Government Relations Manager - Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) : Job Details

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is seeking an experienced and strategic Government Relations Manager who is passionate about advancing U.S. manufacturing. In this role, the manager will lead policy initiatives, engage directly with federal lawmakers, and play a key role in shaping the future of the equipment manufacturing industry through effective advocacy and coalition-building. This position is ideal for a proactive, collaborative leader with a deep understanding of the federal legislative process and a proven ability to cultivate bipartisan relations. The Government Relations Manager reports to the Vice President, Federal Affairs, and collaborates closely with AEM's state and grassroots advocacy leads as part of the Advocacy Team.

Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain relationships with congressional offices, trade associations, and coalition partners, ensuring industry voices are heard.
• Arrange and support meetings between member organizations and congressional offices, providing briefing materials, talking points, and logistical support.
• Monitor and report on congressional activity to identify and assess legislation that impacts member organizations.
• Collaborate with member organizations and internal teams to craft policy recommendations aligned to priorities to effectively influence legislative outcomes.
• Serve as spokesperson and advocate when representing the industry before lawmakers and external stakeholders.
• Draft policy-related materials and content.
• Plan and execute advocacy-focused events while overseeing logistics, speaker coordination, and content development.

Requirements:

A successful candidate will hold a bachelor's degree in a related field and will have 7-10 years of relevant experience. Previous experience working on Capitol Hill and/or with trade associations is a plus. The person in this position must be comfortable working in a team-focused and high-energy environment and must be a motivated self-starter with great attention to detail.

The ideal candidate will also demonstrate:

• Deep understanding of the federal legislative process.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• In-depth knowledge of current political landscape.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.
• Advanced skills in public speaking, relationship building, and networking.
• Experience crafting policy-related materials.

Why AEM?

• Flexible Work Environment: Core hours are 10:00AM- 4:00PM for in-office days (Tuesday-Thursday) with optional teleworking on Mondays and Fridays. General working hours are 9:00AM-5:00PM with the need to perform work outside of regular office hours.
• Professional Growth: We are committed to the growth and development of our team members and offer many learning opportunities, including an onboarding program, leadership programming, tuition reimbursement, industry on-site and off-site training, and other management and professional development programs.

About AEM:

AEM is the leading organization in North America advancing construction and agriculture equipment manufacturers and their value chain partners in the global marketplace. In enabling growth together, AEM and its members build momentum for the equipment manufacturing industry and the markets it serves.

AEM offers a competitive salary and an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k), 401(k) company match, life insurance, long-term disability, 18 PTO days during the first full calendar year, and 10 paid holidays. Our staff is enthusiastic and passionate about what they do, our office space is both modern and inviting and we engage in a variety of community services.