Government Relations Specialist
The Amherst Group of companies comprise of leading real estate investment and advisory firms with a mission to transform the way real estate is owned, financed and managed. Amherst leverages its proprietary data, analytics, technology, and decades of experience to seek solutions for a fragmented, slow-to-evolve real estate ecosystem and to materially improve the experience for residents, buyers, sellers, communities, and investors. Today Amherst has over 1000 employees and $14.1 billion in assets under management.
Over the past decade, Amherst has scaled its platform to become one of the largest operators of single-family assets and has acquired, renovated, and leased more than 46,000 homes across 32 markets in the U.S. The firm delivers customized, stabilized cash-flowing portfolios of assets to its investors, wrapped in all the ongoing services required to manage, own, and finance the asset including property management, portfolio management, and a full capital markets team. In addition to its single-family rental platform, Amherst’s debt business pursues two distinct credit strategies in mortgage-backed securities and commercial real estate lending. Over its 25-year history, Amherst has developed a deep bench of research and technology talent, and leverages data and analytics at every stage in the asset lifecycle to improve operations and preserve long-term value for our investors and the more than 188,000 residents the firm has served.
Government Relations Specialist – Washington, DC or Austin, TX
Within the External Affairs & Impact Strategies function, the Specialist will support the development, coordination and execution of the Amherst’s strategic policy and partnership objectives across markets. This position will report to the Vice President of Public Engagement to whom you will be a trusted advisor, tracking legislative and regulatory developments which will inform government relations strategy across the Amherst footprint. Additionally, this position will support the firm’s public engagement strategy by researching housing program and development opportunities, and by serving as a subject matter expert for policies and issues impacting federal, state and local stakeholders in Amherst markets.
A successful candidate will be responsible for:
Supporting the development, coordination, execution and oversight of the firm’s federal and/or state and local government relations and community engagement
Analyzing the external environment to anticipate trends in government and policy actions that could impact the company and its business lines, and serving as a firm expert on policy issues
Tracking key legislation and regulation across federal or state and local levels
Supporting the connection between legislative and regulatory matters to key business issues and competitive drivers, and any advocacy efforts related to these issues
Research content, draft, edit, and fact-check written materials used for internal and external audiences including briefing memos for management, summaries of legislative or regulatory developments, agendas, and periodic updates for senior leaders
Fostering productive relationships between Amherst and governmental bodies by organizing briefings, meetings and other interactions in furtherance of opportunities for collaboration in delivering housing opportunities across markets
Identifying opportunity for Amherst to engage with its key stakeholders through housing programs, development opportunities, events and conferences
Supporting Amherst presence at events and conferences through material creation, briefings, and strategic networking
Tracking of key legislation, scheduling, expense management and other logistical needs
Coordinating with peers across the organization including compliance and public affairs to advance shared objectives
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Bachelors degree in relevant field or equivalent experience in government relations, real estate, finance, policy analysis, business management or development
2-5 years experience working in government or with government agencies, lobbying firm, law firm, or legislative bodies at local, state or federal level
Knowledge of or experience in housing finance, economic development, real estate or investment preferred
Ability to quickly learn and distill new issues impacting the business and then to move fast to contribute to the creation of a successful government and public affairs strategy to address them
Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills
Results-driven and great at communicating up, down and across a company
Robust interpersonal skills, work with little supervision and attention to detail. A self-starter who can motivate collaboration with peers without specific guidelines or instructions
Strong analytical and organizational skills, project management experience or certifications a plus
Ability to prioritize assignments, deal with interruptions and meet deadlines in a fast paced and growth-oriented environment
Extreme attention to detail, and ability to move fast
Highly proficient in MS office applications: Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook
Experience with data analytics high valued
Flexibility to travel as needed
Our full-time employee benefits include:
A competitive compensation package, annual bonus, 401k match
Flexible PTO including 7 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, and 1 volunteer day
Employer-paid benefits (medical, dental, vision, health savings account)
Professional career development and reimbursement
Up to 16 weeks paid maternity leave; up to 4 weeks of paid parental leave
Backup childcare offered through Bright Horizons
Relaxed casual environment with virtual office events
Amherst is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or veteran status, and encourage all applicants to apply.