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Senior Manager, Health Policy

Position:             Senior Manager,  Health Policy

Reports to:         Deputy Director

Supervision of:    Storytelling Coordinator(s), Health Justice Organizer(s), Health Justice Intern(s)

Collaborate with: Communications Director, State Director

Liaise:                 Immigration Policy Director, Youth Civic Engagement Manager, State Directors, National Policy
Staff

Hiring Range:     $71,580 – $89,475

Title Band:          Senior Manager, Exempt

Salary Grade:     12B, Full Time (35 hours per week)

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 We serve and advocate for the largest, most diverse generation in America: the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25, with particular attention to those living in poverty and communities of color. CDF partners with policymakers, aligned organizations and funders in this service. The Children’s Defense Fund is the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice by wielding the moral authority of programmatic proximity and community organizing to inform public policy. For more information visit www.childrensdefense.org.

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Health Policy works with the Leadership Team and the Policy Team, under the supervision of the Deputy Director, to design, coordinate, and implement CDF’s long and short-term strategy to advocate for health justice for Texas children and their families. This role will have and develop expertise in health coverage barriers and solutions in Texas. This role manages and advances CDF and its associated health advocacy coalitions and campaign’s strategies by playing a leading role in the following: the Southerners for Medicaid Expansion, Cover Texas Now, Children’s Health Coverage Coalition, and Sick of It, Texas! campaign leadership. This position will manage the Storytelling Coordinator staff member, a healthcare organizer, and oversee recruitment and training of interns and new employees. This position will also provide support in managing the budget for Health Policy and Advocacy work and its related initiatives. Lastly, this role will translate organizational goals into functional and individual goals while tracking and reporting results to both the Deputy Director and State Director.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Lead CDF’s multi-level (legislative, grasstops, and grassroots organizing and storytelling) strategy to achieve coverage expansion towards health justice in Texas by convening relevant CDF staff, partners and coalitions to map out, coordinate, and execute local, state, and national strategies. This encompasses work with the Sick of It, Texas! (SOIT) coalition, Finish Line team, the Cover Texas Now coalition, the Children’s Health Coverage Coalition, the Southerners for Medicaid Expansion coalition
• Creatively co-develop SOIT’s grassroots campaign to activate people power across the state towards health justice
• Lead development of Texas health coverage legislative agenda alongside Deputy Director and key partners and coalitions

Campaign and Program Management

• Supervise and support the Storytelling Coordinator to build CDF’s story advocacy work, expand public education and deepen community partnerships so that the voices of Texans who have personal health coverage stories, particularly those in the Medicaid coverage gap, are heard by legislators and other key decision makers
• Identify new and cultivate existing relationships with statewide and local organizations who can contribute to CDF advocacy and story collection efforts, especially those working with low- income communities and communities of color
• Work closely with the Communications Team to center healthcare stories through a range of platforms to build grassroots and grass-tops support for health care coverage issues, including social media and earned media
• Identify strategic opportunities for policy advocacy—coordinating meetings and drafting testimonies, public comments, advocacy letters, op-eds, and other materials that improve health coverage and access for Texans
• Manage health policy grants and associated interim reporting, collaborating with State Director and partner coalitions as relevant
• Oversee technical assistance, strategy, and reporting guidelines for three sub granted community partners in targeted rural communities to engage Texans on health coverage issues
• Track health care policy, especially pertaining to Medicaid and CHIP, at the state and national levels
• Constantly look for new partnerships and opportunities to promote our objectives, act as the partner, funder, and client-facing representative for CDF’s health policy work

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• At least 8 years of relevant experience to include at least 3 years management experience required

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, social work, or a related field, or juris doctor degree
• Experience developing and executing legislative strategy
• Experience working across and strengthening state and national coalitions
• Understanding of Medicaid, CHIP, ACA, and other healthcare policy issues in Texas
• Story collection, organizing, and mobilizing experience a plus
• Experience working with people with low incomes
• Spanish proficiency a plus

Competencies

• Racial equity analysis and application in the social sector.
• Community awareness and prioritization of proximity to inform decision-making.
• Results-driven management style.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Relationship and consensus building with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to set and manage priorities and manage competing demands.
• A well-organized individual with high ethical standards.

Personal Characteristics

• Orientation to and background of servant leadership
• Passion for CDF’s mission and purpose and ability to communicate this passion to others
• Ability to serve as an advocate and exemplar for the vision, values, and mission of the Children’s Defense Fund
• 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
• We are committed to a healthy work-life balance
• We are also committed to standing up for progress at times that may outside of regular business hours, so this person may sometimes have to work weekends and evenings.

Additional comments

Children’s Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, economic status, or status as an individual with a disability. Consideration will be given to qualified candidates on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Salary commensurate with experience. Attractive benefits package.

A background check and/or pre-employment assessments will be performed in compliance with local, state, and federal law on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

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

Questions regarding the role or position description may be submitted to Human Resources at humanresources@childrensdefense.org.

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Job posted: 2023-09-12