Loftium is on a mission to create affordable housing opportunities in cities for mid- and low-income households. We are able to do this by having our renters manage an on-site short-term rental unit. As you can imagine, legislators and politicians at virtually all levels of government perk up when they hear things like “short-term rental” and “affordable housing” in the same sentence. And, while our approach to addressing housing affordability is a novel one, we operate in a legislative environment where key players (often including city councils, Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and local advocacy groups) have reached hard-fought and sometimes fragile compromises. This role is an incredible opportunity for someone who can quickly take stock of the key players in each market where we currently (or plan to) operate, build coalitions among legislators, advocacy groups, community organizations, and other stakeholders, and ultimately maintain ongoing relationships to further our objectives that involve government affairs. We’re looking for a candidate that can leverage our unique position to help us clear potential regulatory hurdles as we expand across the country.
Responsibilities
- Research and monitor a high volume of legislation in current and planned markets
- Connect and build coalitions with key players, including politicians, regulators, legislators, and advocacy groups focused on affordable housing and short-term rentals
- Establish and maintain high-level institutional relationships with other stakeholders, and manage associated projects, including working alongside housing affordability advocates
- Develop policy objectives tailored to unique challenges and opportunities in each market
- Assist with operational implementation of policy proposals and legislative measures
- Create educational and advocacy materials that relate to our program and mission
- Flag policy issues that may have significant implications for the company
- Work with Customer Ops team to identify and build coalitions of Loftium renters as advocates for legislative affairs
- Work closely with the founders, legal, and marketing teams to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to meet our expansion goals
Who We’re Looking For
- You’re a strategic thinker, sensitive to the potential short- and long-term consequences associated with relationships and policy objectives
- You are comfortable working with government officials, politicians, legislators, and regulators
- You have great attention to detail
- You know how to build lasting institutional relationships with advocacy groups and other organizations
- You make decisions like a founder, taking ownership of your domain and pushing us forward as we expand
- You are comfortable engaging local experts when necessary to make introductions or help open new doors
- You are comfortable with public speaking and making presentations to groups of influential people
- You are media savvy and conscious of the value of a sterling reputation (for you and the company)
Qualifications
- 3-5 years experience in a government relations/affairs role
- Bonus if you have experience in Seattle/Washington housing
- Previous startup experience a plus
Compensation and Benefits
- Competitive salary and equity
- Medical and dental insurance, and 401k
- Once-in-a-lifetime experience developing policy initiatives for a startup operating in a regulatory environment on the cutting edge of legal and legislative affairs