Vice President Government Affairs

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Overview
BASIC SUMMARY:
The Vice President of Government Affairs will serve as a key advocate for the Charles River’s interests before federal policymakers, with a primary focus on drug development issues. This individual will develop and execute global education and advocacy strategies, engage with congressional offices and federal agencies, manage third-party lobbyists, and help shape policy outcomes that support the Charles River's strategic objectives. The role requires strong policy acumen, exceptional relationship‑building abilities, and the capacity to translate complex business issues into clear and compelling public‑policy positions. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment and brings deep experience working within the federal legislative and regulatory landscape. The ideal candidate will blend visionary leadership with a hands-on approach to advance the organization's mission and shape critical legislative outcomes.
Job Description
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Duty
% of Time Spent (no less than 10%)
Strategic Policy Development & Vision: Design and execute comprehensive global government strategies that align with the organization's purpose and goals. Assess the impact of legislative or regulatory proposals, and establish short- and long-term policy priorities. Lead direct advocacy efforts with congressional staff, elected officials, and federal regulators on issues impacting Charles River
25%
Stakeholder Engagement & Coalition Building: Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with key global government officials, lawmakers, industry partners, and advocacy groups. Build and lead high-impact coalitions to amplify the organization's voice and drive consensus on critical policy issues. Monitors the legislative and regulatory environment and communicates developments to Charles RIver stakeholders
20%
Advocacy & Government Relations: Direct third-party lobbying activities and grassroots advocacy and education efforts to advance or oppose specific legislation and regulations. Prepare compelling testimony, policy briefs, and advocacy campaigns designed to influence policymakers and key regulatory bodies.
20%
Board Communication & Organizational Leadership: Serve as the primary subject matter expert on all federal issues and support the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Communications Officer in their support of, and education to, the Board of Directors on these matters. Translate complex political, economic, and social issues into actionable updates, ensuring the board is informed of emerging risks and opportunities.
15%
Research Analysis & Impact: Oversee the data collection, research, and rigorous evaluation of public policy outcomes. Ensure all policy positions are backed by evidence and measure the effectiveness of advocacy initiatives to demonstrate value to stakeholders
10%
Budget & Resource Management: Develop and manage the annual budget for the public policy department. Allocate necessary resources for policy research, lobbying efforts, and public awareness campaigns while ensuring strict compliance with lobbying and financial disclosure regulations
5%
Stakeholders include Chief Communications Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, CEO.
Compensation Data
The hiring range for this position in the US is $250,000/yr - $280,000/yr. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, location and any collective agreements, if applicable.
Job Requirements
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Master’s degree in public policy, Political Science, Public Administration, Law or related field, or advanced scientific degrees in the field
Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in public policy, government relations, or legislative advocacy.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
Other:
5+years in a senior leadership position or a position that interacts with Board of Directors and/or Executive Leadership roles.
Deep understanding of local, state and federal legislative and regulatory processes
Proven track record of successfully building coalitions and influencing public policy outcomes.
Exceptional written communications skills for drafting briefs, testimonies and board reports
Strong media literacy and experience serving as an official organizational spokesperson
WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS:
Lives and located in Washington D.C
As a remote worker, has sufficient internet and technical infrastructure and a home-based location suitable for creating a professional environment for video conference calls.
About Corporate Functions
The Corporate Functions provide operational support across Charles River in areas such as Human Resources, Finance, IT, Legal, Sales, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Corporate Development. They partner with their colleagues across the company to develop and drive strategies and to set global standards. The functions are essential to providing a bridge between strategic vision and operational readiness, to ensure ongoing functional innovation and capability improvement.
About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, gover