What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, Public Affairs position at Rayonier?
Company Overview
Come grow with us! We are One Rayonier, a team that works together to create value by prioritizing safety, challenging the status quo, giving back to our communities, and driving innovation through continuous learning. With nearly 100 years of experience, we’re still discovering new ways to make lives better with our trees, our land, and — our most important resource — our people.
At Rayonier, we strive to create an employee experience where you feel valued and proud to be part of our team. We foster a respectful, inclusive and collaborative environment that celebrates your unique talents and perspectives. Experience the Rayonier difference: We’re big enough to offer exciting career paths, but small enough for you to know your colleagues by name. Come join a team that empowers you to make a difference!
Are you a strategic leader who excels at navigating complex public policy, shaping legislative outcomes, and building powerful community relationships? Do you have a passion for formulating public affairs strategies that accelerate revenue opportunities, reduce corporate liabilities, and enhance company reputation?
We are seeking a Director of Public Affairs (Western Region) to lead our state and local government relations, public policy advocacy, and strategic community engagement. In this role, you will manage all aspects of our advocacy campaigns across Idaho, Arkansas, Texas, Washington, and Louisiana, ensuring tight alignment with regional business units while fostering an environment in which Rayonier can operate profitably.
How You Will Contribute
Reporting to Public Affairs Leadership, you will drive our success across several critical areas:
Legislative Strategy & Public Policy
What You Bring to the Team
This role is based in Atlanta, GA and requires extensive travel to meetings, hearings, and site visits outside the office. Key physical expectations include:
Come grow with us! We are One Rayonier, a team that works together to create value by prioritizing safety, challenging the status quo, giving back to our communities, and driving innovation through continuous learning. With nearly 100 years of experience, we’re still discovering new ways to make lives better with our trees, our land, and — our most important resource — our people.
At Rayonier, we strive to create an employee experience where you feel valued and proud to be part of our team. We foster a respectful, inclusive and collaborative environment that celebrates your unique talents and perspectives. Experience the Rayonier difference: We’re big enough to offer exciting career paths, but small enough for you to know your colleagues by name. Come join a team that empowers you to make a difference!
Are you a strategic leader who excels at navigating complex public policy, shaping legislative outcomes, and building powerful community relationships? Do you have a passion for formulating public affairs strategies that accelerate revenue opportunities, reduce corporate liabilities, and enhance company reputation?
We are seeking a Director of Public Affairs (Western Region) to lead our state and local government relations, public policy advocacy, and strategic community engagement. In this role, you will manage all aspects of our advocacy campaigns across Idaho, Arkansas, Texas, Washington, and Louisiana, ensuring tight alignment with regional business units while fostering an environment in which Rayonier can operate profitably.
How You Will Contribute
Reporting to Public Affairs Leadership, you will drive our success across several critical areas:
- Strategic Advocacy Leader: Translate business objectives into clear regional policy priorities, legislative strategies, and advocacy campaigns that protect and increase asset value.
- Government & Industry Champion: Build and leverage a strong network of state and local elected officials, regulatory agencies, and industry trade associations to shape policies that support timberlands, wood products, real estate, and energy/minerals.
- Governance & Compliance Monitor: Manage political giving budgets while maintaining strict oversight of campaign finance and ethics laws across multiple state and local jurisdictions.
- Collaborative Advisor & Storyteller: Partner with internal communications teams and external PR agencies to develop compelling communication tools and messaging that support our regulatory positions and highlight our work as a trusted corporate neighbor.
Legislative Strategy & Public Policy
- Track legislation, provide testimony, and actively engage in the legislative process to shape policy outcomes beneficial to Rayonier and the industry.
- Formulate strategies to improve revenue opportunities, reduce corporate liabilities and expenses, and protect company assets across ID, AR, TX, WA, and LA.
- Direct contract lobbying consultants to ensure execution against their scope of work and maximize return on investment.
- Oversee political giving budgets in full compliance with state and local ethics and campaign finance laws.
- Collaborate closely with regional managers across timberlands, wood products, real estate, energy, and minerals to identify key issues and revenue opportunities.
- Develop strong working relationships with government agencies regulating land use, air, water, wildlife, and regional economic development.
- Build collaborative relationships with key industry trade associations in the timber, real estate, wood products, and energy sectors.
- Represent the company at legislative hearings, political fundraisers, community boards, and industry public events.
- Partner with communications teams and external public relations agencies to develop effective advocacy materials, strategic messages, and PR tools.
- Collaborate with regional teams to drive strategic community affairs programs and foster mutually beneficial relationships with local constituencies.
- Promote corporate goodwill through public outreach programs such as National Forest Products Week, Earth Day, Arbor Day, and school partnerships.
What You Bring to the Team
- Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Political Science, Communications, Business, Natural Resources, or a related field.
- Experience: A minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in public affairs, government relations, issues management, coalition building, community affairs, or strategic communications.
- Regional Network & Knowledge: An existing network of contacts with state and local officials in Idaho, Arkansas, or Texas, and a strong understanding of the legislative processes and political dynamics across ID, AR, TX, WA, and LA.
- Strategic Mindset & Professional Influence: Superior capacity to convey personal trust and credibility, exercise good judgment, and maintain sensitive discussions in strict confidence. Exceptional written and verbal communication, time management, and stakeholder collaboration skills.
- Technical Proficiency: Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Experience in natural resource policy, government agencies/executive branch, industry associations, or contract lobbying.
- Proven background in strategic communications, public relations, and multi-project management.
This role is based in Atlanta, GA and requires extensive travel to meetings, hearings, and site visits outside the office. Key physical expectations include:
- Performing repetitive motions involving wrists, hands, and fingers (e.g., typing and phone calls).
- Sitting for extended periods in planes, cars, and trucks, and carrying luggage short distances.
- Moving throughout the office to collaborate with team members and manage resources.
- Occasional exposure to forest environments and wood products (lumber) manufacturing facilities.
- We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, accident, disability, identity theft protection, and paid parental and caregiver leave. We also offer a health savings account, a dependent care spending account, and an employee assistance plan. We provide wellness reimbursements, employee discount programs, annual health screenings, wellness incentives, wellness seminars, and financial counseling and planning tools.
- Our 401(k) retirement savings plan includes company matching contributions (60% match on the first 6% of base and bonus deferrals) as well as a 3% enhanced retirement contribution that does not require an employee contribution.
- We recognize the importance of work-life integration and offer flexible work schedules and hybrid work from home options (for most positions), along with a minimum of three weeks paid vacation, five paid personal days, 11 paid holidays and paid sick leave each year.
- We provide a comprehensive employee development program which provides career planning tools and resources, mentoring program, leadership development, training programs and an 80% tuition reimbursement.