The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is seeking a Senior Fellow for the Policy team to provide expertise in formulating, establishing, and advancing FGA policy reforms. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who not only loves to dig into the nuts and bolts of a policy and really understand it, but also loves to sit down with a governor’s chief of staff or a legislative leader to share those ideas and help them overcome obstacles to implementing the reforms in their state.

The ideal candidate for this role will be flexible and able to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. They will have experience in, and be comfortable moving between, writing, policy research, reviewing legislation, presenting, and providing public testimony. Clear written and verbal communication skills are critical, including the ability to write concisely about technical details of policy reforms and legislation. Ideal candidates will be motivated by a desire to make an impact and change lives through public policy rather than achieving personal accolades or public recognition.

The Senior Fellow will focus initially on the area of welfare reform. The ideal candidate will have relevant experience with welfare policy. This role requires frequent travel (six to 10 days per month during legislative session).

CULTURE AND FIT

Success at FGA depends not only on a person’s skills, but also on their ability to fit the culture of FGA. We describe our culture with five Core Values:

• Candid to Solve—being willing to have tough conversations in order to solve issues or build trust.
• Grow or Die—we don’t have a neutral gear; we must consistently challenge ourselves and each other to grow in our talents and skills.
• Politically Savvy—policy doesn’t change in a vacuum, but in a political reality that we must understand and account for.
• Partnership-Oriented—internal and external relationships are not transactional. That starts with our team members and the perspective that we need the rest of the team to succeed in order to win personally.
• Bought in to Win—we’re at FGA because we want to change policy. No one is counting hours or widgets, we are here to get results, and sometimes that will require going the extra mile or doing a job that isn’t technically ours.

It might help to think about the following list of questions. If you answer “yes” to all of them, you may be a fit for the team if your skill sets match the requirements below. The vast majority of those who don’t get hired or don’t last at FGA are due to a lack of fit with these values. Be prepared to have very candid conversations about them in our interview process.

• Do you wholeheartedly agree with the policies that we advocate (see thefga.org for a full description) and the underlying principles that people’s lives are made better through work, not government welfare, and that a free market creates greater freedom and equality than any command-and-control government system?
• Do you agree that embracing the realities of politics is necessary to have success in changing public policy?
• Do you tend to be the one who initiates conversations with colleagues, rather than waiting for them to come to you?
• Are you comfortable creating your own structure for work, such as setting work hours, your own priorities, and creating clarity and a work plan from a broad goal?
• Does it motivate you to think about working with a team of world-class professionals who are held to a very high standard of achieving results?
• Do you seize opportunities to try new things or improve a skill that’s relevant to your company or role?
• Are you able to build meaningful relationships (creating trust) with people you only see face to face a few times a year?
• Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and do you have a practice of getting help from others to mitigate your weaknesses?

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Fellow will have five primary roles. These roles break down into several responsibilities. Some of the key responsibilities are:

Produce written policy materials

• Produce in-depth policy memos on relevant issues.
• Develop public comments in response to regulatory action by state or federal government.

Draft and review legislation

• Provide analysis and insight into FGA’s policy reforms by reviewing, analyzing, drafting, and marking up state and federal legislation.
• Assist in the development of model language.

Deliver testimony, briefings, and presentations

• Prepare and provide testimony in multiple states each legislative session.
• Conduct in-state briefings on FGA reforms with both legislative and executive branches, and present on FGA reforms at conferences and events as needed.

Provide technical policy assistance

• Produce rapid response technical assistance, like talking points or issue explainers.
• Educate policymakers, partners, allies, and staff on FGA policy reforms.

Develop and analyze new policy solutions

• Gather, analyze, and communicate feedback on FGA reforms.
• Develop and propose new policy solutions for consideration.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of two to four years’ experience in public policy or similar field.
• Legal credentials or experience often positions a Senior Fellow for success.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while maintaining organization and productivity.
• Ability and willingness to travel routinely, often on short notice.
• Humility and a disposition that is focused on mission and outcome, not personal recognition.
• A mission mindset—motivated to engage in high-stakes policy discussions and put in the work required, often under pressure, to achieve meaningful policy change.
• Match FGA’s Core Values (described above).

TIMING, LOCATION, AND COMPENSATION

FGA is seeking to fill this position as soon as possible. Location is flexible. While FGA’s headquarters are in Naples, FL, nearly all of FGA’s staff work remotely. It is important to note that most of our staff currently live in the Central or Eastern time zones, therefore, candidates in another area may face more lengthy travel requirements. FGA offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including a retirement program, a health benefit, and a generous paid leave plan.