Director, Local Affairs

ACP’s headquarters office is located in Washington, DC, and this role includes regular travel expectations, including ACP events and periodic travel to the DC office. ACP is open to considering remote candidates for this position and is seeking the best overall fit for the role. 

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, State Affairs, the Director, Local Affairs will lead association and industry advocacy efforts related to local affairs, siting, permitting, and social license issues impacting the ability to develop, construct, and operate clean energy facilities across the country. ACP works proactively to strengthen the policy, stakeholder, and community environments that enable successful clean power development at the state and local levels. 

The Director will develop and advance strategic local affairs initiatives that position ACP as a national leader and trusted partner on clean energy siting and community engagement issues. Success in this role requires strong strategic judgment, coalition-building skills, political awareness, and the ability to drive alignment across diverse stakeholders and complex issues. 

This role serves as a key connector across ACP’s advocacy, mobilization, communications, policy, membership, and regional partner efforts, helping integrate local affairs priorities into broader organizational strategies and campaigns. The Director will engage regularly with local officials, philanthropy, member companies, regional organizations, and industry stakeholders while helping deliver meaningful value to ACP members and advancing the association’s strategic priorities. 

The Director, Local Affairs operates as a high-impact individual contributor and thought partner, leading through influence, collaboration, and subject matter expertise. The role also oversees external consultants, supports committee leadership, and helps shape long-term strategies that strengthen ACP’s advocacy impact and industry leadership. 

Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs. 

Strategic Local Affairs Advocacy 

• Lead ACP’s local affairs advocacy efforts in coordination with state, federal, and policy colleagues to support aligned and effective advocacy strategies across the organization. 
• Develop proactive advocacy approaches, resources, and member tools that support clean energy siting, permitting, and community engagement efforts at the local level. 
• Track, evaluate, and serve as a though leader on how to address emerging local and state-level siting trends, challenges, and opportunities, using sound judgment and industry awareness to help inform ACP strategies and member resources. 
• Partner with the SVP, State Affairs to manage consultants and external vendors, establish priorities, and ensure work plans and deliverables align with ACP goals and advocacy needs. 
• Represent ACP and coordinate ACP participation in external forums, conferences, and stakeholder convenings to strengthen relationships and elevate the clean energy industry’s voice among local decision-makers. 
• Work collaboratively across ACP teams to support coordinated advocacy campaigns, educational efforts, and long-term local affairs priorities. 
• Partner with ACP’s Local Affairs Committee to develop annual priorities, facilitate discussions, and advance work that supports ACP members and broader industry objectives. 

Coalition & Stakeholder Engagement 

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with local government officials, regional organizations, philanthropy, landowners, economic development groups, planners, agricultural stakeholders, and other external partners. 
• Serve as a collaborative partner and resource to coalition organizations and regional groups, helping align strategies, share information, and strengthen advocacy coordination and impact across the clean energy landscape. 
• Coordinate closely with ACP’s mobilization, communications, and advocacy teams to support stakeholder engagement efforts and broader grassroots and grasstops initiatives. 
• Represent ACP externally with professionalism, credibility, and strong subject matter knowledge related to local affairs, community engagement, and siting issues. 

Member Leadership & Industry Engagement 

• Serve as the lead staff liaison for ACP’s Local Affairs Committee, partnering with committee co-chairs to develop agendas, facilitate meetings, coordinate follow-up actions, support member engagement, and execute the annual work plan. 
• Help ACP members navigate evolving local affairs challenges by sharing best practices, facilitating peer collaboration, and supporting education related to community engagement, siting, and permitting. 
• Identify opportunities for member convenings, workshops, and industry collaboration that strengthen relationships and support shared learning across the industry. 
• Maintain awareness of ACP member companies, regional assets, and stakeholder networks to support coordinated engagement and advocacy efforts when needed. 

Cross-Functional Advocacy & Communications Integration 

• Leverage ACP research, policy analysis, and industry data to support local affairs advocacy efforts and strengthen external engagement materials and messaging. 
• Coordinate across ACP to strengthen and maintain the local ordinance database and related advocacy resources. 
• Partner with Communications and Policy colleagues to develop educational and advocacy materials for a range of audiences, including testimony, fact sheets, presentations, blogs, talking points, and position papers. 
• Assist ACP Membership and Conference teams in developing workshops, educational sessions, and programming for ACP events. 
• Model ACP’s core values — Collaborate Purposefully, Build Trust Together, Act with Integrity, Commit to Excellence, Own Your Accountability, Champion Diversity & Inclusion, and Communicate Transparently — to foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture. 

Education, Experience & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, natural sciences, communications, or a related field. 
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in clean energy, public policy, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, communications, campaigns, or related fields preferred. 
• Demonstrated understanding of clean energy, infrastructure, environmental, or land use issues and the ability to build consensus and drive change across diverse stakeholders and perspectives. 
• Experience building and supporting coalitions, partnerships, or stakeholder engagement efforts across a variety of audiences in a diplomatic fashion. 
• Existing relationships with local government, philanthropy, planning, land use, economic development, agricultural, and/or aligned stakeholder networks strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, manage competing priorities, and develop thoughtful approaches to complex advocacy or stakeholder issues. 
• Track record of using sound judgment and data-informed analysis to make timely, well-informed decisions. 
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment. 
• Ability to develop and manage projects independently, establish priorities, solve problems proactively, and deliver against deadlines. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop effective materials and present clearly to diverse audiences. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams and build trusted relationships internally and externally. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of computer software applications, such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. 
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time. 

Job Conditions

We are a fast-paced, high-energy organization with a very ambitious agenda and a staff that is highly motivated. This position may experience high-level work demands and independent decision-making under tight timelines. Occasional travel to or outside of the Washington, DC area for meetings or events may be required. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. ACP will not sponsor applicants for work visas.  

We reasonably believe that the base salary range for this position is $140,000 – 175,000. At ACP, a wide range of factors are considered when making compensation decisions including and not limited to skill set, experience, training, education, knowledge, and other business and organizational needs. ACP offers 401k, PTO and sick leave, commuter benefits, wellness reimbursement, and professional development/tuition reimbursements for eligible employees.