Director of Government Relations (NCS) - Mayor's Office

Job Summary

The Director of Government Relations serves as a member of the Mayor's Cabinet and Executive Team and is the mayor's chief advisor on legislative and intergovernmental affairs.

Essential Functions

• Serve as a member of the Mayor's Cabinet and Executive Team.
  • Advises the Mayor, Chief of Staff, and Executive Team on legislative strategy, political dynamics, intergovernmental affairs, and emerging public policy issues.
  • Develops recommendations regarding legislative and policy priorities, negotiations, executive action, and governmental partnerships.
  • Represents the Mayor's Office before elected officials, governmental agencies, external organizations, and public bodies as assigned.
  • Provides strategic counsel regarding legislative, regulatory, budgetary, and political developments affecting Baltimore City.
  • Serves as the Administration's principal strategist for public policy, legislative affairs, and intergovernmental relations.
• Develop and execute the mayor's annual legislative agenda.
  • Led legislative strategy before the Baltimore City Council, Maryland General Assembly, Congress, and other governmental entities.
  • Coordination of the drafting, review, and advancement of legislation, amendments, executive testimony, resolutions, and policy proposals.
  • Development of legislative strategies that advance Administration priorities while protecting the City's operational and fiscal interests.
  • Monitoring legislation, budgets, and regulatory actions affecting Baltimore City and recommending appropriate executive action.
  • Cross-agency coordination of legislative priorities to ensure a unified Administration position.
• Lead intergovernmental relations.
  • Administer relationships with the Baltimore City Council, the Governor's Office, the Maryland General Assembly, Maryland's Congressional Delegation, neighboring jurisdictions, federal agencies, and regional governmental organizations.
  • Coordination of executive-level engagement with elected officials and governmental partners.
  • Representation of the Mayor during legislative negotiations, hearings, committee meetings, budget discussions, and other governmental proceedings.
  • Identification of opportunities for strategic partnerships with governmental entities that advance the mayor's agenda.
• Engage stakeholders.
  • Build coalitions that support the mayor's legislative and policy priorities.
  • Coordinate stakeholder outreach related to major legislative initiatives, budget priorities, and executive proposals.
  • Preparation of stakeholder engagement strategies, briefing materials, and outreach plans for executive leadership.
  • Identification of opportunities to strengthen partnerships, resolve concerns, and build consensus among diverse constituencies.
  • Cross-functional follow-up to ensure commitments made by the Mayor's Office are communicated and implemented.
• Develop policy.
  • Partner with Cabinet agencies to develop legislative proposals that support the mayor's policy agenda.
  • Analysis of proposed legislation and regulatory actions for policy, operational, legal, and fiscal impacts.
  • Cross-agency review of legislative proposals.
  • Development of policy recommendations, executive briefings, and implementation strategies.
  • Ensuring legislative priorities align with the mayor's strategic goals and operational objectives.
• Communicate effectively.
  • Prepare legislative briefings, testimony, memoranda, presentations, correspondence, and talking points for the mayor and senior leadership.
  • Ensure the Mayor and Executive Team remain informed of legislative developments, political considerations, and emerging issues.
  • Cohesion between legislative strategy and public messaging and external communications.
• Manage and lead.
  • Lead and supervise the Mayor's Office of Government Relations.
  • Establish strategic priorities, performance expectations, and operational goals for the department.
  • Foster a collaborative, innovative, high-performing, and service-oriented culture.
  • Mentor staff and promote professional development, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Management of departmental resources responsibly and ensuring efficient execution of the Office's responsibilities.
  • Availability outside normal business hours during legislative sessions, emergencies, or other time-sensitive matters requiring executive leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: Eight (8) or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in government relations, legislative affairs, public policy, public administration, law, political strategy, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing, negotiating, and advancing complex legislative initiatives.
• Experience advising senior executives or elected officials.
• Experience leading teams and managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Outstanding political judgment, diplomacy, negotiation, and consensus-building abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris Doctor, Master of Public Administration, Master of Public Policy, or another relevant graduate degree.
• Experience working in a mayor's office, governor's office, executive agency, legislative leadership office, Congress, or the Maryland General Assembly.
• Extensive knowledge of Baltimore City government, Maryland legislative processes, municipal finance, and state-local relations.
• Experience on political campaigns.