Vice President, Public Affairs

The Vice President, Public Affairs is responsible for building, managing, and mobilizing a robust coalition of allies to advance the MPA’s legislative and regulatory priorities. In close coordination with the Government Affairs, Communications, Legal, and Content Protection teams, this individual will develop and execute a comprehensive public affairs strategy to engage third-party organizations, advocacy groups, organized labor, and grassroots networks and leaders in support of the entertainment industry’s policy and legal agenda.
This role works cross-functionally and serves as a critical bridge between the MPA’s government affairs communications and legal functions and the broader external stakeholder ecosystem, ensuring the MPA has a well-coordinated, credible coalition presence at every level of the advocacy process.

Location: Washington, D.C. | Full-Time, Exempt
Full-time: Annual Salary of $185,000 to $225,000 + Eligibility for Annual Bonus

Coalition Strategy & Development

• Design and execute a comprehensive strategic plan to build cross-industry and cross-sector coalitions aligned with the MPA’s key priorities.
• Identify and develop relationships with third-party organizations, advocacy groups, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations that share MPA’s policy positions.
• Lead grassroots engagement efforts with influential stakeholders throughout the public affairs and policy landscape.
• Develop and manage a range of strategic relationships that strengthen the MPA’s credibility and reach across party lines and stakeholder communities.

Government Affairs Support

• Provide strategic third-party outreach support to the MPA’s government affairs team to advance legislative and regulatory priorities.
• Collaborate with member studio government affairs teams to coordinate external coalition activities and ensure alignment on messaging and advocacy strategy.
• Coordinate and mobilize public affairs advocacy campaigns on priority policy and legal issues.
• Develop deep policy expertise and brief policymakers, legislative staff, and elected officials through coordinated third-party engagement and advocacy campaigns.

Stakeholder Education & Communications

• Build strong working relationships with MPA member companies’ government affairs, communications, and legal teams.
• Educate and inform third-party partners on the MPA’s advocacy positions, providing clear and compelling materials to help educate allies about important issues.
• Analyze substantive policy matters and communicate findings clearly, both orally and in writing, to internal leadership, member studios, and external partners.
• Develop written resources including coalition briefings, talking points, fact sheets, correspondence, and advocacy materials tailored for diverse stakeholder audiences.

Organizational Leadership

• Manage a complex, multi-stakeholder workload with competing priorities across multiple advocacy campaigns simultaneously.
• Serve as an internal thought leader on third-party engagement best practices, advising senior leadership and member companies on coalition strategy and public affairs opportunities.
• Represent the MPA at industry events, policy forums, coalition meetings, and public engagements.
• With internal stakeholder collaboration, manage and maintain an annual public affairs and third-party budget.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in public policy, political science, communications, or a related field strongly preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in public affairs, coalition building, government relations, or policy communications — preferably within a trade association, advocacy organization, or entertainment/media company.

• Demonstrated track record of building and sustaining multi-stakeholder coalitions to advance policy.

• Experience working with organized labor, grassroots networks, and advocacy organizations.

• Prior experience leading or managing advocacy campaigns in a highly regulated or politically complex environment is a strong plus.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Deep understanding of the relevant federal and state policy landscapes, legislative processes, and advocacy strategy.

• Ability to analyze complex policy matters important to the MPA and its member companies and translate them into accessible, persuasive narratives for diverse audiences.

• Proven ability to develop and implement advocacy campaigns on policy issues and strategies that mobilize grassroots support.

Relationship Management

• Exceptional relationship-building skills with a demonstrated ability to cultivate trust with non-profits, advocacy groups, elected officials, and industry stakeholders.

• Collaborative leadership style with experience working cross-functionally across internal teams and member organizations in a matrixed environment.

Communication Skills

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality materials under deadline pressure.

• Experience presenting policy arguments persuasively to senior executives, policymakers, and public audiences.

• Experience working with journalists (i.e. industry trades, top-tier, mainstream).

Professional Attributes

• Highest level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.

• Self-directed with strong judgment, initiative, and the ability to operate effectively under minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment.

• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict, navigate competing stakeholder interests, and drive consensus toward shared goals.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).