SAP - Director, U.S. Government Affairs

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SAP’s Government Affairs division carries out advocacy, lobbying, branding and relationship building in markets where it does business. We position SAP and our leaders as innovators with influential audiences on select, highly relevant topics and we support SAP´s business objectives.  Our core mission includes public policy, business support, and thought leadership.

The individual SAP seeks must have an in depth understanding of the U.S. legislative and regulatory process including extensive knowledge of the substantive public policy and business issues affecting the world’s leading provider of business software solutions.  He/She must have an appreciation and sensitivity to working within the context of an innovative, fast-paced, sales-oriented company. The individual will be required to develop and manage a strategic plan for successfully achieving specific results which are favorable to the interests of SAP.

This position will lead government affairs and IT modernization policy efforts at civilian agencies while supporting the U.S. public sector business and digital government strategy.  With regard to the Administration, the Director will interact with professionals at the various U.S. federal civilian government agencies and departments, the Office of Management and Budget, and various White House offices responsible for government IT modernization and digital government policy.  The Director will work to further SAP’s policy efforts around U.S. federal agencies, aligning with internal business units and assisting with political outreach.

The Director of U.S. Government Affairs will report to the VP and Head of U.S. Government Affairs to work together to help develop policy and political strategy on a range of legislative and regulatory issues and manage SAP’s interaction with the U.S. federal government on issues that will include digital government and IT modernization at U.S. federal civilian agencies. 

The policy portfolio includes:

• Digital government
• IT modernization
• Data policy (e.g. open data, data analytics)
• Federal budget process
• Smart cities, smart infrastructure
• Transportation
• Telecommunications/5G
• Internet of Things (IoT) and other emerging technology issues

The Director will develop a strategy to strengthen SAP’s position with Members of the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Administration officials.  The successful candidate will engage on policy issues as well as understanding the procedural and parliamentary nuances of the budget and appropriations process.  The Director will engage on policy issues before the following committees:

• (Senate) Appropriations
• Commerce, Science and Transportation
• Judiciary
• Homeland Security and Government Affairs
• (House) Appropriations
• Energy and Commerce
• Homeland Security
• Oversight and Government Reform
• Science, Space and Technology
• Transportation and Infrastructure

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of U.S. Government Relations responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Helps enhance the SAP America Washington, D.C. office by assisting in the development of the Government Relations practice.
• Designs plans for government outreach and thought leadership by providing analysis of emerging or existing legislative public policy issues impacting the company.
• Gathers intelligence and assists in the preparation of position papers, policy briefings, presentations, and other materials related to government actions.
• Develops and implements legislative and regulatory agendas on matters relating to civilian agency and digital government issues of interest and concern to SAP.
• Increases SAP’s visibility and presence on Capitol Hill and with the Administration.
• Works on complex issues where analysis of situations requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors and seeks to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.
• Clearly identifies and communicates corporate positions and objectives.
• Collaborates internally with relevant stakeholders and networks with key contacts outside of their own area of expertise.
• Evaluates pending legislation and regulations that may impact SAP in close consultation with the Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs to develop recommendations and prepare communications for senior management and the CEO.
• Participates in political events as a representative of SAP America PAC.
• Advocates Federal civilian agency policy positions before government officials and other policy makers.
• Acts as SAP’s liaison to certain business trade associations including coordinating with internal stakeholders to complete trade association surveys.
• Advises internal stakeholders on the impact of public policy, procedures, issues and matters under negotiation.
• Projects include development and implementation of public policy activities, government and industry lobbying efforts, and identifying new opportunities to favorably advancing SAP’s policy agenda.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Bachelor's degree required; law degree preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE

The successful candidate will have a minimum of seven years’ experience as a government relations executive, a Congressional staffer, or as a public servant in a relevant government agency or department. Previous experience and qualifications should include:

• An understanding of U.S. legislative process, including the roles and decision-making processes of the Executive Agencies, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives.
• Expertise in policy areas of digital government, IT modernization, workforce and immigration.
• Experience advocating before Congress and/or the Executive Branch on behalf of corporations, trades associations, or other interest group preferred.
• First-hand experience with government agencies and the Congressional oversight process.
• Established relationships on Capitol Hill as well as with key Executive Branch agencies.
• The ability to persuasively communicate complex concepts at the highest level of government.
• Ability to work across functions with both internal and external stakeholders and partners.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate will have:

• Excellent communications skills (written and oral).
• Proven creative problem-solving history, ability to work well collaboratively and under pressure.
• Outstanding leadership and professional presence.
• Highly motivated self-starter, results orientated and must enjoy a fast-paced environment.
• Team player and willingness to pitch in when necessary.
• Strong political skills, including knowledge of political campaigns preferred.

• Keen attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• A strong record of reliability and the ability to develop new and creative ideas.
• An exemplary performance record and a clear reputation for ethical conduct.
• Outstanding people skills and a strong substantive ability to converse on complex public policy.
• A keen sense of protocol and the ability to work comfortably and effectively with top level government officials and with the senior executive leadership of SAP.
• The ability to be a quick study - someone who can quickly learn the company’s issues and the business community’s perspective on them.

We build breakthroughs together

SAP innovations help more than 400,000 customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with 200 million users and more than 100,000 employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, we build breakthroughs, together.

We win with inclusion

SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better and more equitable world.
SAP is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provide accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.
For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability.

Compensation Range Transparency: SAP believes the value of pay transparency contributes towards an honest and supportive culture and is a significant step toward demonstrating SAP’s commitment to pay equity. SAP provides the annualized compensation range inclusive of base salary and variable incentive target for the career level applicable to the posted role. The targeted combined range for this position is 140,400 - 320,800 USD. The actual amount to be offered to the successful candidate will be within that range, dependent upon the key aspects of each case which may include education, skills, experience, scope of the role, location, etc. as determined through the selection process. Any SAP variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount and any actual payout amount is dependent on company and personal performance. Please reference this link for a summary of SAP benefits and eligibility requirements: SAP North America Benefits.

Requisition ID: 366402  | Work Area: Communication  | Expected Travel: 0 - 20%  | Career Status: Professional  | Employment Type: Regular Full Time   | Additional Locations:  #LI-Hybrid