Chief Government Relations Officer (Washington, DC / Hybrid)

Feeding America
United States, D.C., Washington
Sep 23, 2025
Description The Opportunity The Chief Government Relations Officer (CGRO) will oversee and lead Feeding America's public policy and government relations efforts to advance its mission of ending hunger. The CGRO is responsible for developing and executing strategies to increase food resources and funds available to food banks, advocating for anti-hunger policies, and ensuring Feeding America is positioned as a leader in hunger-related public policy. Please direct all inquiries and expressions of interest to: [emailprotected] Compensation Here at Feeding America national organization, equality is central to our mission and is an integral part of our compensation policies and structures. As such, we maintain transparent salary ranges and clearly defined practices for how our team, including new hire salary offers, moves through these ranges. You can expect us to offer the best salary up front based on these clearly defined pay practices with little room for negotiation. We make exceptions for highly experienced (multiple years of at-level experience) new hires in accordance with our pay practices. Once hired, employees have the opportunity to progress through salary ranges via regular merit increases and step promotions. Salary Range: $250,000 - $300,000 Based on Experience. Benefits: A comprehensive list of benefits available to full-time employees can be found here. Responsibilities: Reporting directly to the CEO, the CGRO will act as a strategic advisor on legislative and policy issues while leading a team of 17 staff in the Washington, DC office, alongside food bank CEOs and other network leaders. This role requires building and maintaining strong relationships with policymakers, federal agencies, and external stakeholders, including legislators and USDA officials, to shape and defend critical hunger-related programs such as SNAP and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. The CGRO will play a pivotal role in mobilizing Feeding America's network and community constituencies to advocate for impactful policies, ensuring alignment with organizational goals as they move from developing their 2030 strategy to operationalizing it. Critical responsibilities will include: Oversee and lead Feeding America's public policy and government relations functions to advance the organization's mission of ending hunger. Develop and execute comprehensive strategies to increase food resources and funding available to food banks, including promotion of federal and state anti-hunger policies. Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO on legislative, regulatory, and policy issues impacting Feeding America and its network. Build and maintain strong, influential relationships with policymakers, federal agencies (including USDA), legislators, and other external stakeholders to shape and defend critical hunger-relief programs such as SNAP and TEFAP. Lead, manage, and mentor a team of 17 staff in Washington, DC, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and accountability. Partner with the Advocacy team to mobilize and engage Feeding America's network, including food bank CEOs and community leaders, to advocate for impactful anti-hunger policies and increase the network's advocacy capacity. Guide the transition from strategy development to operationalization of Feeding America's 2030 goals, ensuring policy and advocacy efforts are aligned with organizational priorities. Collaborate with internal departments (Advocacy & Community Partnerships, Marketing & Communications, Development, Supply Chain, Research) to integrate policy and advocacy work across the organization. Represent Feeding America and its network at governmental hearings, legislative forums, coalition meetings, and with key partners to advance the organization's policy agenda. Provide regular policy communications and technical assistance to network members, ensuring alignment and effective engagement on federal hunger-related initiatives. Engage regularly with the PEAC and other relevant committees within the Feeding America Network to ensure strategic alignment and transparency in decision making. Oversee the planning and execution of the annual Lobby Day and other events that catalyze stakeholders to lobby for anti-hunger policies. Manage department budget and prioritize resources to maximize advocacy impact. Lead special projects and pursue innovative approaches to advancing Feeding America's public policy agenda. Candidate Profile The ideal candidate is a highly experienced and respected leader in government relations with deep connections and established relationships on Capitol Hill and within federal agencies. They should possess exceptional gravitas, credibility, and influence to navigate complex legislative and regulatory processes. The candidate should have a proven ability to advocate persuasively, negotiate effectively, and build strategic alliances with policymakers, stakeholders, and Feeding America's network leaders. The candidate must also bring robust policy expertise, ideally including a deep understanding of federal legislative processes and anti-hunger programs such as SNAP and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. Strong connections with lawmakers, USDA officials, and other key stakeholders are essential, as is the ability to build and sustain alliances that advance Feeding America's policy priorities. A track record of leading high-performing teams and fostering collaboration across diverse constituencies is essential, as is a commitment to Feeding America's mission and equity-focused organizational culture. Key desired attributes will include: Communicates with Impact and Influence Communicates directly, clearly and with integrity, across all levels. Crafts and delivers timely, impactful communication using multiple modes to impart a clear understanding tailored to the specific needs of all audiences. Leads with Accountability Upholds ethical standards and consistently demonstrates a commitment to doing what is consistent with our values rather than what is expedient. Anchors actions and decisions in our values