Codes & Policy Manager

About the role

The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) is the voice of the residential construction industry in the state of Washington, representing nearly 8,000 home builders, remodelers, and their associates. We're looking for an experienced and passionate Codes & Policy Manager who wants to help shape the future of housing in Washington State. This position offers the opportunity to lead BIAW's advocacy efforts in the building code process, develop research and housing data that influence public policy, and support grassroots engagement initiatives across the state. You'll work closely with builders, remodelers, policymakers, and industry partners while helping advance solutions that make homeownership more attainable.

Reports to

Vice President – Industry Partnerships & Research

Office location

Tumwater, WA

Status

Full-time, Non-Exempt

About the role

Lead BIAW’s efforts on construction and energy codes at the Washington State Building Code Council; be a BIAW member resource for applicable residential codes and lead coalitions and grassroots engagement on the code adoption process.

Lead research and develop reports related to housing and the home building industry.

Responsibilities

• Lead BIAW's efforts at the State Building Code Council
  • Advocate for reasonable and effective building codes for homebuilders
  • Monitor, review, and participate in the code development process at the SBCC
  • Support BIAW’s representative on the SBCC – including but not limited to writing code change proposals, talking points, and providing updates on emerging developments when the BIAW representative is absent
  • Develop relationships with other representatives of the SBCC and code officials engaged in the code development process
  • Recruit and support BIAW members to serve on SBCC, SBCC Committees and Technical Advisory Groups
  • Assist in the development of classes to highlight code changes and updates; remain abreast of industry and code issues/trends
  • Develop and maintain coalition relationships for the code adoption process
  • Coordinate needed grassroots engagement in the code adoption process
  • Provide code updates to the BIAW Legislative Policy Committee at board meetings, communicating technical details in a clear, concise manner
  • Assist members in interpreting and implementing codes
• Lead research and housing data development
  • Develop data sets to create reports pertinent to home building and housing in Washington State
  • Create useable and digestible reports for BIAW, local associations, members, the general public, and policymakers
  • Develop research on issues impacting home construction, home ownership, and rentals
  • Present findings as needed to BIAW, local associations, the general public, and policymakers
  • Establish a clearing house for the existing body of research related to housing and home building
  • Be a conduit of information and resource for local associations' government affairs programs, including hosting monthly roundtable meetings
• Assist external affairs in regulatory and legislative efforts
  • Develop BIAW member grassroots calls to action as needed
  • Establish and manage a general public grassroots program
  • Assist at relevant BIAW member committees, such as the Legislative Policy Committee, Washington Affordable Housing Council, and Build-PAC
  • Partner with internal departments on public relations needs

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, urban planning, engineering, construction management, or a related field
• 3–5 years of experience in policy analysis, research, or advocacy, preferably within the building industry or a related field
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software tools
• Excellent research, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently or on behalf of a team
• Passionate about the building industry and committed to advancing the interests of association members

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with Washington State’s legislative and regulatory systems
• Knowledge of building codes and regulations
• Self-starter and general curiosity

Working conditions

This job occasionally requires nights and weekends and the ability to travel, generally within Washington State. This is a public-facing job; there is potential for public relations issues to arise.

Physical requirements

This job requires long periods of being in painfully boring meetings a lot.

Pay

$30.00 to $38.50 per hour ($62,400 to $80,080 per year)

Benefits

• Health insurance, dental and vision (100% employer paid) starting the 1st day of the month following hire
• Employer matching 401K retirement plan
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays provided