Senior Government Affairs Manager

Job Title: Senior Government Affairs Manager

Position Type: Full Time, Salaried

Location: Remote (home office), must have reliable internet access. Must be located in the United States with preference for candidates near major airports. Up to 50% travel for policy meetings, hearings, conferences, and events.

Reports To: Executive Director

Vision : A World Without Organic Waste

Mission :
We champion a transition to the circular bioeconomy by advancing policy, standards, research, and the systematic science-based verification of compostability and biodegradability.

BPI is the leading organization for compostable products in North America, working to reduce food waste and associated food packaging in landfills by ensuring composters can trust compostability claims. As a member-based nonprofit, BPI promotes a shift towards the circular bioeconomy through its certification, education, and policy programs. Today over 700 companies have BPI certified compostable materials, with more than 40,000 items listed in BPI's online public catalog.

Position Overview : BPI is a dynamic place to work, with a fully remote staff that is highly collaborative and engaged on environmental topics. The Government Affairs Manager will work closely with the Senior Policy Manager to collectively be responsible for implementing BPI’s public policy strategy and serving as the primary liaisons between BPI, policymakers, and members on legislative and regulatory matters.

This role is designed with intentional overlap to build redundancy and resilience across the team, which is especially important during this particularly dynamic time for the compo stables industry. This government affairs team has responsibilities grouped into six core functional areas:
Legislative & Regulatory Monitoring, Member Engagement & Input, Public Comment Development, Advocacy Campaigns & Policymaker Engagement, Policy Position Management, Responsiveness & Member Support.

BPI values diversity in background and experience, continuously building a welcoming and inclusive work culture. BPI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate.

Core Responsibilities:

Legislative & Regulatory Monitoring

• Track and analyze federal, state, and local legislation and rule making that impacts compostable products, labeling, PFAS, EPR, organics recycling infrastructure, and related areas.
• Maintain real-time tracking system for relevant bills, regulations, and policy trends.
• Provide weekly or twice-weekly policy digests to internal stakeholders and members.

Member Engagement and Input

• Facilitate regular communication with BPI members to gather input on legislative and regulatory issues, and make internal recommendations on how BPI can best leverage their expertise.
• Lead structured policy feedback processes (e.g., surveys, policy calls, member round tables).
• Ensure member perspectives are integrated into BPI’s policy responses and strategies.

Public Comment Development

• Draft public comments, letters, and testimony in response to proposed legislation and regulatory actions.
• Coordinate with internal staff and legal advisors to ensure technical accuracy and alignment with BPI's certification program and mission.
• Manage the member review process for public comments to reflect shared positions.

Advocacy Campaigns and Policymaker Engagement

• Represent BPI in direct outreach to policymakers, legislative staff, and regulatory agencies.
• Coordinate advocacy campaigns in support of (or opposition to) key legislation, including member mobilization and coalition engagement
• Organize member Hill Days, sign-on letters, and other direct lobbying deliverables.
• Prepare talking points, support development of factsheets and briefing materials for meetings with legislators and regulators in coordination with Marketing team.

Policy Position Management

• Manage processes for maintaining and updating BPI’s policy position library, including identifying needs for new official stances, informing the composition of broader policy principles, and developing background documents and priority issue briefs for advocacy efforts, in coordination with Senior Policy Manager.

Responsiveness and Member Support

• Serve as a…