Job Title: External Relations Manager

Date: Spring 2023

Location: Washington, D.C.

Status: Exempt

Summary

The American Institute for Economic Research educates Americans on the value of individual liberty, free markets, property rights, sound money, and limited government. AIER’s ongoing scientific research demonstrates the importance of these principles in advancing peace, prosperity, and human flourishing.

The Manager is primarily responsible for working with AIER leadership to develop an external relations strategy and implementing it in support of our broader institutional goals. This would include promoting AIER’s scholars and scholarship in the DC-NY markets (think tanks, Capitol Hill, DC/NY-based media, etc.) and among relevant state-based policy centers, media outlets, and governmental actors. It will also include building a strategic approach to utilizing the President to network with top influencers in DC/NY to drive institutional priorities. Success will also entail increasing AIER’s partnerships with aligned actors and raising brand awareness and our profile among influencers in our space. The Manager will also work with our communications, programs, and development staff to meet institutional goals in those areas, including building relations with media outlets/individuals, developing relations with new donor partners, and supporting events in DC/NY and elsewhere as needed.

The successful candidate will be an industrious, personable, and resourceful person who enjoys not only implementing a successful external affairs strategy but also being entrepreneurial with the role and identifying ways to create greater value for the institute. This position requires a candidate who can take initiative, drive relationships, and thrive independently while meeting goals in a timely fashion.

The Manager will be a member of a collaborative and hard-working institution and must be willing and able to travel up to 25%. It is strongly preferred that this full-time position be based in Washington, D.C. (at first remote but possibly at a future DC office). Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience, and includes a full benefits package.

Primary Responsibilities

The Manager’s primary responsibilities will include but not be limited to the following:

• In conjunction with the President and other leaders, develop an external relations strategy and implement it with vigor.
• Foster and manage strategic relationships with key institutions and individuals in the DC-NY markets, including but not limited to think tanks, Capitol Hill, and DC/NY-based media.
• Foster and manage strategic relationships with key institutions and individuals at the state level, including but not limited to state policy centers, media outlets, and state governments (including legislative staff).
• Raise AIER’s profile in key markets.
• Work with our scholars to better understand our Mission/Vision, our points of view on key issues, and our research outputs.
• Build and implement an approach to President networking with peers and top influencers in DC/NY to drive institutional priorities.
• Support the development of strategic events in DC-NY to meet our goals.
• Support our donor partnership goals.
• Provide regular updates and reports to the President and leadership team.
• Travel to attend AIER events as needed, remain abreast of mission developments, and develop relationships with key AIER scholars and staff.

Key Qualifications

The successful candidate will have 3+ years relevant experience in the area (or related areas), and include:

• Strategic leadership potential
• Possessing outstanding interpersonal skills and knowledge of the policy space to form strong relationships inside and outside of AIER.
• Alignment with AIER’s Mission/Vision and being comfortable discussing AIER’s position on its primary issues in important meetings.
• Having strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Being able to work independently, taking initiative, meeting deadlines with little oversight.
• Staying organized, tracking progress, and meeting goals.
• Possessing a strong network.
• Having an achievement-oriented personality.
• Being able to travel up to 25%.
• Familiarity with right-of-center/fusionist/pro-market intellectual ideas, particularly as it pertains to economics.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to travel domestically and internationally, lift and transport equipment (up to 30 pounds) within the campus environment; remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time; move around airports, planes, cars, the office and between offices; constantly operate a computer and computer printer; frequently adjust focus for close vision work. The employee must be able to communicate both in writing and orally to various audiences, in person, by telephone, and by video.