Senior Director, Air Quality Programs

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Summary:

Serve as an industry leader and collaborate with colleagues, members and coalitions to focus efforts and ensure AF&PA’s air quality priorities are addressed through unified industry positions. In this role, you’ll use policy and technical expertise to anticipate key air regulatory and policy issues, develop and implement positions and strategies, and engage in other activities to support member priorities.

Working at AF&PA:

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) values diverse backgrounds and capabilities and invites all talented individuals to apply to be part of our team and support our culture and mission. We encourage the exchange of knowledge, innovative ideas and different perspectives to reach our goals and we support work/life balance.

Essential job functions:

• Serve as the lead technical, policy, and strategic expert on Clean Air Act issues related to mill operations including MACT, NAAQS, residual risk, sector-based initiatives, NSR, permitting, a GHG regulations, and HAP listing issues.
• Provide cogent information to Environment Policy Committee and CEO task forces to advance issue prioritization and strategy development.
• Provide leadership to member committees to focus efforts on priority issues, gain consensus, and formulate positions and policy in a strategic and analytically sound manner. 
• Work with the Air Quality Subcommittee to formulate positions and develop and execute advocacy strategies on air issues affecting the industry.
• Lead industry coalitions to advance AF&PA’s positions and leverage breadth of policy support.
• Collaborate effectively with other external colleagues and groups including the National Counsel for Air and Stream Improvement, allied industry coalitions, trade associations, consultants and outside counsel.  
• Support and coordinate industry interactions on air policies with EPA, other federal agencies and the White House. 
• In coordination with Government Affairs, monitor legislative developments and provide input on advocacy strategies to advance industry positions with Congress and the states.
• Conduct impact assessments, develop issue papers and advocacy strategies and write comments on pending air regulatory issues.
• Provide issue management support to senior management, work with issue teams to effectively advocate for industry on high priority issues. Develop and oversee budgets and contractors to achieve policy goals.
• Arrange meetings with various public officials and present AF&PA’s positions forcefully. 
• Serve as a representative of AF&PA before federal agencies, Congress, and state legislatures and agencies.

Qualifications:

If your knowledge, skills and abilities are transferrable and you think you’re a great candidate for AF&PA - please consider applying even if you do not meet all the criteria listed below.

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, natural resource management, environmental policy, political science, or equivalent field. 
• Advanced degree in public policy, law, government or related field, with a specialty in environmental policy is essential.
• 15+ years of experience with regulatory environmental issues including advocacy, technical and economic analyses, and filing public comments on agency rulemakings.
• Experience with policy and technical aspects of environmental issues and statutes, particularly the Clean Air Act. 
• Experience with trade association dynamics preferred.
• Solid understanding of the federal regulatory process, and the ability to effectively participate in rulemakings. 
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, anticipate needs, and identify actions for favorable outcomes.
• Skilled at active listening, learning and building consensus.
• Leadership skills to effectively represent the organization and participate in coalitions. 
• Ability to work on interdisciplinary teams with minimal oversight.
• Organized and skilled at managing multiple, high priority tasks and achieving results within tight timeframes. 
• Excellent written and oral communications skills with an ability to engage multiple audiences from generalists to technical experts.
• Ability to work in AF&PA’s Washington, DC office. 

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary for this position is expected to be between $230,000-$290,000. This is a good-faith estimate based on market data for comparable positions and the current budgeted amount for this role. Factors to be considered when determining the salary of the selected candidate include relevant skills, experience and knowledge, and the alignment of these qualities with those of existing staff.

We offer a generous benefits package that currently includes:

• Paid Vacation, Personal and Sick leave totaling 27-42 days per year (based on relevant experience), plus holidays and paid Parental Leave
• CareFirst medical plans for employees and their families, with significant portion paid by AF&PA
• Generous 401(k) retirement plan with up to 9% employer contribution (after waiting period)
• Free fitness center and pickleball courts at the DC office location
• Plus dental, vision, life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account...

About AF&PA

AF&PA serves to advance public policies that foster economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness for a vital sector that makes the essential paper and packaging products Americans use every day. The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural America, and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 44 states. Our industry accounts for approximately 4.7% of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufacturing more than $435 billion in products annually. AF&PA member companies are significant producers and users of renewable biomass energy and are committed to making sustainable products for a sustainable future through the industry’s decades-long initiative — Better Practices, Better Planet 2030. Visit AF&PA online at afandpa.org or follow us on X @ForestandPaper. 

Location:

We are located on 13^th Street, NW between F and G, (directly above Metro Station). Our office is hybrid, which includes up to two days of remote work in a typical week. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

AF&PA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and welcomes all talented individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, veteran status or other category protected by law.

Your Rights

Applicants have rights under federal employment laws. Information may be found on the Department of Labor’s website (https://www.dol.gov) as well as through these available notices: Know Your Rights; Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).