Government Affairs Associate

Reports to: CEO

Supervisory Role: No

Salary Range: $80,000 – $90,000

About Atlas Community Studios 

Atlas Community Studios (“Atlas”) is a woman- and minority-owned firm fueled by creative problem-solvers and capacity builders committed to advancing the economic prosperity of communities nationwide. Our mission is to inspire action and advance and support the development of communities. We partner with people and places to add capacity and deliver much-needed support to create more empowered and resilient communities. Atlas specializes in economic and community development with an emphasis on project implementation and the pre-development work needed to be implementation-ready, including research, planning, funding strategies, grant writing, and advocacy. We've had the privilege of working with various client partners, including local governments, nonprofits, community organizations, universities, and federal and state agencies. Our team’s portfolio includes over 80 action-oriented plans and technical assistance provided in communities across 31 states.  

Position Overview 

The Government Affairs Associate is a key member of the Atlas Community Studios team responsible for supporting the firm’s federal advocacy, funding strategy, and policy analysis work. This role focuses on helping clients navigate the federal appropriations and authorization processes, identify and pursue federal funding opportunities, and build relationships with congressional offices and federal agencies. This individual will work closely with the CEO and the Atlas team to support federal lobbying initiatives, develop funding strategies, and monitor federal legislation and policy developments that affect economic and community development programs. A qualified candidate is someone who:

• Understands how federal policy, appropriations, and legislation shape real-world outcomes in communities.
• Is intimately familiar with federal appropriations and authorization processes and enjoys tracking legislation and policy developments.
• Is comfortable engaging with congressional staff, federal agency officials, and client stakeholders.
• Is well-versed in federal grant programs that support economic development, infrastructure, workforce development, housing, and community revitalization. 
• Is excited about supporting rural communities and underserved regions in accessing federal resources.
• Can translate complex federal policy and funding opportunities into clear, actionable strategies for clients.
• Thrives working independently in a remote setting while collaborating closely with a small, mission-driven team.
• Has excellent research, writing, and organizational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Is comfortable managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.
• Wants to contribute to a mission-driven, tight-knit team that values quality, trust, and impact. 

Preferred Background & Experience

While not required, candidates with the following experience may be especially well-suited for this role:

• Professional experience working in Congress, particularly in a congressional office or committee involved in appropriations, authorization, or policy development.
• Experience working for a federal agency with familiarity in program development, grant administration, or federal funding programs.
• Familiarity with the federal appropriations process, including Community Project Funding (CPF) / Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests.
• Knowledge of federal grant programs that support economic and community development, infrastructure, workforce development, housing, or rural development (e.g., EDA, USDA, HUD, DOT, DOL, EPA).
• Experience supporting federal advocacy strategies, including policy research, briefing memo preparation, legislative tracking, and stakeholder engagement.
• Interest in rural development, regional economic development, and community-based capacity building.

A NOTE ON QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS 

We’re committed to building a team that brings diverse perspectives, experiences, and strengths to our work. We value what you can do over where or how you’ve done it, and we recognize that skills can be developed in many different ways. While no candidate is expected to have every skill listed, the above strengths tend to support success in this role. 

Key Responsibilities 

The position of Government Affairs Associate includes, but is not limited to, the following day-to-day responsibilities:

Federal Policy & Legislative Tracking

• Monitor federal legislation, appropriations bills, and authorization measures relevant to client priorities.
• Track federal funding opportunities and legislative developments affecting economic and community development programs.
• Prepare policy briefings and summaries of federal legislation, agency guidance, and regulatory changes.
• Maintain internal trackers of federal funding opportunities, appropriations updates, and congressional actions.

Congressional & Federal Agency Engagement

• Support the coordination of meetings with congressional offices and federal agencies.
• Assist with the preparation of briefing materials for congressional meetings, including background memos and talking points.
• Draft follow-up communications and correspondence with congressional offices and agency officials.
• Assist with organizing and coordinating client visits to Washington, DC, including congressional fly-ins and agency meetings.

Appropriations & Federal Advocacy

• Support the development of Community Project Funding (CPF) and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests.
• Draft appropriations justifications, project summaries, and supporting materials.
• Assist with programmatic appropriations requests and report language proposals.
• Track earmark guidance, deadlines, and congressional submission requirements.

Federal Funding Strategy

• Research federal grant programs across agencies such as EDA, USDA, HUD, DOT, DOL, EPA, and others relevant to economic and community development.
• Assist with the development of federal funding strategies for communities, universities, nonprofits, and economic development organizations.
• Analyze federal funding notices (e.g., NOFOs, NOFAs, FOAs, BAAs, etc.) and agency priorities to determine alignment with client projects.
• Support internal teams in developing grant strategies when projects require federal advocacy or policy engagement.

Research & Writing

• Conduct policy and program research to support strategic planning, funding strategies, and advocacy efforts.
• Draft memos, reports, and policy analyses for internal and client use.
• Contribute to written deliverables, including funding strategies, advocacy plans, and briefing documents.
• Assist with drafting letters of support, congressional correspondence, and advocacy materials.

Location & Travel 

This position must be located in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area due to the nature of federal advocacy work. This is a work-from-home position with an expectation of regular in-person meetings with congressional offices and federal agencies in Washington, DC. Some travel is required (approximately 15-20%) to support client engagements, site visits, conferences, and team retreats. Travel typically includes overnight stays and is coordinated based on team availability. All travel expenses are covered per our company travel policy.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time position with a starting salary range of $80,000–$90,000, based on experience.

In addition, Atlas offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous holiday time off (includes all federal holidays and company-wide end-of-year PTO)
• Responsible and required PTO
• 100% medical coverage for employees
• Vision and dental insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) with up to a 4% match
• Paid parental leave
• Life insurance
• Profit-sharing bonuses
• Professional development opportunities
• Flexible work schedules

Commitment to DEI 

We understand that people (and communities) are more resilient when everyone has a seat at the table and feels empowered to create change. Atlas is proud to have a diverse team. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all staff, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. 

To Apply

Visit atlascostudios.com/careers for more information and to apply. 

The application process is designed to reduce hiring bias.

• Complete the short questionnaire on our website and upload your resume. All personal and identifying information will be redacted by an individual not involved in the hiring process prior to review.
• Applications will be scored using a pre-determined rubric, and selected applicants will participate in a 45-minute interview with two team members.
• Interviews will be scored using a pre-determined rubric, and selected applicants will have a final interview with our CEO. 

We appreciate every applicant’s time and interest in the position, and we will contact each candidate regarding the outcome of their application.