Public Policy Manager

About The Role

We’re looking for a Public Policy Manager to join Cleo’s Legal, Compliance, Policy team and help drive our public policy work across the US, with a particular focus on state legislative and regulatory issues.

This role will report to the Director of Public Policy and will play an important part in supporting Cleo’s broader policy strategy as our products, category, and regulatory environment continue to evolve.

Key Responsibilities

• Track, analyze, and synthesize state legislative, regulatory, and political developments relevant to Cleo’s business, products, and operating model.
• Help shape and execute advocacy and engagement plans on priority state policy issues, in partnership with the Director of Public Policy.
• Manage relationships with external lobbyists, consultants, and other advisors, helping to coordinate activity, maintain momentum, and ensure alignment with Cleo’s priorities.
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with state policymakers, regulators, trade associations, and other external stakeholders.
• Prepare clear, high-quality internal briefs, policy memos, talking points, stakeholder materials, and comment letters.
• Support Cleo’s participation in trade associations, coalitions, and broader industry engagement efforts connected to responsible fintech policy.
• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, Compliance, Product, and other departments to ensure internal teams are informed and prepared as policy developments emerge.
• Translate complex external developments into practical business implications, risk assessments, and recommended actions.
• Contribute to the development of policy positions, stakeholder mapping, and issue-management plans across priority states.
• Support advocacy related to Cleo’s products and consumer impact, helping communicate Cleo’s perspective in a thoughtful, credible, and evidence-based way.

What We're Looking For

• Several years (4+) of experience in public policy, government relations, regulatory affairs, or a related field, ideally in fintech, financial services, or another regulated industry.
• A strong understanding of how state legislative and regulatory processes work, and how to engage effectively within them.
• Experience tracking and analyzing policy developments and turning them into clear, actionable guidance for business stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage discrete workstreams independently while exercising sound judgment about when to escalate, align, or seek input.
• Experience working with external lobbyists, trade associations, outside counsel, or policy consultants.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for internal and external audiences.
• Confidence building relationships with policymakers, regulators, industry groups, and cross-functional internal partners.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
• Comfort working across multi-disciplined team functions in a collaborative and low-ego way.
• A thoughtful, pragmatic approach to advocacy, with strong attention to detail and a clear sense of how policy work connects to business outcomes and customer impact.
• An interest in helping shape policy in a category that is evolving quickly and does not always fit neatly into traditional regulatory frameworks.