Lead Associate, Public Partnerships

About the Organization

Mercy Chefs, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit, faith-based charitable organization committed to providing high-quality, professionally prepared meals to victims, first responders, and volunteers during natural disasters and national emergencies. Mercy Chefs recruits food service professionals from across the United States and trains church and community-based volunteers. Mercy Chefs provides food service support to the activities of other organizations. 

Summary

Mercy Chefs is seeking a Lead Associate, Public Partnerships to expand and manage our government funding efforts. This role involves internal coordination, complex partnership management, and maintaining relationships with Federal and State government officials. The lead associate will actively track and pursue funding opportunities, manage key relationships, and provide direct support to leadership. The position will handle support documentation, opportunity tracking, and scheduling and follow up communication coordination.  The Lead Associate reports to the Director of Strategic Initiatives.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Public Partnership and Government Relations

● Maintain and grow relationships with federal state officials  

● Support funding pursuits by monitoring opportunities, preparing briefing materials, and coordinating submissions  

● Track public funding opportunities and ensure timely follow-up with relevant offices  

● Coordinate state/federal lobbying reporting as needed

● Spend time on Capitol Hill, attending and assisting in meetings with congressional offices and key stakeholders  

Internal Coordination 

● Support planning for VIP/Executive leadership visits  

● Coordinating with field teams and partners to ensure successful meetings  

● Coordinate internal meeting schedules and manage key note creation  

● Work closely with external consultants to align strategy and execution  

Knowledge Management and Documentation

● Maintain records of government contacts, meetings, and outcomes in Salesforce  

● Develop and maintain templates for briefing documents, presentations, and official correspondence  

● Track deadlines and consolidate team input for reports and submissions  

● Track organization-wide deadlines and gather team input for reporting requests  

Management Support  

● Assist department senior management with managing calendars, arranging travel and supporting coordination and content development for external meetings.

● Assist with recruiting and onboarding new team members, and supervise department interns.

Required Qualifications

● Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, plus at least 2 years of relevant experience

● Effective research, time management, and organizational skills with high attention to details

● Proven ability to work independently and solve complex problems with minimal guidance ● Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to draft professional correspondence and briefing materials  

● Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when sharing information

● Professional proficiency in MS Office suite; advanced PowerPoint and Excel skills

● Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally

Preferred Qualifications

● Prior experience working with Capitol Hill offices or in a legislative or government relations role  

● Understanding of federal and state budget processes and public grant application cycles ● Experience coordinating complex tasks at a fast paced or