OVERVIEW

FGA is hiring a Senior Fellow to support and activate the federal agenda of one of the nation’s leading public policy organizations. If you aim to spend your time at the intersection of good ideas and real-world policymaking, if you’re mission-driven and team-oriented, and if you prefer to be in the middle of the action, not watching from the sidelines, you might be the right person for the job. 

The Senior Fellow will play a key role of coordinating policy support for our federal policy priorities in Washington, D.C. On a given day or week, you may provide remote or in-person policy support in meetings on the Hill, help draft federal legislation and regulations, or develop policy memos and provide rapid-response policy analysis in coordination with our federal Outreach Team. For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to use your talents to make a real and lasting impact on the future of our country. This is a mid- to senior-level role that requires strong communication, policy analysis, legislative drafting, research, and presentation skills. To be clear: This isn’t an abstract “think” job with a think tank—this is the “doing” part.

CULTURE AND FIT

The people who consistently succeed at FGA are those whose actions and behavior reflect our five Core Values. If you adhere to these values and answer “yes” to each of these questions, you may be a fit.

1) Candid to Solve: Being willing to have tough conversations in order to solve issues and build trust.

• Do you seek out constructive feedback—and provide it to others—to solve issues and build trust with coworkers? 

2) Grow or Die: We don’t have a neutral gear; we must consistently challenge ourselves and each other to grow in our talents and skills.

• Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and do you seek out complementary skills and growth in order to mitigate your weaknesses? 

3) Politically Savvy: Policy doesn’t change in a vacuum, but in a political reality that we must understand and account for.

• Do you agree that embracing the realities of politics is necessary to change public policy? 

4) Partnership-Oriented: Internal and external relationships are not transactional. That starts with our team members and the perspective that we need the rest of the team to succeed in order to win personally.

• Are you comfortable creating your own structure for work, such as setting work hours, your own priorities, and creating clarity and a workplan from a broad goal? Do you tend to be the one who initiates conversations with colleagues, rather than waiting for them to come to you?

5) Bought in to Win: We’re at FGA because we want to change policy. No one is counting hours or widgets, we are here to get results, and sometimes that will require going the extra mile or doing a job that isn’t technically ours.

• Do you wholeheartedly agree with the policies that we advocate and the underlying principles that people’s lives are made better through work, not government welfare, and that a free market creates greater freedom and equality than any command-and-control government system?

The vast majority of those who don’t get hired (or don’t last) at FGA are due to a lack of fit with these values. Be prepared to have very candid conversations about them in our interview process.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Fellow will have four primary roles, broken down into key responsibilities. They are:

Federal Policy Development

• Draft policy memos and other written policy products as requested by the Federal Affairs Team. Strong writing skills and the ability to quickly analyze a policy concept and turn it into a concrete proposal are a must. 
• You’ll be expected to manage strategic feedback from the Outreach Team and adjust policy products accordingly while working in a fast-paced environment on deadlines that are often very tight.  

Policy Analysis

• The ideal candidate will have a talent for parsing out and analyzing the details of a policy, and then writing about them in a clear, concise manner. This role will be responsible for conducting initial policy reviews and providing analysis on bills, regulations, and other federal policy documents. 
• You should be responsible and able to work in coordination with a team, but also self-motivated to work efficiently alone and in a remote environment. Demonstrated ability to quickly analyze public policy and articulate concepts clearly in verbal and written format is required. 

Legislative Drafting 

• Coordinate with other policy fellows and the Legal Team to develop language drafts for federal legislation, regulations, and other federal policy documents. 
• The ideal candidate will have strong attention to detail and have some experience drafting and reviewing legislation or regulations at the federal level. 

Policy Meetings and Briefings

• Provide remote or in-person policy support for Hill and administrative meetings and briefings. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to speak confidently and clearly on complex policy topics and should be able to handle stressful situations that include some conflict or negative feedback.
• You’ll be expected to be a subject matter expert on our federal policy areas and be a professional, persuasive advocate for FGA’s policies. 

REQUIREMENTS

• A minimum of 2–5 years of experience in state or federal government, public policy, or lobbying is required, with a preference for federal experience.
• Demonstrated experience drafting legislation and speaking and writing on complex policy topics with confidence and clarity. 
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately four times per quarter (usually to D.C.) and occasionally operate with non-standard hours—good ideas aren’t bound by geographic lines, and sometimes the real work happens outside of the standard 9-to-5.
• Match FGA’s Core Values (described above).

TIMING, LOCATION, AND COMPENSATION

FGA is seeking to fill this position as soon as possible. FGA’s headquarters are in Naples, FL, but nearly all of FGA’s staff work remotely. FGA has built a highly successful remote work culture over the past decade with systems and structures designed for clarity, flexibility, and great communication. Key elements of the environment include:

• Quarterly in-person team meetings at which you’ll build deeper relationships, set clear goals aligned with FGA’s big vision, and brainstorm how to seize new opportunities
• An intensive 90-day orientation to familiarize you with the FGA team, our policies, and how we operate
• Home office setup, including equipment and communication tools you need to hit the ground running

For this position, FGA offers a competitive salary with a range between $80,000-$130,000 (commensurate with experience) and benefits package, including a six percent retirement match, health benefit, and generous paid leave plan.