Senior Equity & Quality Specialist

Job Description and Duties

Join the Covered California team!

At Covered California, we recognize our employees are our most valuable asset. We have a variety of career fields that help make a difference in the lives of Californians, and we’re looking for talented and enthusiastic individuals to join our team! Learn more about why you should join the .

Covered California works to improve the health of all Californians by assuring access to affordable, high-quality care. Since opening in 2014, it has helped more than four million people obtain health coverage and currently supports about 1.7 million Californians. As the first state-based marketplace, Covered California has played a leading role in implementing the Affordable Care Act in California.

The Health Equity and Quality Transformation Division (EQT) advances Covered California’s health equity and quality agenda. EQT is a high-impact, high-visibility team that helps shape both statewide and national conversations on health care quality and equity.

The Health Program Specialist II serves as a senior subject matter expert within Covered California’s Health Equity and Quality Transformation Division, supporting the Quality Improvement team’s work to advance health care quality, equity, and delivery system reform. Under the direction of the Health Program Manager II, this role helps design, implement, and evaluate components of Covered California’s quality improvement and health equity agenda for Qualified Health Plans and Qualified Dental Plans.

This position is ideal for someone who can lead complex workstreams, translate policy and evidence into actionable requirements, and collaborate across teams and external partners. The HPS II conducts research and analysis, reviews plan data submissions, helps establish performance benchmarks, and supports strategies that improve care quality and reduce disparities for Covered California members.

Within the Quality Improvement team, HPS II staff often lead subject-matter areas such as behavioral health, maternal health, advanced primary care, affordability, hospital quality and safety, disparities reduction, and quality measurement. They also play key roles in contract and certification development, issuer accountability, quality improvement programs, and engagement with health plans and other stakeholders.

The work requires strong critical thinking, project management, relationship-building, diplomacy, and the ability to independently move complex initiatives forward in a fast-paced and highly collaborative environment.

This position is headquartered in Los Angeles County at 1000 N. Alameda St., Suite 406, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquarters office subject to regulations and bargaining unit contract provisions. Travel expenses associated with commuting to the employee’s office headquarters location are not reimbursable, other than authorized transit subsidies.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

This position may be eligible for telework. In accordance with Government Code section 14200, only employees who reside in California are eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Covered California’s current telework policy. While Covered California supports telework, in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksite with minimal notification if an urgent need arises, as determined by the Department.

Special Requirements

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Instructions: A SOQ is required to apply. The SOQ will be used as a pre-interview screening tool. Applicants who do not follow the SOQ instructions and/or do not answer the prompt as stated below may not be considered.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be useful in the development of written responses; however, it is important to use these tools responsibly and ethically. Where assistive tools may be used, responses within the SOQ should be your own original work. Applicants must write in their own words and avoid plagiarism. Failure to comply may be cause for disqualification.

Document Length: 2 pages max, 11 Arial font, double spaced.

SOQ Questions:

1. Please describe how your education, training, and experience meet the desirable qualifications for this position.
2. Please describe your experience reviewing and summarizing evidence for population health, health care quality improvement or health equity initiatives.
3. Please describe your experience analyzing or interpreting quantitative or qualitative data. Please include any experience with analytic or statistical software or other tools.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional workstreams with multiple stakeholders, timelines, and deliverables in a fast-paced policy, health care, or quality improvement environment.
• Knowledge of advanced primary care models, delivery system reform, and value-based care strategies, including experience applying these concepts in program, policy, contract, or performance improvement work.
• Knowledge of the Affordable Care Act, California’s health care landscape, and the role of health plans, purchasers, and public agencies in advancing quality, equity, and affordability.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret complex information, identify key issues, synthesize findings, and develop clear, actionable recommendations.
• Advanced degree in public health, public policy, health administration, health services research, or a closely related field.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

NOTE: To be considered for this job opportunity, applicants must be reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility, or have reinstatement eligibility. If you are new to California State service and you do not have list eligibility, you must take the exam for this classification. To gain employment list eligibility, please to access the exam bulletin.

Possession of minimum qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment . If it is determined an applicant does not meet the minimum qualifications, the applicant's name may be removed from the eligibility list.

Covered California does not provide visa sponsorship and is not an E-Verify employer.

Effective July 1, 2025, in response to the budget deficit, the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) has implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025). PLP 2025 requires that each full-time employee working their assigned work schedule receive a 3 percent reduction in pay in exchange for 5 hours of PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 30, 2027. 

Pre-Employment Requirements

Background Check: All applicants shall be subject to a pre-employment background investigation. The investigation will consist of completion of a pre-employment questionnaire, fingerprinting, and an inquiry to the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation to disclose criminal records.

Incompatible Activities: To maintain our integrity and focus on serving Californians, Covered California adheres to unique conflict of interest restrictions on the outside employment and activities of its board members and staff. If you’re considering a role with us, it’s important to know at the time of your start:

• You must not be employed by or otherwise affiliated with health insurance carriers, other insurers, agents, brokers, health care professionals, health facilities, or health clinics, or trade associations of any of these entities. This also means that you must not hold an active license to sell health insurance in California.
• You must not hold an active license to sell health insurance in California.
• Health care professionals are welcome to join our team, provided you do not receive payment for professional services and do not hold ownership or financial interests in a health care practice.

Please email any questions or concerns you may have prior to accepting a final offer of employment to View email address on us.fitly.work .

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) - Please attach your SOQ to your application. Applications received without a SOQ may not be considered. Resumes and cover letters will not be accepted in place of a SOQ. Please see above “Special Requirements” section for SOQ instructions.