Policy & Communications Director

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is expanding our talented team and we are excited to find a professional to join our team as Policy & Communications Director.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is located in Rochester, MN and includes business members in a variety of industries and sizes. Rochester, MN is located in an MSA of over 220,000 and is home to Mayo Clinic, IBM and includes a range of additional outstanding employers and small businesses, non-profits, educational institutions and more.

This is a full-time, onsite position in Rochester, Minnesota. Benefits include 401k, dental insurance, health insurance, and paid time off. Pay range is $48,000-$53,0000 per year.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

• Policy & Advocacy – To drive policy and advocacy strategies and communications to progress the strategic priorities of the Chamber. To support business advocacy programs, events, and initiatives of the Chamber with event management, research, and resource development.
• Communications – To develop Chamber and business advocacy communications through collaboration with industry, elected officials, departments/agencies and more. To partner with the Chamber team in the development of communications across multiple platforms, including digital, print, and social media.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Policy & Advocacy

• Research assigned topics and develop summaries and/or articles that communicate the impact to employers and sharing information with Chamber staff and membership.
• In partnership with the Public Affairs Director and Chamber staff, communicate policy details and issues to Chamber members.
• Track and monitor legislation identified as priority.
• Assist in the development of the annual legislative agenda.
• Assist in developing government and industry relationships at the local, state, and federal level, encouraging engagement between members, elected officials, and staff.
• Interact with local, state, federal elected officials, and departments/agencies.
• Attend meetings of local, state, and federal elected officials as needed.
• Serve as staff lead in the development and execution of the annual Rochester Chamber Day at the Capitol.
• Development of a strategic sales plan to acquire and retain sponsorships for Rochester Chamber Day at the Capitol and other advocacy related events.
• Actively assist in the planning and execution of Chamber public affairs .events, including the Economic Summit, Crossover at the Capitol legislative event, Eggs & Issues series, among others.
• Serve as staff support to committees of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. Including preparation of calendars, agendas and meeting minutes.
• Represent the Chamber in public events, hearings, and forums as assigned.

Communications

Partner with Chamber staff in the development of internal and external content, including policy fact sheets, position letters, marketing materials, press releases for use in informing and educating the business community through Chamber communication channels.

• Develop advocacy related content for Chamber communications, including the Chamber website and advocacy-specific publications (digital and print).
• Collaborate with other organizations on communications, programming, and more as assigned.
• Assist in the design and layout of Rochester Chamber advocacy publications and resources.
• Format and edit the monthly advocacy membership email, following the organizational communications schedule.

Other

• The Policy & Communications Director must be visible and engaged in the community, attending Chamber events and being a positive representative of the Chamber in the Rochester community and surrounding area.
• Budget development for programs and events.
• Assist the Rochester Chamber team in the development and implementation of Rochester Chamber events.
• Participate in membership retention initiatives.
• Other projects and duties as assigned by the President.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

The ideal professional for this role will possess:

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, marketing, communications, or related field.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with business members.
• Knowledge of event planning and promotion.
• Experience with Adobe CS (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).
• Experience with mainstream social media platforms, including Twitter (X), Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Strong organizational practices to ensure project timelines and standards are met.
• Experience and ability to effectively communicate with various audiences, listen, speak, write, present, and interact appropriately with public and private individuals and groups.
• Ability to collect and analyze data to identify opportunities and courses of action.
• Strong organizational practices to ensure project timelines and standards are met.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

PowerPoint, Word, and Excel experience are welcome, and will be considered when choosing the best applicant for this position.

RELATIONSHIPS & ACCOUNTABILITY:

Is directly responsible to the President. Performance evaluations will be based on the quality of work performed, its accuracy, timeliness, and the efficiency with which it is carried out, the employee’s contribution to the overall effectiveness of the organization and the terms agreed to in the Policy & Communications Director contract. Accomplishment of established team and program goals will also be evaluated.

The Policy & Communications Director will collaborate with team members to support efforts in business advocacy, programming, and communications. This includes leading the Chamber Day at the Capitol, development of advocacy communications, and assisting in the development of the Chamber’s legislative agenda.

ABOUT THE ROCHESTER CHAMBER:

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is business member organization dedicated to providing resources, information, advocacy and opportunities to connect to the Rochester area business community.

Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce