Government Affairs

As Government Affairs Lead, you’ll be the fifth member of Mill’s Public Affairs team, and the first member focused almost exclusively on state and local government affairs.  You’ll be an integral part of an innovative company, working alongside a dynamic team and top-tier investors to tackle the devastating environmental impact of food waste by creating a first-of-its-kind product and service.  The core of this role is to develop and implement state and local government affairs strategies to support growth of Mill’s municipal business, including through direct stakeholder engagement, coalition-building and policy development.  As a part of a start-up Public Affairs team, you’ll be nimble, creative, and collaborative enough to also support local press and messaging, complement business efforts, and drive policies related to organics management and other issues related to growing a circular economy.  You should be passionate about reducing the amount of food wasted in the U.S. and genuinely interested in working on cutting-edge policy  issues at the intersection of technology and the environment.  You also need to have the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced setting, strong organizational and communication skills, and a desire to rapidly learn and evolve. 

Ideal experience:

• 4-6 years of experience in local or state government, on political campaigns, or in local or state government affairs; federal government experience is a bonus
• Interest in policy work around waste prevention, circular economy, GHG emissions reduction, and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Proven ability to build solid, trusting, and credible relationships, including relationships with peers in politics, government, and / or media; ability to leverage connections to drive outcomes 
• A range of local or state experience (i.e., political connections/work is not specific to one state or DC)
• Hard working, positive, flexible and good at working in ambiguity 
• Experience collaboratively managing cross-functional workstreams
• Experience working with, or alongside private sector businesses (not non-profits) is beneficial but not necessary 
• Experience working in a bipartisan environment, or on bipartisan initiatives is beneficial 
• Excellent writing, communication, and people skills.
• Hungry to learn every aspect of how a defining company is built.

Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with members of the Public Affairs and Business teams to develop and implement a state and local strategy designed to support growth of Mill’s municipal business, including through direct stakeholder engagement, coalition-building and policy development.  
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Local/State government stakeholders, excluding individuals involved in direct municipal sales (that will be handled by the Municipal Sales Manager). Examples of this include but are not limited to: State and local elected officials and their staffs (Mayors, Chiefs of Staff, Policy Directors, Political Directors, Coalition Leads, etc.), industry groups, trade associations, NGOs, coalitions, and other non-partisan organizations for state and local officials (e.g., United States Conference of Mayors, New Deal Leaders, etc.)
• Serves as project manager for Mill presence at policy or Gov affairs events where Mill executives are speaking and / or attending; coordinate with event organizers and keep internal teams on track for content creation, marketing deliverables, sponsorship details
• Able to work with and effectively manage outside firms, lobbyists and advisors to help drive Mill’s priorities and gain insight into regulation, legislation and grants that might be relevant or informative to Mill’s approach 
• Respond to and manage incoming outreach from local and state stakeholders that do not fall into the Municipal Sales Manager’s territory
• Proactively identify and track organics regulations or legislation that may be relevant to Mill’s growth
• Proactively identify stakeholder events and meetings for Mill founders and leadership to participate in to advance Mill’s priorities 
• Responsible for updating Mill leadership on a regular basis about key political and government updates, especially those relevant to Mill (e.g., new and ongoing federal legislation, the impact of specific political events like major federal elections, etc.)
• Work alongside the Communications and Municipal Sales team to develop content and collateral that helps bring Mill’s story to life and demonstrates our impact

The estimated base salary range for this position is $155k to $235k, which does not include the value of benefits or a potential equity grant. A wide range of factors are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, market conditions, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and business and organizational needs. At Mill, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role.