Vice President, Regional Advocacy

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Strategic Leadership & Legislative Impact (40%)
  • Develops and executes a multi-state advocacy strategy to achieve legislative wins, policy defense, and state and regulatory engagement.
  • Aligns state teams with federal priorities and works with both federal and state and local campaigns’ team to ensure cohesive national impact.
  • Leads rapid response efforts to emerging legislative threats or opportunities.
  • Provides timely and regular updates to executive leadership on regional advocacy impact.
  • Ensures collaborative planning and execution of federal, state and local campaigns.
• Team Management & Development (30%)
  • Oversees a regional advocacy team of 60+ team members across approximately 25 states, including regional Managing Directors, state Government Relations Directors, Grassroots (volunteer) Managers, and operations roles.
  • Has overall responsibility and accountability for hiring within the region.
  • Develops, plans and has accountability for regional and state budgets.
  • Ensures state advocacy positions align with organizational policy.
  • Fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, accountability, inclusion, and innovation within the team.
  • Provides coaching, professional development, and performance management to ensure excellence.
  • Tracks legislative progress, campaign metrics, and team performance to meet goals.
  • Ensures compliance with lobbying regulations and internal policies.
• Volunteer Engagement & Mobilization (10%)
  • PARTNERS WITH GRASSROOTS TEAMS TO EXPAND AND ACTIVATE VOLUNTEER NETWORKS IN RESPECTIVE STATES.
  • SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING PROGRAMS, RECOGNITION INITIATIVES, AND STORYTELLING PLATFORMS THAT ELEVATE PATIENT VOICES.
  • ENSURES VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE INTEGRATED INTO LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNS.
  • DRIVES SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER FUNDSRAISING.
• Development & External Relations (10%)
  • WORKS CLOSER WITH ACS AND INTERNAL FUNCTIONS TO ENSURE ALIGNMENT ON MISSION, POLICY TRENDS, AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS.
  • REPRESENTS THE ORGANIZATION IN COALITIONS, CONFERENCES, AND PUBLIC FORUMS.
  • COLLABORATES WITH DEVELOPMENT TEAMS TO CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAJOR DONORS, FOUNDATIONS, AND CORPORATE PARTNERS.
  • REPRESENTS ADVOCACY PRIORITIES IN DONOR MEETINGS, EVENTS, AND COMMUNICATIONS.
  • IDENTIFIES OPPORTUNITIES TO ALIGN ADVOCACY WINS WITH FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES AND IMPACT REPORTING.

Senior Leadership Team

• EXECUTES ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP ON THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM (SLT).
• PROVIDES A BROAD PERSPECTIVE ON ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES, SURFACES AND VETS IDEAS, AND ALIGNS ON HOW BEST TO ADVANCE ACS CAN’S MISSION PRIORITIES.
• ENGAGES IN CROSS-FUNCTIONAL PLANNING FOR ACS CAN, THE ACS CAN BOARD, AND HIGH-LEVEL ORGANIZATIONAL MESSAGING.

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, law, or related field (Advanced degree(s) is preferred).
• Minimum 15+ years of experience in government relations, advocacy, or public affairs, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven success in leading multi-state legislative campaigns and managing large, geographically distributed teams.
• Experience in volunteer engagement and donor relations within a mission-driven organization.
• Experience with high-level stakeholder engagement across advocacy and other organizations.
• Deep understanding of state legislative processes and healthcare policy, with strong experience collaborating with state health policymakers and advocacy leaders.
• Willingness to travel frequently across regions for team support, legislative meetings, and stakeholder engagement.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY

• Passion for improving cancer patient policy outcomes and advancing health equity through the legislative and regulatory process.
• Experience in grassroots organizing and community engagement.
• Experience with budget management and external vendor oversight.
• Ability to navigate politically sensitive environments with discretion and empathy.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in advocacy and leadership.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• This position may require travel up to 30%, including overnight and occasional weekend travel, primarily within assigned regions to support legislative campaigns, attend strategic meetings, and engage with stakeholders.
• Periodic travel to national conferences or headquarters may also be required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to travel by car, train, or plane as needed.

COMPENSATION

• The starting rate is $190,000 to $220,000.
• The final candidate's relevant experience/skills will be considered before an offer is extended.
• Actual starting pay will vary based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

BENEFITS

• ACS CAN provides staff a generous paid time off policy;
• medical, dental, retirement benefits,
• wellness programs, and
• professional development programs to enhance staff skills.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer.