Director, Government Affairs

Organization: Saint Louis Zoo (including Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park) located in Saint Louis Missouri

Reports to: Chief People and Culture Officer & General Counsel

About the Saint Louis Zoo:

The world-renowned Saint Louis Zoo is dedicated to saving species and bringing people and wildlife together. The Zoo attracts nearly 3 million guests each year. The Zoo organization is growing with the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park set to open to the public in 2027 and the Zoos new Destination Discovery exhibit scheduled to open in 2026.

Learn more at: St. Louis Mo:

From Explore St. Louis: Urban explorer outdoor adventurer aficionado of family fun no matter your travel persona youll find plenty to do in St. Louis. The city is brimming with free world-class attractions and boasts an arts-and-culture scene thats second to none. Plus fans of fresh air will be surprised and delighted by our flourishing public parks miles of trails and exhilarating waterways. Sprinkle in a bit of our secret sauce the warmth and hospitality of the residents and youll discover that St. Louis dishes up undeniably epic travel experiences. Dont take our word for it though. Come and see for yourself. Learn more at Summary:

The Saint Louis Zoo is looking for a dynamic team member to help lead our Government Affairs work. The Director of Government Affairs will continue to develop and lead the Zoos government relations strategy at the federal state and local levels. This role involves building and maintaining relationships with government officials community and corporate partners and agencies in order to help advance the Zoos policy goals and advocate for its interests along with the interests of the zoo and aquarium industry as a whole. Together with the Zoos external government affairs consulting firms/lobbyists the Director monitors and analyzes legislative and regulatory developments manages lobbying efforts and advises the Zoos leadership on relevant policy matters.This role requires an individual who can navigate the complex landscape of government relations develop and execute coordinated educational/advocacy strategies (where legally permissible) with other Zoo departments and effectively represent the Zoos interests before a wide range of stakeholders.

This person would be the Zoos only full-time person that dedicates 100% of their time to Government Affairs work. This position is a part of the People and Culture Division of the Zoo and will work closely with the Zoos General Counsel the Director of DEAI/Community Relations our executive leaders and our primary communicators including Public Relations and Marketing Communications as well as managing our outside government affairs consultants/lobbyists. Candidates should demonstrate a work style that fosters an atmosphere of teamwork collaboration and promotes the Zoos core values (Community Creativity Openness Integrity and Life-Work Balance).As someone who has a small team this person will need to be able to prioritize their work and be able to balance multiple projects at once.

Responsibilities:

• Build upon evaluate and adjust as necessary the Zoos overall government affairs strategy serving as the main contact with government entities and advising leadership on political and policy issues.
• Build relationships with public officials lead lobbying/advocacy/educational efforts draft official documents on policy matters and monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting our organization.
• Analyze policy impacts inform stakeholders build coalitions with relevant groups engage with community and business leaders and manage consultants.
• Advance political relationships and/or initiatives on behalf of the Zoo.
• Internally communicate to team members about the Zoos advocacy/education efforts and positions where applicable.
• Oversee a team of external consultants/lobbyists that will assist in advocating/educating issues on behalf of the Zoo and other partners in the zoo and aquarium industry.
• Educate lawmakers and policymakers on critical policies and proposals that advance or protect the Zoos (and/or the zoological industrys) interests and garner support for such positions.
• With the Zoos General Counsel ensure compliance with all relevant laws ethics requirements and regulations under federal state and local a tax-supported political subdivision of the State and public entity there are specific rules and regulations that the Zoo must abide with regards to government affairs.
• Represent the Zoo at a wide-range of policy political and community meetings events etc.
• Help conduct tours of the Zoos campuses.
• Attend Zoo Board meetings as required to provide appropriate updates.
• Serve on the Zoos cross-functional Vision Community Team that seeks to align us with our external community partners and stakeholders.
• Serve as one of the Zoos primary conduits with the ZMD Board as well as elected officials including the St. Louis City Mayors Office and St. Louis County Executives Office on critical projects and board appointments.
• May be asked to represent the Zoo in industry-related groups associations etc. (e.g. helping to serve on task forces or committees within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums)

Qualifications:

• Must have at least 5-7 years of experience in government affairs or related fields with a proven ability to build relationships with government officials and manage multiple priorities.
• A bachelors degree in a relevant field is required with an advanced degree or law degree preferred.
• Necessary skills include excellent oral and written communication strategic thinking negotiation and sound judgment.

• Proven ability to effectively communicate the Zoos mission and policy positions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills are needed as this person will collaborate with executive leadership internal teams and external partners to ensure the Zoos public policy agenda is advanced in a manner consistent with its mission vision and core values.
• Comprehensive knowledge of public policy systems with proven success in developing implementing and evaluating coordinated advocacy education and policy strategies.
• Ability to effectively work with policymakers and elected officials on a nonpartisan or bipartisan basis.
• Must be able to think both tactically and strategically.
• Must be able to navigate nuances of working for a tax-supported public institution with numerous stakeholders.

• Applicants must possess a high degree of emotional intelligence and be aligned with the values of the Zoo and support its three foundational keys.

• All successful candidates for this position will be required to submit to a criminal background check.
• Must be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritize their time to work across multiple campuses that may have differing priorities and needs.

Additional Expectations:

• Must be willing to travel to and work at all Zoo locations/campuses (including WildCare Park) and regularly attend meetings throughout the St. Louis region including meeting locations not on any of the Zoo campuses.
• Some travel including to Jefferson City Missouri various AZA-related conferences and meetings and potentially to Washington D.C. will be required to support advocacy legislative and relationship-building activities on behalf of the organization.
• Remote work may be work on weekends and evenings for certain events may also be required.
• This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; therefore this person may be required to perform other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Required Experience:

Director