System Vice President State Government Affairs

Description

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

Summary

The HCS Vice President, State Government Affairs leads UNC Health's state legislative, regulatory, and public policy strategy and serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership on issues impacting the health system. This executive develops and advances UNC Health's state government affairs agenda, builds and maintains strategic relationships with elected officials, policymakers, state agencies, and other key stakeholders, and represents the organization's interests on significant health care policy and funding matters.

The Vice President works across UNC Health and in partnership with clinical, operational, financial, legal, communications, and academic leaders to ensure state policy priorities are aligned with organizational strategy. The role monitors the evolving political and policy environment, anticipates opportunities and risks, and develops advocacy strategies that support UNC Health's mission and long-term priorities.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

Develops and executes UNC Health's comprehensive state government affairs strategy, aligned with the organization's mission, strategic priorities, and clinical, operational, academic, and financial objectives. Leads development of UNC Health's annual state legislative and public policy agenda, establishing priorities and coordinating executive review and alignment. Serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership regarding the state political, legislative, regulatory, and public policy environment and its potential impact on UNC Health. Anticipates emerging state policy issues, opportunities, and risks and develops proactive strategies to advance or protect UNC Health's interests. Ensures government affairs priorities are coordinated across UNC Health entities and functions to present a clear and consistent enterprise position on significant state policy matters. Develops strategies to position UNC Health as a trusted resource to policymakers on health care issues affecting patients, communities, the health care workforce, and the state.

State Legislative & Executive Branch Affairs

Builds and maintains strategic, bipartisan relationships with members of the North Carolina General Assembly, legislative leadership and staff, the Governor's Office, state agencies, and other governmental stakeholders. Represents UNC Health before state policymakers and government officials on legislative, regulatory, funding, and health policy matters. Leads advocacy strategies for priority legislation and policy initiatives, including development of stakeholder engagement plans, executive outreach, testimony, briefings, and other advocacy activities. Coordinates engagement by UNC Health executives, clinical leaders, and subject‑matter experts with state policymakers. Monitors and evaluates proposed legislation, regulations, budget provisions, and other state government actions and advises leadership regarding potential organizational implications. Develops advocacy positions and recommended responses to significant legislative and regulatory proposals. Builds coalitions and external partnerships with health care organizations, associations, business and community organizations, and other stakeholders when shared advocacy can advance UNC Health priorities.

State Funding & Appropriations

Leads UNC Health's state appropriations and funding strategy, working with executive, finance, strategy, academic, and operational leadership to establish priorities and develop compelling funding requests. Develops and executes advocacy strategies to advance state operating, programmatic, and capital funding priorities. Monitors state budget development and legislative activity and assesses potential financial and operational implications for UNC Health. Advises executive leadership regarding state funding opportunities, risks, and developments affecting UNC Health. Partners with internal stakeholders to articulate the clinical, economic, workforce, academic, and community impact of proposed state investments.

Policy Strategy & Organizational Alignment

Establishes processes for identifying, evaluating, prioritizing, and responding to state legislative and regulatory issues across UNC Health. Builds strong partnerships with clinical, operational, financial, legal, compliance, communications, strategy, and academic leaders to develop well-informed policy positions. Ensures subject‑matter expertise from across UNC Health is incorporated into legislative and regulatory strategy. Translates complex legislative and regulatory developments into clear implications, recommendations, and actionable strategies for senior leadership. Partners closely with Communications to ensure alignment between policy positions, external messaging, and stakeholder engagement. Provides timely government affairs updates and briefings to executive leadership and other governance bodies, as appropriate.

Political & Reputational Risk

Assesses the potential political, legislative, regulatory, operational, and reputational implications of significant organizational decisions and external developments. Advises executive leadership on government stakeholder considerations associated with sensitive or high‑profile matters. Partners with Communications, Legal, and other leaders during significant public policy or reputational issues to ensure coordinated stakeholder engagement and messaging. Maintains awareness of the broader political environment and identifies emerging issues that may affect UNC Health's mission, strategy, operations, or reputation.

Governance, Ethics, & Compliance

Ensures UNC Health's state government affairs activities comply with applicable lobbying, ethics, disclosure, and reporting requirements. Establishes appropriate processes and controls for government affairs activities and external advocacy. Promotes high standards of integrity, transparency, professionalism, and nonpartisan engagement in interactions with government officials and external stakeholders. Protects sensitive and confidential organizational, governmental, and strategic information.

Leading People

Leads people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Provides an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Encourages workforce engagement by building a commitment to excellence and by promoting the organization's vision internally and externally. Delegates responsibility clarifies expectations and holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility. Leads in a deliberate and predictable way and operates with transparency.

Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately. Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.

Leading Change

Acts as a catalyst for organizational change. Influences others to translate vision into action. Brings about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Establishes an organizational vision and implements it in a continuously changing environment. Is open to change and new information and rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Deals effectively with pressure and remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long‑term interests of the organization. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks. Takes a long‑term view and builds a shared vision with others.

Results Driven

Exceeds organizational goals and customer expectations. Makes decisions that produce high‑quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks. Holds self and others accountable for measurable high‑quality, timely, and cost‑effective results. Delivers high‑quality services and is committed to continuous improvement. Fosters a culture of safe and compassionate patient care. Makes well‑informed, timely decisions, even when data are limited, or solutions produce unfavorable results. Positions the organization for success by identifying new opportunities and builds the organization by developing and improving services.

Qualifications

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required.

Licensure/Certification Requirements:

• None Required.

Professional Experience Requirements:

• Requires a minimum of twelve (12) years of progressively responsible experience in government affairs, legislative affairs, lobbying, public policy, government service, or a closely related field, with significant experience working directly with state legislators, legislative staff, executive branch officials, and/or state government agencies.
• Requires at least ten (10) years of people management experience.

Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

• Deep knowledge of state legislative processes, including bill development, committee activity, legislative advocacy, budget and appropriations processes, and executive branch engagement.
• Strong understanding of political strategy, legislative advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and coalition building.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain credible, effective, bipartisan relationships with legislators, legislative staff, executive branch officials, state agencies, and other influential stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute legislative strategies that advance organizational priorities in complex political environments.
• Strong political acumen and judgment, including the ability to assess stakeholder interests, anticipate political and legislative developments, and navigate sensitive issues.
• Ability to quickly develop a working understanding of complex health care, financial, operational, and regulatory issues and translate them into effective legislative strategies and advocacy messages.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, influence, and relationship‑management skills.
• Knowledge and skills to successfully advise C-suite executives on legislative strategy, political considerations, governmental relationships, and public policy matters.
• Ability to communicate complex legislative and policy issues clearly and persuasively to governmental and executive audiences.

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: Shared Services

Organization Unit: Governance and Ext Affairs

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully‑owned subsidiary of UNC Health Care System, in a department that provides shared services to operations across UNC Health Care; except that, if you are currently a UNCHCS State employee already working in a designated shared services department, you may remain a UNCHCS State employee if selected for this job.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email View email address on click.appcast.io if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.