Director, Government Affairs Senate - 90118450 - Washington (Hybrid)

Your success is a train ride away!

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

This hybrid position can be based out of Washington DC;

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Director of Government Affairs (Senate) is the company’s primary liaison to the United States Senate and is responsible for advancing Amtrak’s business and legislative priorities before the chamber and ensuring that members and staff are well informed on Amtrak-related issues.   

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• General Education and Information Sharing: Build and maintain relationships with as many Senate members and staff as possible to help ensure the Senate has the most relevant information related to Amtrak’s train services, capital projects, and the general state of the business, both nationally and specifically of interest to members’ states, in order to help Senators make well informed decisions on Amtrak and passenger rail.  Respond to congressional inquiries in a timely manner.  Provide Amtrak 101s and other briefings throughout the year and as needed.  Create engagement opportunities, including staff and member educational train trips, station tours, construction site visits, and other traditional and non-traditional opportunities to engage the Senate.  

 • Federal Funding: Work closely with the Senate Appropriations Committee to advance Amtrak’s funding priorities, including Amtrak’s annual grant request as required by law, as well as various supplemental and ad hoc funding requests for Congress.  Relevant duties include provide guidance on the internal creation of the annual grant request, present Amtrak’s request to the committee, answer staff questions and provide technical assistance, draft bill and report language, and generally ensure that the committee understands impacts and outcomes of various funding scenarios.  

• Public Policy and Reauthorization: Work closely with the Commerce Committee, other authorizing committees, and personal offices to understand the challenges that intercity passenger rail face, both now and in the future, and the associated opportunities to address them through legislation, including via the surface transportation reauthorization bill.  Create and implement a political strategy for the Senate to help advance policy proposals, standalone legislation, amendments, and other legislative opportunities that help the federal government best support intercity passenger rail in America.  

• Board of Director Nominations – At the request of the administration, provide logistical and other support to the president’s nominees for Amtrak’s Board of Directors confirmation process.  Specific responsibilities may include: coordinate briefings for the nominees, schedule and staff nominee/senate meet and greets, help draft testimony and talking points, coordinate and lead hearing preparation, and manage other miscellaneous tasks related to the confirmation process.

• Congressional Hearings – Prepare the company, and specifically the Amtrak witness, to testify before committees of jurisdiction in order to help advance Amtrak’s legislative and business priorities and messaging.  Specific tasks may include: contribute to the drafting of testimony and oral remarks, create hearing prep binders and related materials, lead Q&A/prep sessions for the witness, staff witness at the hearing, and coordinate follow-up QFRs, among other duties that ensure a successful hearing. 

• Supervision, Leadership, and Other Duties as Assigned – As part of the Government Affairs’ leadership team, help establish and guide the department’s annual goals and ensure alignment across the various teams in the Government Affairs department.  Manage one direct report and help develop and grow talent, increase productivity, and establish a healthy, safe, and satisfying work environment.  In addition, will periodically receive additional assignments from the VP, Government Affairs, and will need to be nimble and able to quickly implement, sometimes in high-pressure, high-stakes situations.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s Degree
• 11 years relevant work experience (or a combination of relevant work experience and the anticipated relevant advanced degree)

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
• Demonstrated ability to digest and synthesize complicated and detailed information.  Attention to detail is paramount.  
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information effectively with a broad spectrum of internal and external audiences.
• Familiarity with the U.S. Senate, federal transportation policy and funding issues, the annual appropriations process, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Railroad Administration.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with teams across and at all levels of the organization.
• Proactive, problem solver, team player.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Relevant experience in the U.S. Senate, including on a committee of jurisdiction and/or working in a bipartisan nature
• A background in transportation, passenger rail/transit or the service sector 
• Bachelor’s degree is in Political Science, Public Policy, Business, Communications, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience  

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Physical Demands:
• Constantly, or frequently, uses a computer keyboard, monitor, and mouse to perform a variety of tasks
• Constantly, or frequently sits, stands, or walks; may lift, carry, push, or pull objects of various weights; may reach, kneel, crouch, bend, or twist in order to in order to perform administrative tasks (e.g., filing, retrieving materials from desks and bookcases, moving around an office setting).  

Mental Demands:
• Constantly communicates, comprehends, and responds to verbal statements and instructions both orally, and in-writing
• Frequently acquires new knowledge, skills, and tasks, both complex and simple, in order to maintain effectiveness in position
• Frequently resolves problems with conflicting priorities in cognitively demanding situations 
• Frequently reads and analyzes hard copy and or computer screen material and writes reports, as appropriate.
• Conducts in person and/or telephone dialogues as appropriate in order to manage and conduct the flow of work

Working Conditions:
• Must work long-hours, on occasion, and will be required to be on-call for emergency situations
• Constantly works in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment with frequently changing priorities
• Will work in crisis situations requiring fast, long-reaching decisions based on incomplete information/data
• Frequently handles multiple projects simultaneously   
• Occasionally travels throughout and outside the region, as required (e.g., via airplane, train, bus, automobile)

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The salary/hourly range is $163,000-$211,140. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, internal equity, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID:163743
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia

Work Arrangement:04-Hybrid Weekly Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak. 
Job Family/Function:Government Affairs 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 
 

You power our progress through your performance.
 

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions. 

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen. 

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.  

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses. 

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an EOE/Affirmative Action Minority/Female employer, and we welcome all to apply. We consider candidates regardless of race/color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), national origin/ethnicity, age, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.