Senior Director of Policy and External Affairs

United States of Care (USofCare) is seeking a Senior Director of Policy & External Affairs to join our growing team. The mission of USofCare is to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care regardless of health status, social need, or income. A non-partisan non-profit, we drive a unique, cross-sector, people-centered approach to prioritizing, creating and advancing state and federal policies that meet people’s needs.

To achieve our people-centered mission, USofCare values and prioritizes inclusion and diverse perspectives on our staff. Seeking unity over uniformity, we pay attention to the unique interests, abilities, needs, and backgrounds of every employee. Applications from diverse backgrounds and communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Position Overview

The ideal Senior Director of Policy & External Affairs is a strategic leader and effective manager who can seamlessly balance collaborating with an evolving team while advancing key organizational priorities. The Senior Director will be responsible for the strategy and implementation of the advocacy, policy and partnership work that is so key to USofCare achieving its goal to expand health care coverage and access for everyone. The Senior Director will be responsible for synchronizing the team’s state- based efforts with a federal strategy to advance organization-wide programmatic priorities. With an authentic appreciation for the value of ‘states leading the way,’ an effective leader in this role will bring a proven understanding of the importance of advancing solutions that can be attractive to a variety of policymakers and will be able to apply learnings from one state’s progress to other states and on the federal level. 

Equal parts political strategist and federal implementor, the Senior Director will proactively collaborate with and establish a strategy for partnership building with a wide range of stakeholders. This person will be responsible for positioning USofCare as a leader in understanding people’s shared needs and developing and advancing health care policy that meets these needs. To advance this work, the Senior Director will report into and collaborate with the Chief Program Officer and will be responsible for the team management of a talented and growing Policy & External Affairs staff.

Strategy & Implementation 

• In partnership with the Chief Program Officer, set and implement the strategy for the organization’s federal policy and advocacy priorities; 
• Create and implement a strategy for partnership and coalition building to advance health care priorities that reflect people’s needs; 
•  Drive progress towards our ambitious mission, balancing innovative, big picture thinking with day-to-day excellence in execution including measuring success and ensuring resources are used for maximum results;
• Provide collaborative leadership for the Policy & External Affairs team members executing at the state level;
• Take informed risks, embrace ambiguity, and use the organization’s collective intelligence to solve problems, weigh outcomes, and take calculated risks.

Partnership Building

• Serve as the organization’s primary liaison with members of Congress, Congressional, and federal agency staff to build and maintain bipartisan and bicameral relationships;   
• With other organization leaders, proactively identify, pursue and maintain relationships and connections with federal policy and advocacy organizations and other stakeholders to advance USofCare’s work and mission;
• Work in collaboration with the Development team to identify and cultivate philanthropic relationships; 
• Serve as an external spokesperson and expert for the organization with stakeholders, lawmakers, and media as appropriate.

Team Management 

• Directly manage a growing Policy & External Affairs team, including overseeing the Policy & External Affairs Team’s tracking and reporting against programmatic grants and compliance with relevant lobbying-related regulations as needed; 
• Lead through example to provide direct reports with collaborative support and strategic consult, demonstrating a commitment to their work priorities  and professional growth; and 
• Prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion principles, including utilizing the organization’s equity lens to inform all work. 

Qualifications and Core Competencies  

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, including direct management experience;
  
• Bachelor’s degree required;
  
• A commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable health care; 

• A deep knowledge of the  health care landscape and a nuanced understanding of the health policy sector, including Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and policy areas related to increasing access to care and controlling health care costs;

• Sophisticated understanding of the federal landscape, including experience working with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and/or the federal government and/or in a senior policy or advocacy role at an external organization;
  
• Experience operating at the state level to inform federal policy change or, at a minimum, exposure to state level policy change;
  
• Proven ability to communicate policy priorities to diverse audiences, with a preference for candidates who have experience in in bipartisan environments;
  
• Exceptional relationship building skills, with a preference for candidates who previously served in a partnership focused role;
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable and innovative approach to leadership, preferably including experience having grown a team on an evolving organization; 
• Willing to respect different points of view and balance innovation and creativity with the ability to organize in order to get the work done;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Compensation and Location

United States of Care offers a generous benefits package including mental, dental, and vision insurance; 403b with match and flexible paid time off. A full summary of benefits is available upon request. This position is full-time and candidates located in the Washington DC areas are strongly preferred. The salary range for this is $150,000 – $175,000 depending on experience and location. 

The position is open until filled, and the hiring committee will begin screening applications on a rolling basis as they are received in January 2022. 

Interested candidates should apply here: https://unitedstatesofcare.org/career/senior-director-of-policy-and-external-affairs/?positionApplying=Senior+Director+of+Policy+and+External+Affairs

https://unitedstatesofcare.org/career/senior-director-of-policy-and-external-affairs/?positionApplying=Senior+Director+of+Policy+and+External+Affairs