy and/or climate trade associations and organizations, all for the purpose of leveraging these relationships to advance NABTU’s energy policy priorities.

• Routinely track, research, and analyze federal legislation, regulations and issues impacting NABTU and the energy industry based on a variety of sources; print and e-media publications, virtual and in-person meetings attendance, hearings, fundraisers, conferences, and other events.

• Regularly write issue briefs, reports, position papers, talking points, letters, Congressional testimony and regulatory comments etc. This may also include preparing articles for NABTU, affiliate or energy industry publications, social media, etc. regarding the impact of the energy industry, and associated public policy issues, on construction workers.

• Identify and secure Congressional or Executive Branch hearing/speaking opportunities for NABTU officers and/or affiliate principals and prepare testimony/briefing materials.

• Identify and help secure Congressional and Executive Branch appointments to energy-related boards, commissions, and task forces in order to maintain NABTU’s influence.

• Develop and lead implementation of lobbying and/or communications campaigns that support NABTU’s federal energy policy priorities. This may include grassroots mobilization strategies.

• Assist or lead fly-ins in coordination with NABTU’s state and local building trades councils and/or NABTU affiliates’ union members and assist with the annual NABTU Legislative Conference.

• Represent NABTU in meetings with energy industry trade associations and climate-related organizations to convey NABTU’s position, identify policy engagement opportunities, and facilitate contacts for NABTU officers and affiliate principals.

• Adequately staff and respond to timely information requests from NABTU officers, affiliates, state and local councils or individual union members.

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Expertise

• Highly knowledgeable of federal energy policy and energy technologies that impact the energy and construction industry and its’ workforce.

• Expert understanding, and evidence of a successful track record, in lobbying Congress and the Executive Branch, to advance or block legislative and regulatory proposals is required.

• Natural ability to speak extemporaneously before groups to inform, persuade or influence.

• Exceptional skill in communicating complex ideas both in writing and orally, including analyzing complex subjects quickly, researching and providing logical presentations both orally/ in writing.

• Proven skills and track record in team and coalition building, collaborative problem solving, conflict resolution, and negotiation as well as active listening.

• Exceptional ability to work independently while successfully managing multiple priorities and responsibilities simultaneously.

• Demonstrated success working in a team environment through coordination and communication of delegated responsibilities; communicating ideas and issues with tact and diplomacy; and resolving problems collaboratively among internal stakeholders (ex: NABTU affiliate unions), partner organizations/agencies, and internal organization staff.

Experience

• Six to ten years employment in one or more of the following is required; lobbying the executive and/or legislative branch, professional staff member or higher on a Congressional committee, legislative director or higher in a Congressional office or senior policy staff in a federal agency.

• Current or previous experience lobbying or working on energy issues for no less than six years is required.

• Bachelor’s degree in political science or a related field or lobbying on behalf of a labor union, energy industry trade association or climate-related organization is a plus, but not required.

Common Contacts

Labor

• NABTU officers and staff; government affairs, field services, communications, outside consultants such as legal counsel, NABTU’s Legislative Task Force and other standing committees such as the Apprenticeship and Training Committee

• NABTU state and local building trades councils and their leadership

• NABTU’s 14 affiliate building trades labor unions; lobbyists, policy and political staff, principals

• AFL-CIO government affairs staff and member unions’ principals and staff and the AFL-CIO’s Energy Committee

Government

• Executive and legislative branch appointed / elected officials

• Department of Energy

• Department of Interior

• Department of Transportation

• Department of State

• Department of Defense

• Department of Labor

• General Services Administration

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

• Council on Environmental Quality

• Other advisory boards, commissions and task forces focusing on energy policy

Industry

• Energy industry trade associations and climate-related organizations; lobbyists, policy staff, principals

About North America’s Building Trades Unions

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is a labor organization representing more than 3.5 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. NABTU is composed of fourteen national and international unions and over 330 provincial, state and local building and construction trades councils. For more information, please visit www.nabtu.org.