Municipal Lobbyist

Position Summary

The Municipal Lobbyist is a proactive, relationship-driven advocacy role responsible for representing client interests before city and county governments. The primary objective of this position is to identify and effectively engage in local ordinances, policies, and regulatory actions that impact clients before they become law. Success in this role requires the Lobbyist to build and sustain strong, trusted relationships with elected officials and municipal staff. The Lobbyist is expected to position themselves as a credible, first-call resource whom officials consult before advancing an issue, creating opportunities to provide client perspectives, identify potential concerns, and help shape policy at the earliest stages.

This is an advocacy-forward position, the Lobbyist is expected to anticipate emerging issues, shape outcomes upstream in the policymaking process, and actively work to defend client priorities — through early engagement, relationship capital, and consistent presence in the rooms where local policy is discussed and developed.

General Duties

Provide comprehensive, proactive lobbying services for clients at the local level of city and county government, with an emphasis on early intervention when proposals or ordinances negatively affect client interests, and on cultivating durable relationships with local decision-makers.

Specific Duties

• Proactively build and maintain relationships with Municipal and County Elected Officials and staff as needed / directed. Maintain a solid, working relationship with at least three elected officials in each city monitored, such that the Lobbyist is a recognized and trusted point of contact.
• Proactively monitor local government agendas to identify issues impacting clients before they reach a public hearing or vote. This includes subcommittees, task forces, development advisory boards, planning and zoning, housing, and neighborhood services agendas.
• Engage elected officials and staff early and consistently well ahead of public hearings to provide client prospectives, identity concerns, and help inform the direction of an issue before positions harden, with the explicit goal of addressing client impacts as early in the process as possible.
• Maintain regular, standing contact with key local government staff to surface upcoming issues before they become public. Key staff may include Building Officials, Neighborhood Services Department, Planning and Zoning or Development Services Department, Utility Services Department, Council Chiefs of Staff or key Council staff, Intergovernmental Relations Departments, and others as needed.
• Attend and monitor local public hearings as needed / directed. Attend all hearings and testify whenever issues impacting clients are being heard, framing testimony to actively shape or halt unfavorable proposals.
• Attend and participate in relevant committee hearings and stakeholder meetings of importance to clients, using these forums to advocate ahead of formal decision points.

Research, Drafting and Reporting

• Conduct research on a variety of issues affecting clients as directed, with a focus on identifying risk to clients early enough to act.
• Create fact sheets or issue summaries for elected officials and staff to support advocacy positions.
• Draft letters of support or opposition to local ordinance proposals.
• Update recurring reports, including the local issues report, local elections report, development impact fee report, and water/wastewater report, as needed.
• Draft and distribute reports to clients on open issues, including status updates on advocacy efforts.
• Present local issues to clients during regularly scheduled Government Affairs meetings.
• Draft issue reports and member guidance as needed.
• Assist with PAC reporting as needed / directed.
• Prepare and submit lobbyist registration reports with local governments as needed.

Core Success Metric

Effectiveness in this role is measured not only by responsive lobbying activity, but by the Lobbyist's demonstrated ability to engage early, strategically, and constructively in the policymaking process. This includes but is not limited to, addressing detrimental ordinances through early relationship-based intervention when necessary, proactively identifying opportunities to advance client priorities, spearheading positive advocacy efforts, and creating meaningful opportunities for client engagement with cities. Success should reflect genuine influence with local officials and an ability to help shape outcomes before issues have already gained significant momentum, rather than reactive engagement after decisions have already been made.

Required Qualifications

• College degree — Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of government relations experience that includes proactive lobbying — that is, direct experience initiating engagement with elected officials or government staff to shape or prevent policy outcomes, as opposed to purely reactive or administrative government-liaison work.
• Experience at the local (municipal or county) level is strongly preferred over state or federal experience alone, given the hands-on, relationship-intensive nature of this role.
• Arizona resident, based in or able to work regularly within the Phoenix metropolitan area, with existing familiarity with Arizona's municipal and county government landscape considered a strong asset.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the demonstrated ability to speak persuasively before elected officials at public hearings and to produce clear, professional written materials such as fact sheets, position letters, and client-facing issue reports.

Work Conditions & Logistics

• Valid Arizona driver's license and reliable transportation;
  this position requires regular travel throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area (and statewide as needed) to attend hearings and meetings, frequently outside standard business hours (evening council/commission meetings).
• Flexibility to attend early morning, evening, and occasional weekend meetings and hearings as dictated by local government meeting schedules.
• Ability to travel, including overnight, for conferences as needed.

Preferred (Not Required)

• Existing personal relationships with elected officials or senior staff in one or more of the monitored jurisdictions.
• Prior experience in real estate, housing, or development-related advocacy, given the client base.

Salary Range

• $75,000 - $90,000+ depending upon the level of knowledge and lobbying experience