Senior Policy Advisor, Health

SUMMARY

UnidosUS, previously known as NCLR (National Council of La Raza), is the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy programs, and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico, UnidosUS simultaneously challenges the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos at the national and local levels.

The Senior Policy Advisor, Health will join UnidosUS’s Policy and Advocacy team. The Senior Policy Advisor will play a key role in developing and enacting policy solutions to foster health in the Latino community on issues that include Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Marketplace coverage, mental health, healthcare affordability, barriers to coverage and care encountered by low-income children and families, including immigrants and people with limited English proficiency.

Bringing a strong health equity and social justice lens to every task, the Senior Policy Advisor will be a primary source of highly skilled policy analysis, help manage and implement the health policy team’s strategic priorities, play a central role leading key components of our work to achieve those objectives, and contribute to collective success in accordance with the organizational priorities. The person filling this position will develop policy recommendations and advocacy strategies to influence key audiences, deepen the team’s expertise, strengthen engagement with Congress and state officials, reimagine systems, steward investments responsibly, and build power among local voices.

The Senior Policy Advisor, Health will be responsible for researching and writing policy publications while supporting the development of broader collective team products. To achieve federal-and state-level policy gains for Latinos, and to limit harm experienced by Latinos, the person filling this position will also work collaboratively with other UnidosUS’s components including the Health Programs, Marketing and Communications and Affiliate Engagement teams as well as UnidosUS state directors in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Success in this position will require a focus on strategies with good prospects for long- or short-term success.

Location: This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC. In accordance with UnidosUS policy, employees are expected to work onsite two days per week, with Tuesdays designated as a common in-office day. Additional in-office days may be required as needed.

Salary: $104,000-$125,000

Essential Functions:

Policy Analyses and Advocacy

• Analyze health policy issues affecting the Latino community and produce policy recommendations that take into account prospects for success. Target audiences for this analysis include national and state-level legislators and executive-branch agencies.
• Draft, edit, and publish a range of policy analyses, such as issue briefs, white papers, reports, and blog posts, using primary and secondary research sources.
• Represent UnidosUS in high-visibility settings, including appearances before Congress, the Executive Branch, state legislators and agencies, national conferences, and the media.
• Lead and participate in coalitions of experts, advocates, and other stakeholders addressing health issues important to Latinos.
• Communicate and partner with UnidosUS Affiliates (community-based organizations, including federally qualified health centers) to learn about emerging health trends, lived experiences, and solutions, to develop policy advocacy approaches that effectively address community needs, and to educate and collectively advocate about issues relevant to our collective work.
• Help develop a strong, viable, and proactive agenda to promote and protect Latino families’ health and health care in key states including Arizona, Florida, and Texas
• Provide support to the Director to ensure quality performance on grants, including grant reporting, performance management, and funder relations including fundraising.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public health (MPH), public policy (MPP), public administration (MPA), health economics, health administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and significant relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in health policy, including federal or state policy analysis, regulatory advocacy, or health systems reform.
• A demonstrated ability to assess strategic strengths and weaknesses of possible advocacy strategies. Strong writing skills, evidenced by articles, studies, reports, testimony, or other public documents.
• Experience communicating policy ideas in public settings such as coalition meetings, congressional hearings and briefings, major conferences, and media interviews.
• Strong project management skills suited to a dynamic work environment with multiple ongoing responsibilities, tight deadlines, and expectations for high-quality work.
• Flexibility for occasional travel.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Latino community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris Doctor or other advanced degree in a relevant discipline.
• Spanish-language fluency.
• Familiarity with nutrition and food security issues.
• Skill with quantitative analysis and the manipulation of microdata.
• Experience working on Capitol Hill, the Executive Branch or in state-level legislatures or agencies.
• Familiarity with federal and non-federal budget processes.
• Experience managing staff.

Skills and Abilities

• Steadfast commitment to UnidosUS mission, vision, and values (Excellence, Respeto, Accountability).
• Commitment to supporting and advancing the needs of the U.S. Latino community, Latino non-profit organizations, and the Latino market. Capacity for innovative approaches to substantive policy and advocacy strategy.

Competencies

• Analytics--Synthesizes complex and diverse information; collects and analyzes data; uses intuition and experience to complement data; and designs effective and efficient workflows and
• Managing People--Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; takes responsibility for subordinates' activities; makes self-available to staff; provides regular performance feedback; develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth; solicits and applies feedback (internal and external); fosters quality focus in others; improves processes, products and services; continually works to improve supervisory skills.
• Ethics--Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires trust; works with integrity; and upholds organizational
• Written Communication--Writes clearly and informatively; edits work to develop high-quality written products; varies style and approach to fit audiences and to achieve clear goals; presents numerical information effectively; and interprets written information accurately.
• Oral Communication--Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; and participates in
• Strategic Thinking--Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization's strengths and weaknesses; analyzes policy environment and other stakeholders’ capacities and interests; Identifies threats and opportunities; adapts strategy and tactics to changing
• Teamwork--Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests; builds morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; and supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Motivation--Sets and achieves challenging goals; demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; measures self against standards of excellence; and takes calculated risks to accomplish
• Quality--Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; and monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Initiative--Volunteers readily; undertakes self-development activities; seeks increased responsibilities; takes independent actions and calculated risks; looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; asks for and offers help when needed.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Accurately complete detailed forms and
• Coordinate multiple tasks
• Perform some repetitive motion
• Sit for long periods of
• Frequently required to
• Frequently required to
• Frequently required to
• Frequently required to utilize hand and finger
• Frequently/continually required to talk or
• Occasionally required to lift/push light weights up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral, depth, and ability to adjust or
• Utilize visual acuity to operate equipment, read technical information, and/or use a keyboard.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderately loud.

COVID-19 Considerations:

• UnidosUS follows CDC guidance and strongly encourages employees to stay up to date on vaccinations and practice a range of preventive measures to support their well-being and maintain a healthy work environment.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ABOUT US

UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have challenged the social, economic, and political barriers that affect Latinos through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs, and an Affiliate Network of more than 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. We believe in an America where economic, political, and social progress is a reality for all Latinos, and we collaborate across communities to achieve it. For more information on UnidosUS, visit unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and X.

Employment with UnidosUS is contingent upon the successful completion of a background screen.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or enrollment in a college, university, technical school, or adult education.