Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy

Description

NCQA is hiring an Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy
About the Opportunity
NCQA is at an important point in its evolution as the nation's leading independent authority on healthcare quality. As NCQA modernizes its accreditation, measurement, data, research, digital quality, and enterprise operations, the legal function must be more than a traditional support function. It must be a strategic partner that helps the organization move with confidence, protect trust, manage risk, and translate complex legal, regulatory, privacy, and governance requirements into practical business solutions. The Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy will play a central role in that work. This leader will provide senior-level legal counsel across NCQA's programs, products, contracts, research activities, data practices, privacy obligations, corporate operations, and stakeholder-facing processes. The role requires sound legal judgment, business orientation, privacy and healthcare regulatory depth, and the ability to advise senior leaders in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment. This is not simply a legal advisory role. It is a strategic risk, business enablement, transformation, privacy, and enterprise counsel role at the center of NCQA's next chapter.

Position Summary
The Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy serves as a senior attorney in the Office of General Counsel and as NCQA's designated Privacy Official. The position provides strategic, practical, and risk-informed legal counsel on privacy, healthcare regulatory, evaluation program, research, data governance, compliance, and operational matters.

Working in partnership with the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance Officer and other legal team members, this role helps NCQA achieve its mission while protecting the organization's legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational interests. The position translates complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical business guidance and serves as a trusted strategic advisor to leaders across the organization.

This role is a peer to other Associate General Counsel positions and serves as the primary legal lead for privacy and data protection, healthcare and AI regulation, research, evaluation programs and litigation matters.

Position Purpose
Serve as NCQA's lead attorney for:

Privacy, HIPAA and cybersecurity compliance

Healthcare regulatory matters, including AI

Data governance and data-use issues

Accreditation, certification and recognition legal support

Regulatory and operational risk analysis

Human subject research protections

Litigation

The position helps ensure that NCQA's programs, products, research activities, data practices, and stakeholder-facing decisions remain legally sound, mission-aligned, and operationally effective. Strong strategic thinking, business enablement and transformation support skills are paramount.

Reporting Relationships
The Associate General Counsel, Programs & Privacy reports to the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance Officer.

The role works closely with leaders and teams across NCQA, including:

Product and Customer Operations

Information Security and Technology

Product Development

Quality Solutions

Policy

Research

Compliance

Human Resources

Finance

Executive Leadership

Primary Responsibilities
1. Privacy, HIPAA, Data Governance and Technology
Serve as NCQA's Privacy Official and principal legal advisor on privacy, data protection, data governance, technology, and emerging issues, including:

HIPAA compliance

Privacy policies and procedures

Privacy impact assessments

Breach and incident response

Business Associate Agreements

Data Use Agreements

Sensitive data classification

Privacy training and awareness

Monitoring federal and state privacy developments

Technology-related legal considerations, information-sharing arrangements, and regulatory developments affecting technology-enabled programs

Partner with Information Security and business leaders to support responsible innovation, and appropriate data governance controls while protecting NCQA's legal and reputational interests.

1. Healthcare Regulatory, Evaluation Program and Operational Legal Counsel
   Advise NCQA leaders and staff on healthcare regulatory, evaluation program, product, customer-facing, and operational matters, including:

Healthcare regulatory requirements, including AI

Accreditation and recognition activities

Program operations

Customer-facing processes

Product development initiatives

Survey and review activities

Quality measurement activities

Regulatory developments affecting NCQA programs

Translate legal requirements into practical guidance that supports strategic and operational objectives.

1. Program Integrity and Determination Processes
   Advise NCQA business units regarding:

Standards implementation

Recognition, accreditation, and certification processes

Reconsideration and appeals procedures

Procedural fairness considerations

Customer communications

Legal risks affecting operational determinations

Help maintain the integrity, defensibility, and transparency of stakeholder-facing programs.

1. Research Compliance and Responsible Data Use
   Provide legal counsel and support related to:

Human Subject Research Protection Program activities

Federal wide Assurance requirements

Institutional Review Board processes

Research determinations

Research policies and training

Data-sharing and publication activities

Ethical and legal considerations involving data use

Promote legally compliant and responsible research practices across NCQA.

1. Enterprise Risk, Compliance, Investigations and Litigation
   Partner with the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management Officer and Compliance Officer and organizational leaders to:

Identify legal and regulatory risks

Support compliance activities

Participate in risk assessments

Assist with investigations and dispute resolution

Analyze emerging legal and regulatory developments

Support litigation and other significant legal matters within the role's designated practice areas

Provide legal recommendations that help the organization manage enterprise risks effectively.

Decision-Making Authority
The Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy is expected to make independent legal recommendations and provide legal guidance regarding matters within the role's designated practice areas, including:

Privacy determinations

Regulatory interpretation

Research compliance guidance

Program integrity issues

Data governance matters

Operational legal advice

The role may approve privacy-related policies, legal guidance, and routine matters within delegated authority.

Significant organizational, governance, litigation, enterprise-risk, strategic-partnership, and Board-level matters remain subject to review by the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management Officer and Compliance Officer.

Requirements
Education

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.

Active bar admission in good standing.

Required Experience

Approximately 7–10 years of relevant legal experience.

Experience advising on healthcare law, privacy, regulatory compliance, data governance, research, or related matters.

Experience drafting and negotiating legal agreements.

Ability to provide practical legal advice to business leaders and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Experience

Experience serving as privacy counsel or privacy official.

HIPAA and healthcare privacy and data governance expertise.

Healthcare regulatory experience, including AI regulation

Human subject research and IRB experience.

Healthcare quality, accreditation, certification, or evaluation program experience.

Familiarity with Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid programs.

Experience supporting governance, compliance, and enterprise-risk activities.

Core Competencies

Strategic legal and business judgment

Healthcare regulatory expertise

Privacy and data governance knowledge

Sound risk assessment skills

Strong written and verbal communication

Business-oriented problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Operational discipline and responsiveness

Commitment to NCQA's mission, independence, and public trust

Compensation & Benefits:
For new hires, this position pays in the range of $250K - $275K per year, depending on experience.

This position is eligible for an annual incentive bonus, payable in accordance with policy.

NCQA is committed to being an employer of choice and fostering an inclusive culture and workplace. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. NCQA is a drug free workplace. NCQA recruits, hires, trains and promotes individuals, and administers any and all personnel actions, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, familial status, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, or other protected statuses under applicable state and federal laws. NCQA will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c).

J-18808-Ljbffr