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Advisor, Strategic Partnerships and Government Affairs

Kamehameha Schools • Full-time • Plaza, North Dakota, United States • 2w ago

Job Posting Title

Employee Type

Regular

Recruiting Start Date

06-02-2026

Job Exempt?

Yes

Recruiting End Date

Open Until Filled

Aloha mai!Mahalo for your interest in Kamehameha Schools.If you are looking for an opportunity to utilize your skills and talents and grow in your profession, while serving and strengthening our Native Hawaiian community, we would love to have you join our ʻohana!

Job Summary

This rolestrengthensKe KulaoKamehameha’s(KS)abilityto advance its mission and policy priorities through enduring partnerships, coordinated advocacy, and relational leadership grounded in trust and shared purpose.This role integratescultivating partnerships across Hawaiian-serving, educational, aina-based, and philanthropic networks to supportcollective advocacy and systems change, and engaging policymakers and public agencies to advance enterprise priorities.

Working under the direction ofleadership, the Adviser ensures that KS'presence in community and government arenas isaligned, principled, andreflective ofthe organization’s values and strategic direction. The AdviserrepresentsKSinsmall- and mid-scale engagements, builds alignment across partners and policymakers, and ensures that advocacy actions are well-informed, culturally grounded, and executed with excellence.

Essential Responsibilities

Partnership Cultivation and Coordination

Build and sustain relationships with Native Hawaiian, civic, educational, aina-based, philanthropic, and governmentpartners.

Coordinate coalitions, working groups, and joint initiativesadvancingprioritiesdeterminedby KS’strategic plans and the Government Relations Committee (GRC).

Support joint advocacy campaignsthrough partner alignment,logistics, communication, and follow through.

Serve as a point of contact and relationship steward for designated external partners, ensuring mutual accountability, cultural integrity, andconsistent engagement.

Track partnership activities, commitments, and outcomesfor reporting, transparency, and enterprise learning.

Help sustain long-term partnerships beyond transactional advocacy efforts.

Cultural and Strategic Alignment

Ground allwork in KS’ identity andvalues.

Centeradvocacy and partnershipwork in service tosupportingea.

Demonstrate cultural fluency and relational awarenessacrossgovernment and partnership interactions.

Represent KSas a principled,trusted, andculturally grounded organization committed to advancing collective well-being.

Research, Briefing, and Reporting

Conduct partnership and policy research to inform strategic decision-making and advocacyefforts.

Prepare briefing notes, data summaries, and policy scans forGRCand senior leadership.

Contribute toreporting, includingan annualStrategic Partnerships and Government Relations Impact Report.

Maintain records of meetings, engagements, and legislative interactions to support institutional continuity.

Legislative and Policy Engagement

Supportcoordination of KS’legislative and regulatory engagement, including policy analysis, testimony preparation, and briefings.

Monitor and analyze proposed legislation, administrative rules, and policy initiatives affecting KS’interests.

Draft and edit position statements, reports, and briefing materials for internal and external use.

Represent KSin hearings, meetings, or briefings with legislators, agency officials, and coalition partners, as delegated.

Maintain legislative calendars, contact lists, and action trackers to ensuretimelyfollow-up.

Summarize key developments and provide policy updates forleadershipand staff.

Internal Coordination and Strategic Alignment

Collaborate closely withcommunications teamsto ensure unified messaging across policy,partnership, and public engagement efforts.

Work withother KSdivisionsto share partner insights,identifyopportunities, andalign efforts.

Supportleadershipin aligning partnership and government strategieswithenterprise priorities and strategic outcomes.

Coordinate internal communications to foster shared understandingof advocacy effortsacross KS.

Leadership throughPilinaand Service

Lead throughkuleanaand trust by focusing on alignment, relationships, and sharedpurposeto bridgestrategy, partnership, and policy.

Model disciplined follow-through, discretion, and reliability in carrying outresponsibilities.

Foster collaboration,pilina, andmutual accountability across teams and partners.

Demonstrate humility and foresight in navigating complex political and community environments.

Contribute to a work culture that integrates reflection, learning, andcultural groundingas essential elements of effective advocacy.

Position Requirements

Minimum Qualifications -An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered for the requirements listed.

Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Hawaiian Studies, Political Science, Business, or related field.

7years of progressively responsible experience in legislative affairs, policy analysis, community partnerships, or advocacy coordination.

Strong understanding of Hawaii’s political, cultural, and community landscapes.

Proven ability to build and sustaincross-sectorrelationships.

Excellentverbal and writtencommunication skills, including legislative and partnership correspondence.

Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability tooperatein diverse,cross-sectorcontexts.

Highdegreeof professionalism, reliability, and integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

Proficiencyor conversational familiarityin oleloHawaiʻi.

Experience working with Native Hawaiian-serving, Indigenous, or culturally grounded organizations.

Established relationships within community, legislative, or advocacy networks.

Experience supporting multisector coalitions or partnerships.

Knowledge of policy-tracking systems or partnership management tools (e.g.,Airtable, Smartsheet, or Monday.com).

Physical Requirements

Frequently sit, perform desk-based computer tasks and grasp light or fine manipulation,talkor hear.

Specific vision abilitiesrequiredinclude close vision, peripheralvisionand ability to adjust focus.

Occasionally stand and/or walk,write by hand, and lift and/or carry, push and/or pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds (equipment and materials for community engagement efforts).

Rarely twist, bend, stoop, squat, kneel, crawl, climb,reachor work above shoulder, or grasp forcefully.

Working Conditions

This position involves traveling to various locations, includingneighborislands and US continent locations to conduct business.

Work is conducted in an office environment and may require work to be conducted in non- standardworkplaces.

With supervisor-approved work plans, hybrid work may also be conducted through on-line settings (Teams, Slack, etc.).

Work is typically conducted Monday through Friday at normal businesshoursbut evening and weekend hours are oftenrequiredto meet goals andobjectives.

Disclaimer:The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by incumbents assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities,dutiesand skillsrequired.The incumbent may be expected to perform other duties as assigned.

For internal use only: #LI-CAR

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact us at hr@ksbe.edu or 808-534-8040 if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

KS does not accept unauthorized solicitations of candidate referrals from third-party vendors (i.e. Staffing Agencies, Executive Recruitment Firms). Any third-party vendor who has interest in supporting KS's recruiting efforts must be authorized by Human Resources prior to the vendor’s candidate applying with KS.

Work Year

Pay Range

132,800.00 - 189,600.00 Annual

Compensation and Benefits

Based on the compensation range provided below, salaries are commensurate with job-related experience, skills and competencies, education, internal equity, length of work year, and other organizational needs.

At Kamehameha Schools (KS), we recognize that compensation is just one facet of a fulfilling employment experience. Our commitment lies in fostering a positive work environment and equipping employees with the necessary resources to excel every day. Our Total Rewards Program embodies KS's dedication to the physical, mental, and financial well-being of our employee ʻohana. Explore our comprehensive Benefits Summary for more information.

Primary Location

Kawaiahao Plaza

City, State

Honolulu, Hawaii

Additional Locations