Description
Department Description

The Office of State and Federal Government Relations is charged with developing and implementing a public affairs strategy to address the legislative goals of the university.

Position Description

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Federal Relations and Health Policy is a member of the University of Colorado (CU) System Office of Government Relations team.  This position is based in Washington, DC with travel to Colorado on a quarterly basis or as needed.  The AVP of Federal Relations and Health Policy is responsible for developing and implementing the federal advocacy strategy on behalf of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC) and the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH). This position will build and maintain relationships with federal policymakers and will monitor key policy developments that impact the university and the hospital.  This position will also coordinate closely with the other members of the CU federal relations team on strategy and outreach to federal agencies and Congress on behalf of the CU System.

The CU Anschutz Medical Campus is a public education, clinical and research facility serving 4,500 students, and a world-class medical destination at the forefront of life-changing science, medicine, and healthcare. CU Anschutz offers more than 42 highly rated degree programs through 6 schools and colleges and receives over $500 million in research awards each year. We are the single largest health professions education provider in Colorado, awarding nearly 1,450 degrees annually. Powered by our award-winning faculty, renowned researchers and a reputation for academic excellence, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus drives innovation from the classroom to the laboratory to the delivery of unparalleled patient care.

This position is not eligible for overtime compensation under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

This security-sensitive position requires a criminal background check for initial appointments, or at any time when determined by the position’s supervisory authority to be in the best interests of the University.

This position qualifies for exemption from the state personnel system based upon its reporting relationship to the head of an administrative department (principle professional subordinate) per C.R.S. § 24-50-135(1)(a).

Duties and Responsibilities 

Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: 

Develops and leads strategy for federal advocacy efforts for CU Anschutz, UCH and the CU System as directed by the Senior Vice President Government Affairs and COO and SAVP of Federal Relations and Outreach;Determines CU Anschutz’s federal priorities in consultation with campus leadership, including the Chancellor, Vice President for Health Affairs University of Colorado & Executive Vice Chancellor Anschutz Medical Campus, and the Vice Chancellor for Research;Advises and implements UCH federal priorities in consultation with the Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at UCH;Serves as the lead for CU OGR on health policy, hospital, physician, and research issues; including the analysis and tracking of all related federal bills and advancement of budgetary, legislative, and policy priorities;Serves as OGR’s lead federal liaison with Children’s Hospital Colorado and other key hospital systems in Colorado;Builds and maintains effective relationships between both CU Anschutz and UCH and members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation and staff, federal executive branch officials, and other health systems and higher education institutions;Lobbies key Congressional priorities as assigned by both CU Anschutz and UCH leadership, as well as other campus needs as directed;Attends pertinent Congressional hearings on issues that affect CU Anschutz and/or UCH and provides summaries to leadership;Works with the Vice Chancellor for Research, Deans, and faculty on the CU Anschutz campus and/or the Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at UCH to pursue federal agency funding opportunities;Develops federal agency contacts and assists in identifying key federal funding initiatives for both CU Anschutz and UCH to pursue at the federal level;Oversees the development of invitation lists for both CU Anschutz and UCH events and outreach for Congressional members and staff attendance;Represents both CU Anschutz and UCH through participation at national meetings and relevant committee meetings of professional associations such as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), --American Hospital Association (AHA), and America’s Essential Hospitals;Acts as the lead on preparing key federal updates to CU Anschutz campus and university leadership including Government Relations’ Federal update, targeted policy updates to interested groups on campus, and updates on all communications from key higher education and academic medicine trade associations;Works with the federal relations team in developing, preparing, and communicating university positions relative to national policies; including fact sheets and background materials.Staffs CU System and other campus officials on the hill and federal agency visits as directedProvides federal updates as needed to CU Anschutz and UCH leadership as well as faculty, administration, and student groups;Complies with all requirements of the Federal lobbying registration process and works with the Assistant Director of Federal Relations on quarterly reporting requirements for both CU Anschutz and UCHCommunicates and coordinates with CU Anschutz on federal rulemaking notices.

Who we are and What we offer 

Who we are: System Administration, which also houses the Office of the President, is located in the uptown neighborhood of Denver with a few smaller offices located on the campuses. However, this position will be based out of our Washington DC office.  Many of our departments support the educational and research missions of the four University of Colorado campuses, but System Administration is not considered a campus. We provide diverse opportunities for professional development, innovation, and collaboration with talented staff and faculty.  Learn more about CU System Administration.

The University of Colorado has been proactive in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can visit our COVID-19 webpage for more information.

What we offer:

Salary: The salary range has been established at $135,000-$150,000.

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Benefits: The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision and Wellness
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
  • Vacation Days: 22
  • Sick Days: 15
  • Holiday Days: 10
• Tuition Benefit: System employees have the benefit on all campuses 
• ECO Pass: RTD Bus and light rail service
• Additional Perks & Programs: Click here to access a few more Perks and Programs

Click here to access our Total Compensation Calculator to see what your total rewards could be at CU. This position is a University Staff position.

Additional taxable fringe benefits may be available.

More information on benefits programs, including eligibility, is available at www.cu.edu/employee-services/.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

To be successful in this position, candidates will need the following:

• Knowledge of federal health care policy
• Knowledge of policy development processes and activities, including agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation
• Knowledge of governmental institutions, structures, systems, and processes
• Ability to successfully negotiate with internal and external constituencies and with diplomacy 
• Ability to navigate a complex political environment
• Ability to maintain sound political judgment with relation to department activities
• Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with a variety of internal and external constituencies
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages
• Knowledge of the business and organizational structure of CU 
• Knowledge and understanding of higher education systems and shared governance.
• Collaboration skills, including the ability to work with others from different areas and backgrounds to reach a common goal 
• Computer skills, including the ability to utilize Microsoft Office programs (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and learn and experiment with new software and systems
• Interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others
• Oral, written, and listening communication skills, including the ability to accurately interpret what others are saying and convey messages, information, concepts, and details accurately and clearly
• Organizational skills, including the ability to set and meet goals and deadlines, manage appointments, create schedules, coordinate and facilitate meetings, and make decisions 
• Presentation skills, including the ability to collect, evaluate, display, and deliver information to a variety of audiences in a way that is easily understandable
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple concurrent and competing tasks and responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and stay on task when completing special projects and daily assignments

Qualifications
Minimum Requirements

Please ensure your resume includes any and all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against these qualifications.  You must meet all minimum requirements listed at the time of application to be considered for this role.

• Five (5) years of professional experience working with Federal Agencies, Congress, and/or Higher Education Institutions;
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
• Travel and schedule requirements such as travel to Colorado on a quarterly basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Public Policy or Public Administration or related field from an accredited institution of higher education;
• Seven (7) years’ professional experience as indicated above
• Experience working within academic medicine and/or federal legislative/regulatory settings;
• Established relationships with one or more of the following entities:
  • Key federal health agencies (i.e. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and/or Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), etc.)
  • Congressional members and/or staff on key committees

Job Category: External Relations
Primary Location: Denver
Schedule: Full-time
Posting Date: Nov 3, 2021
Unposting Date: Ongoing