OVERVIEW

FGA is hiring a Senior Fellow to support and activate the reform 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. At FGA we are in the fight for freedom, and an FGA Senior Fellow will be routinely deployed to the front lines of that fight.

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, research, and presentation skills, including legislation analysis, policymaker briefings, and in-person testimony. The Senior Fellow is a fully remote position, but moderate to significant travel is required depending on the timing of state legislative sessions. 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 the following questions, you may be a fit.

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

a) 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.

a) 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.

a) 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.

a) 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.

a) Do you wholeheartedly agree with the policies that we advocate for 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 three primary roles, broken down into key responsibilities. They are:

Role 1: In-Person Testimony, Presentations, Policy Briefings, and Legislative Engagement

• Travel to states (approximately 40 to 50 percent of the time) to deliver legislative testimony, policy-focused presentations, and legislator briefings, as needed. 
• Other outreach and relationship-building activities are also part of the job—this is an opportunity to enhance your national policymaker network and get to know movers, shakers, and agenda-setters across the country.
• Strong written and in-person communication and persuasive skills are a must, as is the proven ability to operate under pressure and think on your feet. 

Role 2: Crafting and Developing Persuasive Policy Materials

• In-depth policy presentations, conversations, and briefings aren’t made up and delivered on the spot. They take careful writing, planning, and practice before they’re ready for prime time. Developing excellent presentations and briefing materials—working alongside FGA’s top-tier researchers, writers, and designers—is a key to success.
• An underlying strong familiarity with FGA’s policy agenda is a plus, but being a team player who’s bought in to promote and implement the underlying mission is an absolute must. 

Role 3: Policy Review—Internal and External 

• Assisting with the development of custom legislative and state-focused policy memos—working with FGA’s outreach team and policy experts—is a part of our proven recipe for success. You are the link between public policy and real-world implementation: Incorporating feedback from the policymakers you work with can be the difference between a huge win and going back to the drawing board next year. 

REQUIREMENTS

• A minimum of 2–5 years of experience in state or federal government, public policy, or lobbying is required; 5+ years is preferred. 
• Ability and willingness to travel (40–50 percent) 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. 
• Proven attention to detail. 
• Match FGA’s Core Values (described above).

TIMING, LOCATION, AND COMPENSATION

FGA is seeking to fill this position with the right candidate 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 $85,000 and $120,000 (commensurate with experience) and a benefits package that includes a six percent retirement match, health benefit, and generous paid leave plan.