Are you a skilled communicator with a penchant for inside-the-beltway politics? Is telling the behind-the-scenes story of American infrastructure policy exciting to you? Does building metaphorical bridges – between teams, across political parties, or connecting action to outcome – come naturally to you?

If you answered yes to any – or all! – of these questions, you’re primed to establish a new role at the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), headquartered in Greenbelt, MD.

As the Senior Manager, Advocacy Communications, you’ll share Capitol Hill happenings with members and stakeholders, adhere to NAPA’s brand style and voice, and ensure the message is clear. You’ll create high-level impact at the intersection of government affairs and marketing communications: advancing industry priorities, executing strategy, and supporting legislative and PAC engagement.

In this shared role (reporting primarily to Government Affairs while maintaining strong alignment with the Marketing & Communications team), you’ll own advocacy communications, elevating our audience’s understanding of NAPA’s national influence. While attunement to what’s happening in Washington is important, this is not a lobbying role.

Why NAPA? For more than 70 years, we’ve represented the men and women who build and maintain the roads that keep America moving. Our skilled staff (two dozen industry and association professionals) collaborates to advance the asphalt pavement industry and provide direct support to members – underscoring the value of membership while ascertaining local and regional issues that may rise to the national level. (Though NAPA provides support on local member issues and works closely with State Asphalt Pavement Associations, NAPA focuses its advocacy efforts on federal policy, funding, and regulation.)

If you are a strategic thinker, a quick and careful writer, and adept at distilling complex, time-sensitive content into actionable messages, we want to hear from you!

REPORTS TO: This is a shared role, reporting primarily to Government Affairs and secondarily to Marketing & Communications. This shared reporting structure ensures the role supports advocacy communications as directed by GA priorities while maintaining alignment with MarCom style, systems, and strategies. At its core, this is a communications role with advocacy expertise; it is not a lobbying role.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: You should be highly practiced in one or more of these areas: Policy Communications, PAC Management & Solicitation, Grassroots Action, Trade Association Management, Public Affairs, Legislative or Congressional Affairs.

EXEMPT CATEGORY: Exempt

FLEX SCHEDULE: Eligible with Approval

LOCATION: Must be located in or willing to relocate to the Washington, DC, area. NAPA is located just outside DC in suburban Maryland and offers a hybrid work environment: three days in the office each week, one of which must be Tuesday.  NAPA will not provide relocation expense.

PURPOSE: NAPA is the only organization representing asphalt mix producers and the asphalt paving industry, exclusively, at the federal level. In our dynamic environment, our primary goal is national influence, from policy formulation to practical implementation. We collaborate with state associations to understand regional trends, but our direct advocacy is focused on Washington, DC. The Government Affairs (GA) team drives this work, developing and nurturing allies across our national membership, in our PAC, on Capitol Hill, and within federal agencies. The Marketing & Communications (MarCom) team provides strategic collaboration to inform the public, members, and key partners on advocacy issues, while ensuring NAPA’s brand and voice are consistent and accurate. This role provides an essential link between GA and MarCom to execute advocacy communications strategy and advance industry priorities.

KEY AREAS OF OWNERSHIP:

 Stakeholder Engagement: You strategize, develop, and implement advocacy communications to advance legislative and regulatory priorities – among members and external stakeholders.

• PAC Advancement: You develop and steer PAC communications to grow member involvement in and demonstrate the importance of our PAC, including fundraising strategies, solicitations to qualified members, and updates on PAC performance and growth.

TO SUCCEED, YOU ARE: 

• Willing to take ownership of this role, yet flexible enough to adapt
• A strategic thinker, active doer, and thoughtful collaborator
• A quick but careful writer and editor
• Adept in nuanced policy communications, such as letters to the Hill, grassroots actions, and advocacy reporting to members and leadership
• Able to distill complex and time-sensitive content into digestible, meaningful, actionable messages
• Practiced in selecting appropriate and timely delivery methods, while remaining mindful of all other NAPA communications beyond GA’s sphere

HOW YOU CREATE IMPACT: 

NAPA provides a dynamic and collaborative work environment, with many opportunities to create impact in and across teams. While the primary responsibility of this role is advocacy communications, this team member may be called upon to perform other duties.

 Strategy & Planning

• Develop and manage the organization’s advocacy communications plan
• Make strategic recommendations for content, timelines, approach, and execution
• Identify and implement appropriate communication tools, whether already in place or in addition to NAPA’s existing technology suite
• Be consistently informed by and support NAPA’s Strategic Plan, brand guidelines, and policy positions
• Advise on communication strategies and messaging components across GA and MarCom

Content Development & Production

• Lead development of deliverables such as letters of support, newsletters, advocacy alerts, position papers, social media, op-eds, press releases, official statements, etc.
• Draft and distribute member communications on legislative and regulatory topics, including a monthly newsletter
• Lead NAPA PAC communications related to eligibility, fundraising, and impact

Advocacy & Engagement

• Formulate strategy and execute content for NAPA’s grassroots and ‘call to action’ advocacy campaigns on relevant Congressional legislation
• In collaboration with the GA team, develop and activate advocacy toolkits (such as guidance for conducting or facilitating official meetings and asphalt plant or road construction site tours)
• Help promote and execute GA-related meetings, webinars, and in-person advocacy (such as Hill Day)
• Support legislative and regulatory campaigns (such as the annual Watch For Us work zone safety campaign)
• Travel locally and nationally, up to 25%, in support of legislative/policy events, member/plant/jobsite visits, and industry gatherings

Coordination & Support

• Liaise with key staff in Executive Office, Engineering, Meetings, and Membership
• Support volunteer engagement with legislative and regulatory issues, primarily via committee meetings, webinars, and related communications
• Coordinate and amplify coalition efforts between NAPA and strategic partners

DIRECTION AND DECISION-MAKING: 

• Reports to the GA supervisor (75%) and the MarCom supervisor (25%)
• Works with a high degree of autonomy, collaborates effectively, and understands his/her organizational alignment and impact
• Exercises strong judgment, political sensitivity, and managing competing priorities in a dynamic environment
• Multitasks and respects various deadlines and action items across GA and MarCom without micromanagement
• Comfortable navigating complex issues and engaging with staff, members, elected officials, and media

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 

• Five years in policy communications in support of local elected officials, Congress, and/or a membership association
• Degree in communications, journalism, public relations, political science, public affairs, or similar field – or equivalent experience
• Keen understanding of and interest in federal legislative and regulatory processes
• Knack for condensing complex issues into compelling content
• Familiarity with our technology suite: Microsoft Office O365, Adobe Acrobat, HubSpot or similar email marketing system, Protech or similar association management system/CRM, WordPress, Zoom
• Follows the facts, pays attention to details, understands impact/purpose, prioritizes efficiently
• Ability to multitask and internalize timelines and action items to dynamically support industry priorities and member impact

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: 

• Roadbuilding or construction industry knowledge, via direct employment or policy work
• Basic graphic design skills

About National Asphalt Pavement Association

The National Asphalt Pavement Association is the only trade association that exclusively represents the interests of the asphalt pavement material producer and paving contractor on the national level with Congress, government agencies, and other national trade and business organizations. NAPA supports an active research program designed to answer questions about environmental issues and to improve the quality of asphalt pavements and paving techniques used in the construction of roads, streets, highways, parking lots, airports, and environmental and recreational facilities. The Association provides technical, educational, and marketing materials and information to its members, and supplies technical information to users and specifiers of paving materials.

Connections working at National Asphalt Pavement Association