Manager, Government Affairs

Company Overview

Why Choose Us?

Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.

Our Sustainability Commitment

The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.

Job Description

Position Summary

 

The Manager, Government Affairs reports to Vice President of Government Affairs to support and advance Novolex’s regional and state-level public policy goals across the Midwest or Eastern United States. This role is responsible for monitoring and analyzing legislative and regulatory developments, developing, and executing communications and advocacy strategies, managing stakeholder engagement initiatives, and supporting compliance planning related to enacted legislation and regulations. The manager serves as a critical link between policymakers, regulators, industry stakeholders, and internal business functions. The Manager identifies emerging policy risks and opportunities, communicates potential business impacts to leadership, and helps ensure the organization is prepared to respond to changing legislative and regulatory environments. The successful candidate works collaboratively across the organization to capture stakeholder perspectives, develop company positions on policy issues and legislation, and represent those positions before policymakers and regulators. 

 

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze state legislative and regulatory activity using tracking platforms.
• Track packaging, plastics, fiber, recycling, EPR, recycled content, sustainability, environmental and trade policy developments across assigned region
• Evaluate proposed legislation and regulations toidentify and communicate business impacts, risks, opportunities, and compliance considerations. 
• Advise business leaders to help develop and/or execute policy positions, advocacy strategies, issue campaigns, and stakeholder engagement plans.
• Prepare legislative summaries, policy analyses, executive briefings, testimony, comment letters, and advocacy materials.
• Coordinate efforts with contract lobbyists, communications consultants, trade associations, coalition partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Build relationships with legislators, regulators, agency personnel, industry associations, sustainability organizations, and thought leaders.
• Capture and represent internal stakeholder perspectives andfacilitate development of company positions on policy issues, legislation, and specific bill provisions. 
• Communicate legislative and regulatory risks to internal and external business stakeholders and ensure leadership awareness of emerging developments.
• Map compliance pathways for enacted legislation and advise business leaders regarding implementation requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Support communications and engagement with government agencies regarding reporting, rulemaking, compliance, and implementation activities.

Key Qualifications 

• Bachelor degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in government affairs, public policy, public affairs, communications, regulatory affairs, legislative affairs, or stakeholder advocacy or 3+ years of deep experience focused on packaging policy, sustainability, recycling, EPR, environmental policy, manufacturing policy, or related issue advocacy campaigns.
• Possesses the confidence, gravitas, and professional credibility necessary to influence decision-makers and effectively represent the company in meetings with elected officials, regulatory agencies, industry leaders, coalition partners, and senior executives
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex policy issues into business-focused recommendations.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of plastics and/or fiber packaging, recycling systems, circular economy initiatives, and sustainability policy.
• Experience working with packaging industry associations, coalitions, and external thought leaders.
• Experience supporting regulatory compliance implementation after legislative enactment.
• Experience interacting with elected officials, legislative staff, and regulatory agencies.
• Experience with lobbying disclosure filings and government affairs compliance requirements.
• Experience managing contract lobbyists and communications consultants.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Legislative tracking platforms including Quorum, FiscalNote, State Net, or similar systems.
• Policy research, reporting, executive presentation development, and stakeholder management tools.

 

Compensation:

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $100,000 - 115,000 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

 

The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.

Company Benefits

What You'll Get From Us

Benefits

With safety as our top priority and a commitment to employee well-being an important focus, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits that include medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health. Specific benefits and well-being programs may vary depending on where you work.

Community Engagement

At Novolex, giving back to the local communities that support us is important. Our Focused Giving Program prioritizes support for organizations whose missions promote sustainability initiatives or address food and hunger needs. We also encourage facility level support of activities in the communities where our employees live and work.

Training and Development

We offer constant opportunities for advancement. From skills development to advanced education programs, training and development programs and courses are available through MyLearning. Programs include company and industry training curricula, support for formal education through the Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union), and a Learning Management System that supports and enhances employee skills at all levels of the organization.

 

Novolex is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including but not limited to selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, handicap or disability, genetics, citizenship status, service member or veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Any individual who, because of his or her disability, needs an accommodation in connection with an aspect of the Company's application process should contact [email protected].

 

Formerly Pactiv Evergreen