Vice President, Public Affairs, Partnerships & Public Relations

Government Relations & Pipeline

• Lead and grow lobbyist relationships across US states and Canadian provinces, setting strategic direction and managing performance against clear objectives
• Own the annual policy plan: a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction strategy connecting legislative sessions, budget cycles, and regulatory timelines to revenue opportunities
• Deepen relationships with state and provincial agency leaders, legislative staff, and budget officials who shape purchasing decisions for outdoor recreation and safety education
• Maintain a watch on legislative and regulatory developments to identify opportunities early and keep the organization ahead of the curve
• Unify the lead handoff process between government relations and sales to ensure opportunities translate into commercial outcomes

Associations & Coalitions

• Evolve our association strategy with a tiered engagement model, prioritizing where we pursue board or committee influence versus active membership
• Build and lead coalitions with aligned organizations to advance shared policy priorities that grow demand for outdoor recreation and safety education
• Represent the organization as a thought leader at association conferences, working groups, and regulatory proceedings

Public Affairs & PR

• Expand and formalize our PR capability—building media relationships, launching signature events, and creating campaigns that generate earned media and public attention
• Develop co-branded PR campaigns with government partners: joint planning, coordinated execution, and shared success metrics
• Serve as the organization’s voice on policy issues and lead crisis communications when needed

Thought Leadership & Research

• Define and drive the thought leadership agenda: key messages, policy positions, publications, and speaking engagements that build credibility and open doors
• Commission research that produces actionable data to support advocacy, PR, and sales goals
• Publish white papers, policy briefs, and an annual flagship report on outdoor recreation safety

Team & Function Development

• Grow and lead a high-performing team, establishing the operating processes, KPIs, and technology infrastructure to support the function’s next chapter
• Foster strong collaboration with sales, marketing, and product teams, this function thrives on partnership, not isolation
• Own the function’s budget across lobbyist spend, memberships, events, and research

Must-Haves:

• 10+ years in government relations, public affairs, or government-facing business development, with 5+ years at a VP level
• Experience managing lobbyist networks across multiple US states or Canadian provinces
• Track record of building or significantly expanding a government affairs function—not just maintaining one
• Experience with trade associations, regulatory bodies, and cross-sector coalitions to influence policy outcomes
• Proven ability to connect policy engagement to commercial results: pipeline, revenue, or market access
• Hands-on experience with PR, media relations, or public-facing communications
• Cross-border awareness of both US state and Canadian provincial government structures
• Strong executive communication skills—comfortable briefing C-suite and board audiences
• Data-driven mindset: uses research and analytics to support positions and measure performance
• Builder mentality—energized by standing up new processes, teams, and systems

Strong Differentiators:

• Background in outdoor recreation, natural resources, public safety, or environmental sectors
• Experience working within or selling to state/provincial government agencies
• Has co-developed a campaign or program with a government partner
• Familiarity with education, training, or compliance program procurement by government entities
• Experience building coalition strategies that delivered measurable policy or market outcomes

In addition to a competitive salary and annual bonus, we offer these great benefits:

• We are a fully distributed company – unless specifically indicated in the job description, this is a work from home position
• Employer matched 401(k)
• Medical/Dental/Vision insurance with generous employer contributions (including HSA)
• Maternity and Paternity leave and benefits
• Three weeks of paid vacation, 12 paid holidays, a paid community service day, and a flexible work schedule
• Anual wellness allowance, as well as a paid mental health day once a year for when you need it
• Automatic WFH contribution to each paycheck
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Kalkomey is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics.