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Rover.com · 20 hours ago

Director, Government Affairs

Seattle

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

$159K/yr - $211K/yr

15+ years exp

Rover.com is a company that connects pet parents with pet sitters and dog walkers, aiming to make pet care more accessible. They are seeking a strategic and creative Director of Government Affairs to lead a team in advocating for legislation and regulations that affect Rover and its community. The role involves building relationships with policymakers and analyzing complex legal issues to drive positive public affairs impacts.

ConsumerMarketplacePet

Responsibilities

Legislative Advocacy: Monitor, analyze, and influence proposed legislation, regulations, or other policy affecting Rover and the community of pet lovers that use Rover’s online marketplace. You will represent Rover in meetings with government officials, policymakers, staff, and other key stakeholders, and you may participate in public hearings or stakeholder groups

Legal & Policy Analysis: Use legislative software, reports from consultants, and other information sources to identify and track relevant proposed laws. Analyze proposed legislation and regulations, identifying nuances that could affect Rover or the community of pet lovers. While this role will collaborate with Legal to analyze key legal issues, you should be comfortable reviewing legislation, forecasting potential impacts, and drafting proposed amendments to legislation

Strategic Relationship Building: Develop and maintain partnerships with government officials, regulatory agencies, industry trade associations, and other stakeholders

Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner closely with Rover’s Legal and other internal teams to gather, synthesize, and communicate information to support sound decision making and to ensure alignment between advocacy positions and operational obligations

Team Leadership: Manage and mentor an experienced Senior Manager, Government Affairs, as well as external consultants, to achieve business objectives, while making space for growth, fun, and celebration

Budgeting & Reporting: Develop the team’s budget consistent with strategic priorities, negotiate contracts with outside consultants, and advise senior leadership on emerging policy topics and strategic recommendations

Corporate Social Responsibility: Oversee Rover’s corporate social responsibility program to address pet care needs in ways that reflect the shared interests of Rover and the community of pet lovers

Qualification

Legislative AdvocacyLegal AnalysisStrategic CommunicationRelationship BuildingPeople ManagementPublic Affairs StrategyBudgetingCreative Problem SolvingOrganizational SkillsIntegrityTeam Leadership

Required

At least 15 years of government affairs experience, with a demonstrated track record of success in legislative advocacy and navigating complex, multi-jurisdictional policy environments at the local, state, federal, and/or international levels

At least 4 years of people management experience

A J.D. or other legal degree or training, although you do not need to be an actively practicing or licensed attorney

The ability to critically analyze legislative language, to assess its potential impact to Rover, and to draft possible amendments to legislative text, with a high degree of independence is essential to this role

Excellent strategic communication skills. You can distill complex issues into persuasive narratives for all types of audiences, both verbally and in writing, including Board and C-Suite level presentations

You are a top-notch writer, with the ability to draft persuasive policy memos, talking points, testimony, and other advocacy materials

Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills. You are personable, highly collaborative, and excel at forging positive working relationships with lawmakers, regulators, consultants, and other key stakeholders, even when addressing topics involving significant disagreement or sensitivity

Strategic vision, with the ability to position Rover for the future, spot trends, and understand the impact of public affairs decisions on all aspects of the business and community

Demonstrated business acumen

Strong work ethic and creative problem solving, with a 'failure is not an option' mentality

Extremely organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to prioritize and thrive in fast-paced environments

Experience monitoring and analyzing federal, state, or local legislative and regulatory developments

Exceptional personal and professional integrity

Ability to travel within the US and internationally, if needed

Preferred

Experience with PolicyNote, Curate, or similar legislative-monitoring software

Experience working for or advocating on behalf of online marketplaces, technology companies, or highly regulated industries, including familiarity with legal issues affecting e-commerce businesses, independent work, and pet care