Associate Director, Congressional Affairs

Responsibilities 

• Serve as a registered lobbyist for ASCO, serve as point of contact for two A level congressional committees, develop and maintain strategic relationships with staff members of key congressional committees, caucuses and individual congressional offices, and communicate ASCO positions to the U.S. Congress through meetings, testimony, letters, statements, RFI responses, and other forums. 

• Regularly attend political events for Members of Congress from both parties, on behalf of ASCO Association PAC, which can occur outside of standard business hours when Congress is in session, and speak to ASCO’s advocacy priorities directly with elected officials and their senior staff. Collaborate with PAC staff on disbursement plans each cycle.  

• Represent ASCO in several coalitions, serving on steering committees and policy committees, developing strategies for coalition advocacy, reviewing legislation, drafting coalition support letters, one pagers and other written materials. Coordinate and participate in Hill meetings and coalition fly-ins.  

• Network and collaborate with other physician and patient advocacy organizations and other industry stakeholders to amplify ASCO’s advocacy priorities on Capitol Hill. This could include drafting joint support letters, participatingin joint Hill meetings, Hill briefings, or other activities. 

• Identify and pursue opportunities to raise ASCO’s visibility on Capitol Hill, position ASCO to testify before key congressional committees, diligently follow legislative activities, and analyze legislative proposals in a timely manner, often providing feedback to Hill offices about draft legislation and making policy recommendations. 

• Prepare substantive written and oral legislative updates for ASCO membership communications, which may include travel to State Affiliate meetings as requested, and drafting articles for weekly and biweekly newsletters.  

• Provide strategic leadership to the Government Relations Committee and other ASCO committees and task forces on legislative issues, political positioning, and advocacy strategies and serve as resource for ASCO leadership on legislative issues, responding to member questions and provide background information, political and policy intel and explain strategies and seek physician feedback when necessary. 

• Collaborate with grassroots staff to identify opportunities for outreach on legislative activities, review draft grassroots alerts and sample letters, and draft social media posts.  

• Serve on internal planning team for ASCO’s annual legislative conference to help develop conference agenda and draft written materials, oral presentations, and legislative messaging for 150-200 ASCO members. During the conference, speak on panels around legislative messaging and lobby training and provide all-around conference support.  

• Arrange meetings with members of Congress and their staff for ASCO volunteers and coordinate legislative programs including briefings and receptions. 

 
Required Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent years of experience  

• 7+ years of legislative or lobbying experience, legislative, electoral, and campaigns or experience working in Congress or a state legislative body 

• Thorough knowledge of and experience with developing legislative solutions to advance an organization's policy goals 

• A working understanding of legislative procedure and the ability to quickly figure out the ins and outs of an unfamiliar legislative issue 

• Experience communicating effectively with both Republican and Democratic elected officials and their staff 

Preferred Education and Experience 

• Advanced degree preferable 

• Knowledge of issues impacting cancer care and research 

• Health care background 

Competencies 

• Demonstrated analytical and research skills, including the ability to distill complex information and present it to ASCO volunteers, legislative staff and elected officials 

• Strong political astuteness skills  

• Excellent communication skills, including written, with ability to effectively interact with all levels of internal organization and external stakeholders 

• High level of energy to thrive in a fast-paced environment, self-motivation to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a team 

• Outstanding time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines, prioritize workload, and multi-task 

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail   

Work Environment 

Hybrid work location. Fast-paced office environment. 

ADA/Physical Requirements 

Extended periods of sitting, standing, and walking.  

High use of computer and other office technology equipment. 

Travel 

1-5 days/yr 

Generous Benefits Package:

• Hybrid Work Environment
• Open Leave Policy
• Paid Family Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays per Calendar Year
• Staff Appreciation Days
• 401(k): 7.5% Employer Contribution
• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fertility and Family Forming
• Healthcare Concierge
• Flexible Spending Account(s)
• Healthcare Savings Account
• Disability and Life Insurance

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.