Summary of Opportunity:  The Home Builders Association is a forward-thinking advocate and thought leader for housing, residential development and the construction industry.  We promote and help our members provide a diverse range of housing options for our region’s residents including a wide range of owner-occupied and rental housing types, both new and remodeled construction, in the greater Portland region’s six surrounding Oregon counties.  We work to ensure that the industry can meet our region’s housing needs in a manner consistent with shared regional values, including affordability, equity, access, environment and safety.  We also are a strong advocate for reducing or removing impediments that create unnecessary impacts on the efficient and cost-effective production of housing.

Our work emphasizes a need to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for infill and redevelopment balanced with an appropriate supply of developable land for housing.  We work with jurisdictions, utilities, agencies and any other entity whose work impacts the timing, cost, certainty and ability of those providing housing.

The Director of Government Relations is not only charged with leading the above-listed work, but also collaborates with our work in other areas to provide transitional shelter for the homeless, promote sustainable construction practices, develop a skilled workforce to meet our industry’s needs, and communicate our work and values to our member shareholders and public stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will build upon the relationships with our local City, County and Metro governments, as well as numerous regional partners connected to housing, land use and other related issues.  We also work closely with our affiliated Oregon Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders on State and Federal legislative, agency and policy issues. 

Overview of Responsibilities:

• Lead HBA’s government affairs and political relations staff and work, coordinating with the CEO, Board, Government Affairs Committee, Portland Building and Urban Development Council, and other HBA Committees/Councils.
• Serve as a key HBA liaison to city, county and Metro governments and agencies; ensures HBA prioritizes and monitors jurisdictions and is represented as needed at hearings and government meetings; develops and actively maintains relationships with policymakers, interest groups and others involved in the policy process.
• Strengthen member involvement/engagement in our public policy work, including grassroots support as well as involvement on various civic committees and commissions that impact our industry.
• Oversee funding support and growth in HBA’s PAC as well as our legal defense fund.
• Work in conjunction with staff and contracted communications/PR support to ensure HBA messages, positions, activities and efforts are well communicated to members, the media, area governments, and other appropriate parties/groups. 
• Coordinate HBA efforts to address, prioritize and determine appropriate HBA involvement with member requests for assistance in dealing with problems and issues that arise with local governments.
• Serve as a key spokesperson for the Association on governmental and political issues, coordinating with the CEO, other appropriate staff and key HBA leaders on press relations and representing HBA positions when issues arise and/or political positions need to be taken.
• Ensure HBA has a high profile and strong involvement in area political campaigns and on voter issues that impact our industry.  This includes overseeing our political action fundraising, candidate recruitment and endorsement, and other political action efforts.
• Collaborate with affiliated state organization (Oregon Home Builders Association), developing a positive, close working relationship with its lobbying staff to ensure statewide issues, policies, and legislation that affect housing and our members are addressed through its policy-making structure.  Though not expected to lobby actively at the state level, the position will sometimes need to act in a supportive role to state efforts.
• Coordinate special projects and research on industry issues as needed, as well as other duties as assigned.