NC Child works to build a strong North Carolina by advancing public policies to ensure that all children—regardless of race, ethnicity, or place of birth—have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Position Overview: NC Child seeks a Senior Health Policy Analyst to oversee NC Child’s health policy program. The Senior Health Policy Analyst leads administrative and legislative health policy efforts, including federal and state Medicaid and health reform advocacy, as well as oversight of the children’s environmental health and children’s oral health programs. In addition, the Senior Health Policy Analyst serves in a critical public role for the agency, representing NC Child at the federal, state, and local levels and serving as a point person on health policy issues for press and other media inquiries.
Reports To: Policy Director
Specific Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Policy Knowledge
–Demonstrate expertise in and political understanding of federal and state health policy, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (NC Health Choice)
–Develop an understanding of environmental and oral health policy
–Research emerging health policy issues and brief the Policy Director, staff and allies to ensure informed decision-making on policy actions - Policy Action
–Monitor all important child health related policy issues at the federal and state level. Assess the impact of those policies on the children of North Carolina in consultation with national, state and local issue experts and communities impacted by the policy proposals
–Develop and maintain relationships with Department of Health and Human Services staff and work in partnership on priority issues
–Work with the Director of Research and Data to identify needed data and research reports that support our health advocacy activities
–Work with the Public Engagement Director to build and nurture effective multi-organizational coalitions and alliances on priority health issues and campaigns
–Work with the Policy Director to coordinate direct advocacy efforts at the federal and state level - Coalition Advocacy
–Lead the NC Coalition to Protect Child & Family Health
–Participate in state-level coalitions, task forces, and workgroups that advance NC Child’s health policy priorities - Policy Communications
–Contribute regularly to the NC Child blog
–Serve as the point person for communications to the NC Coalition to Protect Child & Family Health - Policy Team
–Participate in NC Child legislative policy team which includes the Policy Director, contract lobbyist, Senior Fellow, and Public Engagement Director (weekly calls during session) - Fund development
–As needed, help write grant proposals for NC Child’s programmatic work
Qualifications:
We are seeking a candidate that has on the ground experience working in health policy advocacy. A competitive candidate will demonstrate these qualifications:
- Experience working in administrative and/or legislative health policy advocacy for three years.
- Experience in coalition-building and support; community organizing and engagement is highly desirable.
- Supervision experience preferable.
- A Masters degree in public policy, public administration, social work, public health or related field is preferable, but not required.
- A strong commitment to NC Child’s mission and core values which include strengthening economic opportunity for all children, reducing race and ethnic disparities, and an orientation toward policy solutions that prioritize prevention and early investment.
- The ideal candidate will have the ability to communicate thoughtfully, succinctly, persuasively, and quickly.
- The ideal candidate will work easily and effectively with diverse stakeholders – whether that is across the political spectrum, from different disciplines and agencies, or from the wide range of North Carolina communities that are racially, ethnically, socio-economically and geographically diverse.
- Strong candidates will be able to multi-task, prioritize and re-prioritize as needed to get the job done.
- Candidates should be able to work effectively in a policy environment that is often ambiguous, constantly changes, and requires strategic and opportunistic pivoting to advance identified policy objectives.
- NC Child believes that how we go about doing our work is as important as the end results. Demonstrating kindness and compassion with our team members, our allies and stakeholders, and with those who may not always agree with our positions, is part of what makes our agency strong. The ideal candidate will share this value.
Salary and Benefits:
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
- NC Child offers a generous benefits package.
Position Requirements:
- The Senior Health Policy Analyst is a full-time position (40 hours/week). However, we recognize that outstanding candidates may not be able to work a full 40 hour week due to family responsibilities, etc. NC Child is amenable to reduced hours to secure the best candidate for this position.
- The Senior Health Policy Analyst must be able to travel occasionally throughout the state. While NC Child encourages staff to work from home whenever possible and will be moving to an increasingly “virtual” office in 2017, the Senior Health Policy Analyst will be needed in Raleigh on a regular basis for state-level meetings with allies.
NC Child strongly believes in supporting people of color as leaders and advocates in state policy advocacy efforts. We encourage candidates of color to apply.
Application Period: June 28 – August 4
To apply: Please email a cover letter with salary requirements, a writing sample pertaining to a policy issue (two pages or less), and a resume to samantha@ncchild.org.