and mission while building trust and taking responsibility for the hard decisions. Expresses best independent thinking by leveraging data, functional experience, and Feeding America's values to inform decisions. Once decisions are made, actively supports and takes responsibility, and communicates them, regardless of personal point of view. Takes personal accountability for results, demonstrates a learning mindset, self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-regulation. Collaborates Internally and Externally Builds partnerships internally and externally and works collaboratively with stakeholders, the network, and neighbors to remove silos and gain multiple perspectives to meet shared objectives. Represents Feeding America positively highlighting our mission of ending hunger. Engages and communicates in ways that create brave spaces for collaboration and shared learning. Manages Organization and Business Complexity Translates organizational priorities into specific goals to ensure accomplishment of critical results. Sets clear and ambitious plans and holds self and others accountable for achieving desired outcomes. Interprets new challenges and finds solutions in response to changing circumstances. Achieves or exceeds desired outcomes while managing organizational risk and maintaining space for innovation and new ideas. Creates an environment that encourages doing things differently, where it is safe to learn from mistakes. Focuses on People and Teams Prioritizes people and ensures they are supported and developed in their work with candid, timely, and constructive coaching, and feedback, fosters a learning mindset, and recognizes and rewards strong performance. Focuses on the development of self and others to accelerate performance in current and future roles. Holds self and others accountable to high standards of performance and results. Promotes a healthy and engaging work environment and mobilizes the team around our work and mission. Fosters an Enterprise Mindset Centers our neighbors, and lives into our shared value statement in working with network partners to have the desired mission impact. Acts as a champion of the enterprise by embracing FANO decision making and stewardship. Aligns department and team to enterprise decisions and priorities. Takes ownership for enterprise decisions and processes. Creates and communicates a clear shared vision for the future consistent with the values and mission of Feeding America. Promotes a neighbor-centered strategy and maintains a balanced perspective between short- and long-term priorities. Fosters an Open and Supportive Environment Seeks and values varied perspectives and consistently treats others with fairness, dignity, compassion, and respect - proactively takes action to ensure this is reflected in our culture. Keeps People at the center of what we do and centers our resources to address disparities wherever they exist. Acknowledges, repairs, and recommits when out of our Group Agreements. Is fully engaged in their own personal learning around appreciating varied backgrounds and perspectives, understanding of power dynamics and creating open and supportive environments where all staff can thrive. In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following: Relationships and Influence An experienced government affairs leader who is skilled at identifying, cultivating, and activating relationships with policymakers, regulators, thought leaders, peer organizations, and partners; leverages relevant relationships to advance Feeding America's nonpartisan mission and impact. Proven skill in bipartisan coalition building. Naturally connects and builds strong relationships across constituencies, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively across stakeholders, including internal leadership, Feeding America networks and communities, and policymakers on both sides of the aisle. Creates a sense of purpose and meaning that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the mission of helping people get the food and resources they need to thrive. An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive for Feeding America's mission. Demonstrated understanding of the communication needs and complexities of working with a national association comprised of diverse members. Executing an Effective Policy Agenda Anticipates and effectively positions Feeding America to respond to policy threats or opportunities while committing the organization to the achievement of long-term ambitions and objectives. Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex external environments and federated organizations with diverse stakeholders. Leading Teams Effectively guides and activates the team by providing provide clear objectives against Feeding America's policy strategy; visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team. The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others. A leader who is self-reflective and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement. Setting Strategy The ability to develop new approaches and leverage a wealth of government affairs experience that drives Feeding America's public policy priorities; creates realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful. The ability to articulate an inspiring vision for Feeding America and to create an effective strategy that positions and advances anti-hunger policies across party lines. Seeks and translates input from a variety of sources to align others with the organization's strategy and to activate resources in coordination with Feeding America's community networks. Feeding America's goal is to attract, develop, retain, and promote a talented diverse workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging andcontribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. We intentionally seek out diverse perspectives and skills on our teams, knowing that it makes us stronger as an organization and better equipped to serve our neighbors in need. We encourage all individuals, including those from historically under-represented communities and individuals with lived experience of hunger, to apply. Feeding America participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.