Position: Health Policy Associate

Reports to: Deputy Director

Supervision: Health Care Policy Intern(s)

Organization Overview

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. CDF’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. 

Position Summary

The Health Policy Associate works with the Deputy Director to advocate for better access to health care coverage for Texas families and children. This role supports CDF-Texas’ work directly advocating with legislators’ offices, engaging partners and coalitions, coordinating activities for the #SickOfItTX campaign, and supporting policy advocacy through the development of public education material, public testimony, and public comments. The Health Policy Associate will specialize in identifying and organizing Texans who have personal health care or Medicaid experiences, particularly those in the Medicaid coverage gap, by helping them access available resources and get their stories in front of legislators. This position will work in close collaboration with the Campaign Director, Campaign Organizers, Communications Team, and the Policy Team of the #SickOfItTX Campaign. This role is based in Austin, TX.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, and share advocates’ personal health care experiences, with a focus on Medicaid success stories and those living in the Medicaid coverage gap;
• Cultivate relationships with statewide and local organizations who can contribute to our story collection and advocacy efforts, especially those working with low-income communities and communities of color;
• Work closely with the Communications Team to share stories through a range of platforms to build grassroots and grass-tops support for health care coverage issues, including social media and earned media;
• Cultivate relationships with storytellers
• Refer storytellers to health resources where possible, and maintaining knowledge of public health insurance programs, low-cost clinics, county indigent care, and other resources for uninsured and underinsured Texans
• Incorporate storytellers into advocacy events such as candidate forums, legislative meetings, and rallies;
• Collaborate with the Digital Organizing Manager to move #SickOfItTX supporters up the ladder of engagement
• Ensure that stories collected represent marginalized communities as well as the following populations: people with disabilities, children with special health needs, low-income working adults, rural Texans, small business owners, and uninsured children;
• Draft testimonies, public comments, advocacy letters, and other materials that advocate for policy solutions;
• Coordinate meetings and health care advocacy goals with at least three sub-granted community partners in strategic communities across Texas;
• Coordinate visits and strategy with legislative offices to pass legislation that improves health care coverage for Texans;
• Track health care policy, especially pertaining to Medicaid and CHIP, at the state and national levels;
• Lead event planning and outreach for advocacy events.

Education and/or experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred

Competencies

• Excellent communicator and creative thinker;
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, as well as the ability to adopt the appropriate style, tone, and voice when documenting people’s stories;
• Well organized and detail-oriented;
• Highly collaborative style;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with many different stakeholders and constituencies;
• Commitment to advocacy and to CDF’s mission to be a voice for all children;
• Knowledge of issues and initiatives that affect low-income people;
• Clear understanding of economic and racial justice issues and the ability to incorporate analysis of these issues into their work;

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with people with low incomes.
• Understanding of Medicaid, CHIP, ACA, and other healthcare policy issues in Texas;
• Story collection, organizing, and mobilizing experience a plus;
• Spanish proficiency a plus.

Personal Characteristics

• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to interact diplomatically and professionally with CDF staff and external partners/contacts
• A “get it done,” results-driven, proactive attitude, capable of working independently and under pressure, ability to take initiative, set priorities, efficiently and effectively organize work, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Type of work environment associated with the job - Indoor, office setting, some travel. Hours: we are committed to a healthy work-life balance. We are also committed to standing up for progress at times that may occur outside of regular business hours, so this person may sometimes have to work weekends and evenings.

To apply submit cover letter, resume and salary requirement.

Additional Comments

The Children’s Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Note: This job description does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee.

Consideration will be given to qualified candidates on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. 

All inquiries will remain confidential until establishment of mutual, serious interest and provision of references for review.