Vice President, Government Relations

About NJHA: The New Jersey Hospital Association is a not-for-profit trade organization committed to delivering support and services to the state’s hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers. We share a collective goal of providing quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to the people of the Garden State.

Objective: The Vice President, Government Relations is a senior member of NJHA’s Government Relations team responsible for building and sustaining NJHA’s relationships with the New Jersey Legislature, advancing the association’s legislative and regulatory priorities, and cultivating and preserving engagement with New Jersey’s congressional delegation. Reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer, the Vice President serves as a primary NJHA presence in Trenton, develops advocacy strategies, represents NJHA with policymakers and stakeholders, and coordinates complex work across NJHA and its membership. The Vice President works closely with NJHA’s policy and subject matter experts, who lead substantive policy development; the focus of this role is relationships, advocacy, and execution.

The role requires trusted relationships with legislators and legislative staff, strong writing and analytical skills, sound political and organizational judgment, initiative, and the ability to manage substantive assignments from analysis through execution and follow-through with limited day-to-day supervision.

Essential Job Functions:

State Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy 
•    Build, maintain, and leverage strong, trusted relationships with legislators, legislative leadership, legislative staff, and the Governor’s office, serving as a point of contact in Trenton.  
•    Independently manage assigned state legislative and regulatory matters from identification through analysis, strategy, advocacy and resolution.
•    Monitor legislation, regulations, and executive actions to assess their potential significance to NJHA and its members.
•    Develop advocacy strategies and recommendations in consultation with the Chief Government Relations Officer, other Government Relations team members, NJHA subject matter experts and members.
•    Develop, draft and negotiate legislative language, amendments and other solutions designed to advance NJHA priorities or address member concerns, working with NJHA subject matter and policy experts on drafting.
•    Draft and coordinate testimony, legislative correspondence, regulatory comments, briefing materials and other advocacy communications.
•    Represent NJHA in legislative committee hearings, stakeholder meetings, and meetings with policymakers, the Governor’s Office, state departments and agencies.
•    Track sponsor, committee, and leadership dynamics and provide NJHA leadership with timely political intelligence on legislative developments.
•    Monitor proposed rules, rule adoptions, and agency guidance from the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Banking and Insurance, and other state agencies, and assess their significance for members.
•    Draft and coordinate NJHA regulatory comment letters, gathering member input and working with NJHA subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.
•    Build working relationships with agency staff to advance NJHA positions before rules are proposed and during implementation.
•    Work collaboratively with Government Relations to ensure matters are effectively tracked, analyzed, advanced and completed.

Policy Analysis, Coordination, and Communications 
•    Analyze complex health policy issues and assess their implications for NJHA leadership.
•    Collaborate with NJHA subject matter and policy experts and develop advocacy recommendations for the Chief Government Relations Officer and NJHA leadership.
•    Produce high-quality written work for policymaker and member audiences, including memoranda, testimony, comment letters, legislative correspondence, talking points, briefing materials, and member communications.
•    Exercise sound judgment in determining which matters can be resolved independently and which require broader organizational discussion or senior-level decision-making.

Federal Delegation Relations and Hill Day
•    Develop and maintain strong working relationships with the staff on New Jersey’s congressional delegation, including chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and health legislative assistants, in Washington, D.C. and district offices.
•    Coordinate NJHA advocacy with the American Hospital Association, New Jersey's congressional delegation, federal agencies, and other partners.
•    Draft legislative correspondence, congressional briefing materials, talking points and other advocacy communications.
•    Communicate significant federal developments clearly and timely to NJHA leadership, staff and members, including their implications and any required action.
•    Represent NJHA in meetings with congressional offices, federal policymakers, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
•    Plan and lead NJHA’s Hill Day(s) in Washington, D.C., including scheduling delegation meetings, preparing NJHA leadership and members, developing briefing materials and talking points, and managing post-visit follow-up. 
•    Arrange district office meetings, develop briefing and talking points for NJHA leadership, and provide post-visit follow-up.

Member, Stakeholder, and Internal Engagement 
•    Build relationships with member government relations representatives to inform NJHA advocacy positions and understand operational impacts.
•    Work collaboratively with external associations, coalitions and stakeholders.
•    Provide timely and thoughtful guidance to members on legislative, regulatory and policy matters within assigned portfolios.
•    Represent NJHA at member and stakeholder meetings.

Qualifications

Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
•    Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
•    At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in government relations, legislative affairs, public policy, government service, or a closely related field.
•    Significant direct lobbying or legislative experience at the state level, including independently managing complex legislative matters.
•    Strong written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, concise, accurate, and persuasive advocacy materials.
•    Ability to quickly develop a working command of unfamiliar or technically complex subject matter, sufficient to advocate effectively.
•    Demonstrated ability to draft state regulatory comment letters and engage effectively in the state rulemaking process.

Preferred Qualifications
•    Experience with health care, hospital, insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or other health policy issues.
•    Experience working with congressional offices and organizing fly-in or Hill Day advocacy events.
•    Experience negotiating legislation and amendments.

Work Expectations
Government relations work is driven by legislative, regulatory and political schedules. The Vice President must be able to adjust to changing priorities and work outside normal business hours when legislative sessions, hearings, regulatory deadlines, networking events, or significant advocacy matters require it. Regular presence in Trenton and travel within New Jersey will be required. Periodic travel to Washington, D.C. and other locations also will be required.
 

NJHA Benefits: NJHA offers benefits and other compensation programs such as medical, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending account, salary deferral plan, pension, paid vacation, holidays and wellness days, paid sick days, short/long term disability, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance program, membership in a credit union, life insurance, employee-discount programs, and use of an on-site fitness facility.

NJHA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, status as a veteran, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local laws.