Summary

Description

About the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative:

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) is a nonprofit, non-partisan, membership-based organization working to advance the consumer voice to improve access to health care for all Coloradans by working statewide for progress toward equity, affordability, and quality. CCHI is actively working to break down barriers in accessing health care through innovating in public policy, building inclusive coalitions and partnerships, and engaging community members in our work. We work through a three pronged approach that advocates for policy change. Our policy, strategic engagement, and consumer assistance teams work together to find relief for Coloradans whose access to health care and financial security are compromised by affordability, poor benefits, and unfair business practices of the healthcare industry.

About the position:

The Policy & Advocacy Manager provides leadership and support on policy and legislative campaigns aimed at breaking down barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable health care, under the supervision of the Policy Director. This includes advocacy, lobbying, coalition management, campaign development, education, research, and policy analysis. The Policy & Advocacy Manager may work on a variety of health policy issues including prescription drug affordability, surprise out-of-network billing, ways to reduce health care costs, health insurance rate review, affordability of insurance coverage options, and general consumer protections. The Policy & Advocacy Manager will work closely with the CCHI team, and is part of the policy team along with the Policy Director, Policy and Research Coordinator, and Advocacy Coordinator. The Policy & Advocacy Manager will be responsible for managing the Policy and Research Coordinator and Advocacy Coordinator. The Policy & Advocacy Manager position is a full-time, permanent position. However, like all positions at CCHI, the Policy & Advocacy Manager is dependent on continued availability of grant funding.

Location: Denver, Colorado

While CCHI works to represent Coloradans across the state, our offices are located in Denver due to proximity to the state Capitol. This position requires regular travel to meetings with partners, legislators, government agencies, and other parties in and around the Denver-Metro area. On occasion, some statewide and interstate travel may be required.

Primary Responsibilities

Conducting policy analysis and tracking proposed policies (legislative and regulatory) at the federal and state levels, including the analysis necessary in developing an organizational position on various health care issues
Managing project-based grants and supporting relationships with key funders and supporters
Representing CCHI at meetings with members, policymakers, and health industry groups, and advocating for change in alignment with CCHI’s mission
Facilitating CCHI’s member-based Policy Committee meetings, including setting meeting agendas responding to member requests for information, and maintaining a tracking system for legislation
Managing issue specific coalitions, including recruitment, meeting facilitation, and developing campaign collateral (fact sheets, action alerts, etc.)
Developing and maintaining relationships with policymakers, health care groups, and community members
Developing education, outreach and training materials on current policy issues, and present at conferences and other events as opportunities are available
Providing strategic support and direction for grassroots engagement efforts and events with the Advocacy Coordinator
Assisting in the development messaging and communications on health care policies
Supporting development and fundraising efforts as needed, including planning events
Providing logistical support to CCHI team members and work collaboratively to achieve the overall mission
Manage Policy & Research Coordinator and Advocacy Coordinator and provide support/ mentorship to other members of the CCHI team
Additional responsibilities as determined in partnership with supervisor and organizational needs

About you:

The ideal candidate is self-directed, curious, organized, and shares CCHI’s core values. You should be comfortable in a fast-paced environment where tasks, priorities, and deadlines can change quickly. You have a passion for learning, understanding, and exploring new ideas. You are not afraid to ask questions, speak up, and be an active and engaged member of our team. You are committed to social justice and being a voice for equity in our work.

Required Qualifications

Understanding of health care policy and health justice, including in the legislative, budget, and regulatory environments
Strong project and time management skills
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds
Self-starter, with the ability to structure your day and priorities to meet deadlines under minimal supervision
Can thrive in an environment where the path forward isn’t always clear
Values open, honest, and constructive communication with fellow team members
Willingness to work occasional nights and weekends

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in a policy or advocacy organization, preferably with a focus on health care policy in the private health insurance market
Established relationships with legislators or other policy makers, preferably with some lobbying experience
Experience managing others
Experience with grassroots advocate mobilization and engagement
Bilingual English/Spanish

Other Considerations:

Physical Requirements

Expectations for this position include operating a computer, in-person conversations with organizational partners and members of the community, and spending time on the phone and/or video calls for internal and external communication. The Policy & Advocacy Manager must reside in the state of Colorado. CCHI’s office is a collaborative, shared workspace environment with other nonprofit advocacy organizations. CCHI may have required workdays in the office and other in person meetings and events. CCHI offers some flexible work from home schedules based on the position and required tasks. This position may also require working some nights and weekends as well as traveling for conferences, events and meetings.

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is strongly committed to building a work environment that recognizes, respects, and encourages the unique contributions of a broad spectrum of qualified employees. We strive to make employment decisions that support inclusion and to maintain a work atmosphere that is equitable and promotes work-life practices that allow people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles to grow personally and professionally.

CCHI is an equal employment opportunity employer. CCHI does not discriminate against employees or job applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation (incl. transgender status), physical or mental disability, military status, genetic information, marriage to a co-worker and retaliation for engaging in protected activity (opposing a discriminatory practice or participating in an employment discrimination proceeding or any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state or local law).

For further information about CCHI, please visit our website at www.cohealthinitiative.org.

Benefits

Salary and benefits: $68,000, with an additional $3,500 annually for Spanish language fluency.

Full time with benefits including:

Health, life, disability, vision and dental insurance coverage for employees, partners, and dependents
Retirement savings plan with 3% employer match
Generous paid leave policies including ability to accrue 2 weeks of sick time and 3 weeks of paid vacation
Generous sabbatical benefits: upon 3 years of service, 4 weeks sabbatical; 5 years of service, 6 weeks sabbatical; 7 years of service, 8 weeks sabbatical; every 3 years thereafter 8 weeks sabbatical
$75 cell phone stipend
$2000 Professional development stipend
RTD Eco pass
Resources and opportunities as well as hybrid/work from home options available (with some in office days expected)

In order to counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, salaries are non-negotiable for new and current employees. Starting salaries are always listed clearly in job descriptions.

Why our salaries are non-negotiable: Requiring new staff to negotiate in order to receive a fair salary often results in pay inequity, especially for women and people of color, and we do not want to compound that inequity as part of our compensation structure. Employees have the opportunity to progress through current salary bands through annual cost of living increases and higher level responsibility increases, and into new salary bands through promotions.