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State Health Care Now – State Policy Director
State Health Care Now is seeking a full-time State Policy Director to lead our state advocacy activities, primarily by building and maintaining alliances among key actors throughout the state.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for engaging with coalition partners, policymakers, nonprofit leaders, industry executives, and constituents to bring about real legislative change. They have a proven ability to build reciprocal relationships with coalition partners from marginalized communities and to foster collaboration (even when there are competing interests). They advocate for more equitable policy solutions, with attention to the role of race, poverty, age, and immigration status in healthcare access, and regularly include others in planning and decision-making. They will be committed to getting results in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing input or quality, and have the resilience to navigate setbacks with an eye toward new opportunities.
Who We Are
State Health Care Now is a fast-paced nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring affordable health insurance to every state resident. We partner with local organizations statewide to address health disparities among marginalized communities and lift up community-driven policy solutions. We work closely with lawmakers, advocates, and business leaders, and have built a reputation as one of the state’s leading voices for health equity. We plan to add 24 partners over the next two years and achieve universal coverage for all low-income children and children of color in our state by 20XX.
What You’ll Do
The State Policy Director, who is based in X state and reports to the executive director, is responsible for the following:
- Building and maintaining strategic relationships with policymakers, nonprofit leaders, industry executives, leading experts, coalition partners, and constituents
- Implementing our state advocacy agenda—current activities include three major programs and one annual conference
- Supervising three state-based project staff, two to four consultants, and 10-20 volunteers
- Monitoring legislative proposals and trends
- Serving as a member of the organization’s leadership team
Who You Are & Keys to Success (the must-haves)
To be successful in this job, you will excel in four areas:
- Relationship-building: You develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders and can bring in allies and coalition partners from marginalized communities statewide, such as people of color, people with disabilities, low-income families, homeless/unhoused people, and immigrants. You know how to build alliances and find points of collaboration even when there are competing interests.
- Drive to achieve results: You have a track record of accomplishing ambitious goals and getting results even when there are obstacles. You set a high bar and meet it, because you think three (or 30) steps ahead to anticipate hurdles and come up with pragmatic solutions. You plan backwards and involve stakeholders appropriately.
- Inclusive leadership and management: You approach leadership with a mindset of “power with” rather than “power over” and regularly include others in decision-making. You have experience managing multiple projects and keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You use resources wisely, and can manage a team of staff, consultants, and volunteers to leverage time and talent for impact.
- Commitment to racial equity and social justice: You recognize the role of race, income, age, immigration status, and other identities in shaping health disparities, and you consistently amplify community voices to advocate for more equitable policy solutions. You recognize how your own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about race, ability, and other lines of difference.
Knowledge of healthcare policy issues and prior experience in a legislative environment are both plusses, but are not requirements.
If you were here right now, you would be:
- Calling a sector leader to persuade them our ED should speak at their state conference
- Managing development of c4 voter guide—getting input from national team members and from allies, and overseeing communications team process to make sure it’s on track
- Letting lobbyist know we’re not renewing contract, without burning bridges
- Sitting in on healthcare caucus retreat and giving input on legislative strategy
What Else You Should Know
State Health Care Now is an equal opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by our issue. We especially encourage people of color, LGBQ people, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.
The position is full-time and is ideally based in ____ (although we might have flexibility on location for the right candidate). The role requires ____ travel (about X days a month). The salary for this position ranges from $XX to $YY, with exact salary depending on experience. We also offer excellent benefits such as XX and YY.
How to Apply
Please send a cover letter and resume to Pat Rodriguez, VP of Advocacy, at pat@statehcnow.org.