Director of Health and Food Justice

Position Summary

The Director of Health and Food Justice oversees the Health and Food Justice (HFJ) team, which spans food security and access to affordable health care coverage. The Director of Health and Food Justice manages, collaborates, and supports the HFJ team and is part of the Policy and Advocacy team. The Director of Health and Food Justice is a member of Every Texan’s management team and reports to the Director of Policy of Advocacy.

The core goal of this position is to improve policies that affect access for Texans facing systemic barriers to affordable health care – people of color, low-income people, immigrants, and people with high health care needs – by improving access to and adequacy of health coverage programs, including Texas Medicaid and CHIP and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

The ideal candidate should be committed to improving equity by ensuring all Texans have access to quality, affordable health coverage and can access the health care they need without financial hardship. Candidates must have health or food access policy expertise, a strong desire to drive policy change at the state and federal level, the ability to understand complex policies and translate them for non-expert audiences, and a desire to engage in the legislative process. Personal experience with the impact public health coverage programs or other public benefits can have on improving outcomes is a plus.

The Director of Health and Food Justice will work closely with the other HFJ team members to identify and address barriers to health and hunger programs, advocate for improved programs and policies, and conduct outreach with the goal of increasing equity and access to needed benefits.

Roles and Responsibilities

Policy Advocacy

• Monitor federal and state policy and budget issues/changes related to subject matter expertise in health and food access.
• Engage in legislative and administrative advocacy at the state and federal levels to advance equitable health and food justice policy, including providing testimony at state legislative hearings.
• Develop progressively broader and deeper policy expertise.
• Conduct in-depth research and analyses of policies and data related to improving access to food, health coverage and care or advancing health equity.
• Help lead and support state health coverage coalitions and work closely with partners to increase health equity.
• Write and oversee team’s publication of policy-focused fact sheets, reports, blog posts, white papers, and public comments on federal and state health or food policy and budget issues with a focus on equity.
• Provide data and policy information to legislators, state and local officials, local groups, and service providers to assist them in their efforts to ensure access to healthcare and nutrition programs.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key policy experts and advocates inside and outside government, including national organizations and federal agencies, regarding access to health and food justice.
• Engage in public speaking, media interviews, and presentations to national, state,and local audiences leading with a focus on health or food equity.
• Build and maintain relationships with funders of our healthcare or food portfolio and work with the Grants Manager to write grant proposals and reports.

Team Management

• Directly supervises three policy analysts and occasional temporary employees including fellows and interns.
• Work with other policy team directors to support and encourage cross-team collaboration.
• Contribute grant proposals and reports to funders; monitor expenses for the HFJ team; and assist in the preparation of the Every Texan budget.
• Work with the HFJ team to develop and implement Every Texan’s policy and advocacy agenda to increase access to health and food justice in Texas in collaboration with Every Texan staff and partners in alignment with organizational strategic objectives.
• Collaborate across the organization to develop, adjust,and align goals and strategies throughout the organization to achieve Every Texan’s mission, and to nurture an organizational culture of learning and support that enables all staff to do their best work.
• Engage actively in the organizational life of Every Texan.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

Note on Qualifications: The required qualifications detail the performance record and combination of education, skills,and experience necessary. The preferred qualifications serve as the growth direction for the position. We understand that strong candidates will not meet every preferred qualification and encourage all those who are interested and meet the required qualifications to apply.

• Education and work experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of experience in a related field, or
  • Master’s degree and 8 years of experience in a related field (can be co-occurring), or
  • Ph.D. and 6 years of experience in a related field (can be co-occurring).
• A demonstrated commitment to Every Texan’s mission of strengthening public policy to expand opportunity and equity for Texans of all backgrounds.
• Understanding of barriers low-income people and members of other marginalized communities face, particularly institutional and structural racism, when applying for public benefits.
• Knowledge of health coverage policy, including Medicaid, CHIP, and Marketplace policy related to eligibility, affordability, enrollment, consumer protections, and/or, health care delivery.
• At least 3 years of experience in personnel and/or project management.
• Experience in leading the development and execution of comprehensive strategies to change public policy, including some or all these tactics: research, public education, advocacy, organizing, coalition-building, and pilots;
• Familiarity with the legislative and administrative process.
• A demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and adaptable and to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong writing, editing, and presenting skills, including the ability to conduct and explain data and policy analyses to various audiences.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, intellectual curiosity, and initiative.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks, and ability to complete projects under time constraints.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability(and desire) to build trusting relationships with partners.
• Ability to undertake some travel.

Bonus Qualifications

• Knowledge of food security programs including SNAP, TANF and/or the child nutrition programs -School Lunch, School Breakfast, After School Meals, Summer Meal Programs, WIC and CACFP.
• Worked closely with or for Texas HHSC or another state Medicaid agency preferred.
• Familiarity with the Texas legislative and administrative process.
• Experience working for or with advocates, legislatures, or government entities on HHSC- related policies and budget issues.
• Experience within Texas HHSC’s Access and Eligibility Services or Medicaid & CHIP Services divisions, or with human service programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP),or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
• Familiarity with Immigrant (non-citizen) eligibility for/access to public benefits.
• Personal experience with the impact public health coverage programs or other public benefits can have on improving outcomes.