Director, State Government Relations & Public Affairs

Company Description

About Covista

Covista is America's largest healthcare educator, serving more than 97,000 students and supported by a community of 385,000 alumni across five accredited institutions. Through personalized, tech-enabled education powered by 10,000 faculty and colleagues, Covista expands access to healthcare careers and addresses the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage at scale. Covista is the parent company of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University.

Our colleagues come from a wide range of backgrounds, business, academia, healthcare, government and nonprofits, and are part of a culture where doing exceptional work and making a meaningful difference for students and society aren't separate goals—they're one and the same. This means creating an environment where colleagues can develop new skills, build careers that match their ambitions and see the tangible impact of their work on healthcare education and workforce development. Colleagues who deliver results and embrace new tools to work smarter are valued for their contributions. But what makes working at Covista distinctive is our impact. Our faculty and colleagues don't just support healthcare education—they shape it. This isn't abstract purpose work. It's solving real problems for real people in real communities while advancing careers.

We operate on a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week (Monday–Thursday). This approach enhances creativity, innovation, communication, and relationship-building, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

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Job Description

Opportunity at a Glance

This role sits within Covista's Corporate Affairs team and reports to the Senior Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs. You'll lead Covista's state-level government relations strategy — owning the relationships, managing the in-market resources, and driving the proactive policy engagement that allows Covista's institutions to operate, expand, and compete. This is not a reactive role. You'll be expected to anticipate and navigate fast-paced news, legislative and regulatory environment, build the political conditions for Covista's strategic priorities before they're at risk, and serve as a proactive counselor to institutional and segment leaders and other internal stakeholders needing to navigate state- and local-level decisions.

You'll work across a portfolio of priority states while managing a network of contract lobbyists and building direct relationships with state officials, legislative staff, industry associations, and healthcare system partners. As part of an integrated Government Relations and Public Affairs function, you'll bring to life the on-the-ground impact that Covista’s institutions, workforce partnerships, and Foundation partners have in the communities where they operate.

Responsibilities

State Legislative and Regulatory Strategy

• Own and drive Covista's state government relations strategy across priority markets
• Develop and maintain a proactive state legislative agenda — identifying opportunities to advance Covista's interests before issues materialize, not only in response to them
• Monitor state legislative sessions, regulatory proceedings, and executive agency actions across multiple states simultaneously; ensure no significant development reaches leadership as a surprise
• Translate state policy developments into clear, actionable intelligence for segment and institutional leaders making strategic decisions about campuses, programs, and partnerships
• Partner closely with Legal and Regulatory Affairs on state licensing, authorization, and compliance matters — ensuring legislative strategy and regulatory strategy are coordinated, not siloed

Lobbyist and Resource Management

• Manage Covista's network of contract lobbyists across priority states — setting clear direction, holding them accountable to outcomes, and ensuring their efforts are tied to Covista's strategic priorities
• Conduct regular lobbyist performance assessments; make recommendations on where to invest, where to restructure coverage, and where gaps exist
• Build and steward direct relationships with state legislators, legislative staff, governors' offices, state agencies, and healthcare system partners in key markets
• Identify and pursue opportunities for Covista to take a proactive seat at the table in state policy conversations — through testimony, coalition engagement, or direct stakeholder outreach — rather than showing up only when legislation threatens

Segment and Institutional Partnership

• Serve as a key GR partner to Chamberlain University and Walden University segment leadership, providing ongoing intelligence, strategic counsel, and engagement support as they make decisions about campus operations and community positioning
• Connect institutional leaders to the policy environment in their markets — surfacing relevant legislative activity, identifying local relationships worth building, and flagging risks early enough to act on them
• Partner with business development colleagues on new initiatives, providing the political groundwork and stakeholder engagement that supports strategic growth decisions

Narrative and Public Affairs Integration

• Work in close partnership with the broader GR/PA function to ensure state-level advocacy is supported by a proactive public affairs strategy
• Leverage the Covista Foundation's programming and community partnerships as substantive assets in state relationships
• Deploy Covista thought leadership materials at the state and local level to show the impact of healthcare workforce shortages
• Represent Covista at state-level legislative engagement events, political functions, and industry convenings — maintaining a visible, credible presence on behalf of the organization in priority markets

State Contributions, Compliance, Ethics

• Oversee administration of Covista’s state political contributions operations — including strategic disbursement decisions, budget management, and coordination with state laws and regulations, compliance firm, and internal stakeholders to include Legal to ensure accuracy and alignment with advocacy priorities
• Ensure full compliance with state and/or federal ethics requirements, campaign finance reporting obligations, and lobbying disclosure regulations across all active jurisdictions; ensure all compliance deadlines

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in state government relations, public affairs, or legislative affairs
• Demonstrated experience managing contract lobbyists or external government affairs consultants across multiple states simultaneously
• Track record of proactive state legislative engagement — not only defensive advocacy but building relationships and advancing priorities before they are at risk
• Experience working with or within healthcare, higher education, or similarly regulated industries preferred
• Familiarity with state student financial aid frameworks, clinical education policy, or state authorization of distance education programs a plus
• Experience serving as a strategic advisor to senior business or institutional leaders on government affairs matters
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in public policy, law, or related field preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams, competing priorities, and urgent matters simultaneously with sound judgment and composure under pressure
• Experience with state compliance and state disclosure reporting (e.g., state ethics filings)

Skills

• Deep knowledge of state legislative processes and the ability to track and synthesize activity across multiple states and sessions simultaneously
• Builds and maintains relationships with state officials, legislative staff, industry associations, and healthcare system leaders
• Strong political instincts: knows when to engage directly and when to work through coalition
• Strong project management skills; able to develop timelines, track multiple workstreams, and deliver on cross-functional commitments with rigor and follow-through
• Highly adaptable; brings a sense of urgency to emerging issues while maintaining accuracy and strategic focus in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment
• Translates complex policy developments into clear, actionable guidance for non-GR audiences, including institutional presidents and segment executives
• Manages external consultants with clear direction and accountability
• Exceptional written communicator: policy memos, legislative briefs, stakeholder correspondence, and executive counsel
• Comfortable moving at pace in an integrated Corporate Affairs environment where advocacy and narrative working hand-in-hand is a must
• Familiarity with legislative intelligence platforms (Quorum or similar) and a data-informed approach to tracking and reporting outcomes

Additional Information

In support of the pay transparency laws enacted across the country, the expected salary range for this position is between $100171.61 and $181034.70. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; geographic location; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. The position qualifies for the below benefits.

Covista offers a robust suite of benefits including:

• Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401k Retirement Program + 6% employer match
• Participation in Covista’s Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy
• 12 Paid Holidays
  For more information related to our benefits please visit:
  You are also eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.

Equal Opportunity – Minority / Female / Disability / V / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation