Government Affairs Manager - Cellulosic Policy Advocacy

Responsibilities

Eastman is the world’s leading specialty cellulose ester supplier with extensive applications that include food packaging, consumer products, fibers and textiles. This Government Affairs position will lead advocacy strategy for Eastman’s cellulosic platform, driving policy outcomes in priority states and with relevant federal agencies, with a strong focus on circular economy issues, such as regulation of compostable and biodegradable materials. The position sits in Eastman’s Circular Economy Advocacy Team and reports to the Managing Director, Circular Economy Advocacy. Additionally, the role provides advocacy support to the broader Government Affairs team, helping to drive the company’s broader advocacy priorities.

The Government Affairs Manager must be able to partner at all levels of multiple Eastman businesses and functions, understand inghow pending legislative and regulatory actions will affect the Company’s competitiveness and policy preferences. This person will need to articulate advocacy strategy to internal leadership and remove internal and external barriers to accelerate progress toward Eastman’s advocacy objectives.  

The ideal candidate is a self-starter, who takes action to engage critical stakeholders, is results-oriented, and possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills. Candidates should demonstrate adaptability, a can-do attitude, the ability to think strategically and critically, and a solutions-oriented approach to problem solving. Being able to take complex material and distill it to easily digestible and understandable information is an important aspect of this role.  

**** Open to remote candidates located in the US (Eastern & Central Time Zones preferred) ****

Responsibilities  

• Advocate and communicate Eastman’s mission, values and business commitments to state and federal government officials, industry trade associations and other stakeholders
• Develop and execute strategies to engage and influence policy and regulations related to Eastman’s cellulosic business objectives and the circular economy
• Represent the company in trade association forums, in close collaboration with relevant corporate and business issue experts
• Identify, monitor and analyze legislation and regulation impacting Eastman’s business operations and product markets, identify and develop vehicles for favoring Eastman products in legislation/policy, and recommend appropriate actions
• Work closely with the businesses to help develop and execute advocacy strategies that defend and expand key product markets
• Expand the company’s advocacy networks and help develop key political allies
• Communicate effectively and ensure alignment with internal stakeholders (e.g., Businesses, Communications, Legal, Supply Chain, etc.)
• Demonstrate the ability to inspire, motivate and manage external stakeholders and coordinate multiple priorities and initiatives effectively
• Manage external resources serving a variety of roles in multiple states
• Significant travel required (greater than 25%)

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Focus of Political Science, Law or Public Policy highly preferred. 
• 10+ years of state and/or federal legislative, policy or regulatory experience required. Multi-state work strongly preferred
• Strategic mindset and demonstrated abilities in creating and executing advocacy strategies, including research, planning implementation and evaluation
• Demonstrated experience helping to build and/or lead coalitions, contributing to and leading projects and collaborating at all levels of an organization and across geographies
• Outstanding  interpersonal skills and team orientation with ability to influence and negotiate while working within a matrixed organization
• Knowledge of consumer packaging preferred; knowledge of cellulosic materials is a plus
• Demonstrate a high degree of integrity and confidentiality
• Experience with public relations / communications campaigns in support of policy advocacy objectives preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills
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