Senior Director

Seeking Moderate, Health or Education Policy Applicants with Hill Experience Position is contingent upon pending contract award, with an anticipated start date in Q1 2027. Position Overview Center Road seeks a sophisticated, driven, and politically savvy Senior Director to lead our expanding portfolio of mission-driven nonprofit and foundation clients. This is a high-impact role designed for a midlevel policy and federal affairs professional who specializes in Health and Education. The ideal candidate brings deep Capitol Hill experience, a sharp strategic mindset, and a proven track record of operating effectively within moderate networks. For those applying from the Hill, this role is appropriate for Senior LAs or LDs. Operating in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment, the Senior Director will independently navigate complex congressional negotiations, draft legacy-building policy, and build meaningful bipartisan consensus across the aisle to deliver tangible victories for women, children, and families. Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid) Reports To: CEO with project management from Principal, as applicable Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt About Center Road Solutions As a premier woman-owned, bipartisan, boutique firm, Center Road empowers mission-driven organizations to achieve lasting policy impact. We combine deep policy expertise, trusted relationships, and proven strategy to champion bipartisan solutions that protect and empower women, families, and those in need. Recognized as one of Bloomberg’s Top Performing Lobby Firms, a top small business for Leading on Paid Leave , and home to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists, Center Road is a growing business with a mentorship-driven culture. When you join our team, you aren’t just taking a job—you are becoming part of a passionate, collaborative family dedicated to structural change. Key Responsibilities & Core Expectations As a Senior Director, you will shape strategic technical and client direction, leading large client accounts, technical projects, and internal teams with high autonomy. Client & Strategic Leadership (Ownership, Initiative, & Strategic Mindset) Co-Ownership with Senior Leadership: Partner directly with the CEO and Principal, as applicable, to co-own critical client relationships and project strategy, while independently driving the tactical execution and project management forward with minimal oversight, utilizing the CEO primarily for strategic counsel. Proactive Coalition Representation: Act as the primary, policy representative of client goals within relevant national coalitions, task forces, and external stakeholder working groups to drive consensus despite competing interests. Team Leadership: Direct and collaborate with internal project teams to ensure high-quality deliverables. Serve as a direct supervisor or project director for junior staff and interns—holding regular meetings, providing clear direction, maintaining accountability, and delivering nuanced, growth-oriented feedback. Process Innovation: Take the initiative to iterate and improve existing internal and external processes both within and outside the immediate scope of the role. Federal Advocacy & Policy Execution (Expertise & Results) Bipartisan Lobbying: Execute comprehensive legislative and regulatory advocacy campaigns across the Legislative and Executive branches, with an emphasis on building momentum and bridges among Republican/conservative stakeholders. Legislative Crafting & Intel: Monitor federal legislative developments, collect sophisticated political intelligence, and independently author compelling policy briefs, regulatory comments, and original draft legislation appropriate for Congress and federal agencies (typically in the DoE and HHS). Campaign Acceleration: Build support, creativity, and calculated risk-taking to advance ideas, leading the swift introduction of bipartisan legislation within tight windows. Required Qualifications & Career Pathway Alignments Candidates applying must demonstrate alignment with Center Road’s Senior Director career pathway metrics: Experience: 5–8 years of direct, full-time experience in a federal legislative, agency, or policy-focused role (Capitol Hill experience sitting on or heavily working with relevant committees is highly preferred). Client-First Teammate: Bring a strong client-service and team-first mindset. You’re humble, put client goals and team success first, take ownership of client needs, and work closely with colleagues to address challenges or disagreements directly, diplomatically, and with a positive, solution-focused approach. Proven Policy & Legislative Victory: Proven track record of independently achieving at least one significant federal policy victory, explicitly defined as passing a new or reauthorized authorizing statute into law, securing appropriations funding at an increased level above the previous fiscal year's baseline, or successfully advancing federal regulations in a significant, measurable way (rather than the mere continuation of baseline, level funding or maintaining the status quo). Bipartisan Sponsorship Track Record: Demonstrated success independently securing significant bipartisan co-sponsorships from Members of key relevant authorizing or appropriations committees (e.g., HELP, E & C, Ed & Workforce, Ways & Means). Political Acumen: Deep, functional alignment and comfort working closely with moderate policy frameworks and conservative stakeholders to achieve bipartisan outcomes. Communication Excellence: Exceptional ability to produce rigorous, technical congressional writing, while maintaining the ability to synthesize data and translate complex policy into clear explanations for lay audiences and client boards. Policy Expertise: Deep subject-matter expertise in Health or Education Policy , including direct familiarity with behavioral health. Preferred, but not required Qualifications Direct federal lobbying experience at a nonprofit or association or at a multi-client lobby firm; or for candidates with only Hill experience, direct internal lobbying with Committee staff. Existing, trusted relationships with staff on relevant House and Senate committees of jurisdiction, including authorizing or appropriations committees. Experience working closely with, or directly within nonprofit organizations and foundations.