KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director for State and Local Government Affairs for the U.S. will report to the Head of Government Affairs for North America. This role will manage proactive engagement with and monitoring of relevant government officials and legislative and regulatory matters related to Alibaba and its ecosystem at the state and local level. S/He will strategically manage Alibaba’s legislative and regulatory advocacy initiatives across a range of risk environments in the U.S., with a specific focus on regulation in the area of ecommerce, digital services, product safety, intellectual property, consumer protection, logistics, technology development and deployment, export controls, tax, de minimis, lobbying and competition issues. The Director for State and Local Government Affairs will be charged with understanding and working effectively within the political dynamics presented by advocating for a global business headquartered in China. This role will also include day-to-day engagement with external resources, such as consultancies and trade associations, as well as any relevant third-party relationships. It is important that s/he be able to anticipate risks and opportunities, advise on engagement strategies and advocate on behalf of Alibaba.
The responsibilities for this position will include building and sustaining relationships with key: state and local officials in the executive and legislative branches; state export and trade promotion programs; business promotion associations and trade associations; and third-party stakeholders, such as association and think tanks. This work will be done to: first, build sustainable levels of credibility for Alibaba and its legislative and regulatory positions with governments, political leaders, business associations and other stakeholders and second, to support key business development initiatives of the Alibaba ecosystem. It is important that the incumbent be able to anticipate risks and opportunities, advise on engagement strategies and vigorously advocate on behalf of Alibaba, always working in close collaboration with business unit leaders for the Americas market, other international governmental affairs colleagues (including those focused Federally and internationally) and in a manner consistent with the overarching Alibaba narrative about inclusive globalization.
In addition, the Director for State and Local Government Affairs for the U.S. will:
- Work within the GR team to develop and execute a government affairs program for Alibaba at the state and local level in the U.S. which advances the company’s business growth, protects its brand and builds an enduring reputation centered on a customer first perspective, integrity, agility and adaptability – as well as thoughtful and well-grounded approaches to legislative and regulatory goals and political engagement.
- Obtain results that support the attainment of business goals through the provision of strategic insights regarding the relevant political atmosphere as well as the development and execution of effective lobbying strategies, political relationship development, and management of contract lobbyists in key jurisdictions. Engage industry and government forums in a thoughtful and strategic manner to cultivate like-minded stakeholders and develop centers of gravity consistent with Alibaba legislative and regulatory proposals and perspectives.
- Engage with state business development offices to identify opportunities for new vendors to export via Alibaba and ensure they understand the economic value proposition Alibaba offers.
- Support the shaping of an ongoing digital media campaign in support of state and local advocacy priorities and help identify key target markets.
- Manage a suite of issues and responsibilities focused on the legislative and regulatory aspects of key business pursuits, including e-commerce, tourism, logistics and cloud.
- Establish solid working relationships with Alibaba colleagues around the world to develop and implement industry and government outreach. The outreach will be undertaken with regard to business development, reputation protection, as well as legislative and regulatory objectives.
- Coordinate across internal teams to ensure proper compliance with regulations and follow-through on government messaging.
- Provide senior executives and colleagues with information, strategic advice and insightful perspectives concerning government actions and politics regarding the industry and Alibaba in particular.
- Support colleagues engaged in Federal lobbying and international lobbying to ensure overall success of Alibaba’s government affairs initiatives.
- Support Alibaba’s ongoing political compliance program as it relates to internal executives and external lobbyists, including monitoring and promoting compliance with the range of applicable government ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance regulations.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have at least 7 years of progressively more responsible professional experience. The preferred candidate will possess a background in government affairs, and will have spent some time working in both the public and private sector. S/He will have a successful track record managing high-level relationships and executing innovative government affairs initiatives to achieve corporate business objectives on both the regulatory and client development fronts. S/He will have significant relevant business and government stakeholder relationship experience. A clear reputation for ethical conduct is required.
Qualification considerations include:
- Strong cultural adaptability and keen learning capacity.
- Strong decision-making and strategic thinking skills; ability to quickly grasp, address, prioritize and anticipate emerging issues – as well as recommend positions on issues and suggest changes in strategies as relevant legislative and regulatory processes unfold, with an ability to navigate complex and competitive policy issues.
- Solid relationships and a thorough understanding of state legislative and regulatory processes, including an understanding of the role and capacity of third-party stakeholder entities such as trade associations and other related organizations, to advance the business interests of Alibaba Group.
- Strong executive presence with excellent oral and written communication skills to represent the company effectively before relevant stakeholders and audiences. Any Mandarin language proficiency or willingness to learn the languages would be an additional plus.
- A collaborative style with an ability to work cross-functionally with subject matter experts, senior leaders and key stakeholders; interactive with the courage and conviction to challenge and defend ideas and strategies; clear reputation for ethical conduct and unquestionable integrity.
- A track record of strong, demonstrated results in both political and corporate environments.
- Ability to evaluate competing interests of industry players and develop successful strategies to steer around obstacles and obtain desirable outcomes.
- Possess a keen attention to detail and accuracy in a fast-moving and challenging political and policy environment, with international dimension.
- Must demonstrate a sense of urgency with the ability to maintain a clear head in stressful situations.
- Ability to effectively manage multiple ongoing projects at once while appropriately allocating time and resources.
EDUCATION
An undergraduate degree is required. An advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred.
COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package will be provided to attract outstanding candidates.