Director, Federal and State Government Affairs

Director Of Federal And State Government Affairs

A great job-and a great future-awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We're looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us.

The Director of Federal and State Government Affairs leads the company's public policy strategy and government engagement across the United States. This role is responsible for shaping, advocating, and communicating the company's positions on legislative and regulatory matters that affect the food manufacturing industry, including agriculture, food safety, trade, environmental policy, labor, transportation, and tax. The director serves as a primary liaison between the company and elected officials, industry associations, and other stakeholders. This role can be located in Smithfield, VA, Richmond, VA, or the Washington, DC Metro Area.

What You'll Do :

• Government Affairs Strategy Leadership : Develop and execute comprehensive federal and state government affairs strategies aligned with corporate priorities to advance Smithfield's business interests.
• Policy Monitoring & Impact Assessment : Monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory, and political developments; proactively assess impacts and recommend strategic actions to mitigate risks or capture opportunities.
• Executive Advisory & Communications : Advise executive leadership on policy risks, emerging trends, and advocacy needs, communicating implications to ensure informed decision-making.
• Issue Portfolio & Advocacy Campaign Management : Manage priority policy issue portfolios and lead advocacy campaigns to successful outcomes, including working with external consultants to build targeted relationships.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Collaboration : Coordinate closely with internal operational teams to align government affairs initiatives with business objectives and ensure cohesive execution.
• Compliance & Accountability Oversight : Ensure government affairs activities comply with lobbying, ethics, and disclosure regulations, supporting internal processes that drive transparency and accountability.
• Political Engagement & PAC Management : Manage HAMPAC and oversee political contribution strategies; collaborate with community development partners to highlight Smithfield's investments to policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels.

What We're Seeking :

Other Skills That Make You Stand Out :

Supervisory Responsibilities :

This position manages Smithfield's relationship with advocacy partners at the federal and state levels.

Physical Demands & Work Environment :

The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee should possess to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Smithfield is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action (EEO / AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or any other protected group status or non-job-related characteristic as directed by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595.