Description:
JOB TITLE: Director Government Affairs - Mid-Atlantic

Classification: Exempt

Date: October 2021

About us:

Target is an iconic brand, a Fortune 50 company and one of America's leading retailers.

To match the signature style and passion of Target's distinctive and beloved retail brand, Target Legal Affairs is a dynamic and deeply knowledgeable team of legal pros, each with valuable expertise from several disciplines. Whether specializing in government affairs, policy, risk management, regulatory compliance, ethics or employee and labor relations, this team advocates for Target and its business plans in communities across the nation and works across the entire company to provide internal clients with cohesive guidance. We are committed to being internal experts to both internal and external entities on key issues that affect Target's ability to productively do business. We focus on defining, investigating, anticipating and ultimately mitigating risk in all its forms. We apply our grasp of brand law by overseeing, maintaining and ensuring correct, consistent and authorized use of Target's signature Bullseye logo, assets and other trademarked material. We help protect Target and its subsidiaries by applying our comprehensive understanding and interpretation of the laws that govern our stores, distribution centers and corporate locations. Here, you'll enjoy working autonomously with a healthy work-life balance. Your passion for learning the business and building relationships with the senior leaders and key business partners that you support will be key to tackling the ever-changing legal challenges we face in a dynamic and fast-paced retail landscape. From brand and patent law to contract development and negotiations, you'll be challenged and gratified by a role with Target Legal Affairs.

A role in Government Affairs means ensuring local and federal government entities have positive relationships with Target Enterprise. You will act as an advocate on behalf of Target and serve as an internal expert to both internal and external entities on a variety of key social and governmental issues that allow Target to conduct business in the most productive way.

This role serves as Target's primary representative interacting with state and city elected officials in the Mid-Atlantic region to advocate for Target's interests on public policy. In addition to direct advocacy and engagement with lawmakers, this role also represents Target on formal and informal boards, steering committees, working groups and coalitions that cover priority issue topics. Often partnering with senior Target leaders, this role requires skills to inform and influence elected officials, as well as expertise on a wide range of public policy issues. This work is performed in a dynamic, sometimes volatile and highly-visible political environment that involves significant reputation and brand considerations.

• Maintain and deepen strategic relationships with high-ranking state and local elected officials, staff, and agencies in the Mid-Atlantic/Great Lakes region, including Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Washington, D.C.
• Advocate on behalf of the company at state capitols, city council meetings, planning commission hearings and other public venues on policies that could influence the growth and competitiveness of the company
• Establish and maintain an intelligence-gathering strategy to proactively identify emerging trends to help the company navigate business decisions
• Strategically prepare and leverage business experts to advocate on Target's behalf, as appropriate
• Manage a network of business and trade association partners in the region
  
  • Attend industry events to manage and nourish relationships with trade associations
  • Maintain communication channels with trade associations to gather intelligence on legislative and political developments and provide feedback on proposed legislation
  • Oversee budget for related memberships and sponsorships
• Oversee Target's use of contract lobbyists in the region, where applicable
• Partner with Grassroots Manager on grassroots activities, including calls to action, get-out-the vote, store and distribution center tours and other activations as needed
• Establish and maintain working relationships with business leaders across Target to develop a working knowledge of their business, priorities, and strategies, and leverage that understanding and judgment to provide timely updates on policy developments that have an impact on their business
• Develop subject matter expertise on a wide range of policy issues, such as privacy, data security, taxes, alcohol expansion, supply chain, store operations, financial services, energy and product safety, racial equity and provide insightful analysis on those issues with internal business partners
• Represent Government Affairs on internal, cross-functional teams as necessary
• Collaborate with Real Estate, Communications, Corporate Responsibility and other externally-facing roles on issues of mutual interest throughout the region
• Enhance and develop Target's presence and reputation at industry conferences and leverage those conferences to build relationships with elected officials and other government affairs professionals
• Appropriately protect and leverage highly confidential information, including new store opening locations and dates, store closing locations and dates, team member compensation information, team member demographic information, and material reputational and strategic announcements before they are made public

Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.

About you:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 6-10 years of experience in business or related field
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills
• Solid decision making ability/Independent action
• Ability to conceptualize and manage research and analysis on priority policy issues
• Ability to apply retail knowledge to the analysis of public policy issues.
• Ability to analyze and react to political trends at both the state and national level
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Proven ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external partners and form cohesive plans and processes across diverse business groups
• Ability to travel as needed
• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict and experience in high stress environments.

DESIRED REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced degree in a discipline or related field (advanced specialized degree may substitute for a portion of experience)
• Previous experience in the retail industry
• Previous experience and/or political relationships in the geographic territory
• Previous experience with policy analysis in areas relevant to retail

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Target will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please visit your nearest Target store or Distribution Center or reach out to Guest Services at 1-800-440-0680 for additional information.

Qualifications: