Lead Government Relations Officer

Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt Health seeks a Lead Government Relations Officer to advance Vanderbilt University Medical Center priorities with Tennessee state government partners. You will strengthen our presence at the Tennessee General Assembly and Governor’s Office through strategic relationship-building, community engagement, and targeted communication.

You will liaison between legislators and VUMC leadership to ensure alignment with institutional goals, advise senior leaders, and lead internal teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of experience.
• Familiarity with the process of advancing and passing legislation at the state level is preferred.
• At least five years of lobbying experience, including engagement with legislators is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Advise senior leadership on matters involving state governments and provide analysis and recommendations.
• Maintain communication with state officials and state-level healthcare and regional development organizations.
• Lead relationship-building with Tennessee General Assembly members.
• Represent Vanderbilt Health at events and meetings to elevate visibility and build goodwill.
• Lead internal teams to develop legislative initiatives to revise state law in Vanderbilt Health’s favor.
• Coordinate speaking engagements for Vanderbilt leaders at hearings and events.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to engage elected officials and expand Vanderbilt Health’s community role.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Relationship building

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Job description

Discover Vanderbilt Health :With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world-class care to the people of the Mid-South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniquenesscelebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization:

Government & Community Affairs

Job Summary:

The Vanderbilt Health Executive Search Team is conducting a national search for a Lead Government Relations Officer. The Lead Government Relations Officer supports the Vice President of State Government and Community Affairs in advancing Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s priorities with state government partners. This role strengthens Vanderbilt Health’s presence at the Tennessee General Assembly and Governor’s Office by leading strategic relationship-building, community engagement, and targeted communication efforts. The Lead Government Relations Officer serves as a primary liaison between members of the Tennessee General Assembly and VUMC leadership to ensure alignment with institutional goals.

Shift: First Shift; Days

Role Accountabilities:

• Works alongside the Vice President and Director of Government and Community Affairs to advise VUMC senior leadership on matters involving state governments. Provides analysis, recommendations, and situational awareness to support effective decision-making.
• Maintains strong communication channels with state officials and state‑level organizations focused on healthcare, research, and regional development.
• Leads relationship‑building efforts throughout the state of Tennessee with members of the Tennessee General Assembly.
• Represents VUMC at events, meetings, and activities across the state to elevate institutional visibility and build strategic goodwill.
• Leads internal stakeholder teams to build legislative initiatives to revise state law to benefit VUMC.
• Manages requests and scheduling for VUMC leaders and subject‑matter experts to speak at legislative hearings and other events.
• Partners with VUMC Marketing & Communications to identify opportunities to engage elected officials and amplify VUMC’s role in the community.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with the process of advancing and passing legislation at the state level is preferred.
• Working knowledge of the Tennessee General Assembly’s legislative process and the ability to effectively influence legislators and key stakeholders to advance policy objectives is strongly preferred.
• At least five years of demonstrated lobbying experience, including engagement with legislators and policymakers preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to quickly establish relationships, build trust, and maintain productive partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, is strongly preferred.

Our professional administrative functions include critical supporting roles in information technology and informatics, finance, administration, legal and community affairs, human resources, communications and marketing, development, facilities, and many more.

At our growing health system, we support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Plans and sets own objectives to deliver against responsibilities that have a direct impact on the near term results of a system or institution. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Solves highly complex problems and recommends solutions that may have broad impact to the function.* Breadth of Knowledge: Viewed as the technical expert at VUMC within a professional area and a broad knowledge of other professional areas. * Team Interaction: Leads complex project teams; coaches and guides team members and develops strategy for project execution.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Acts upon constructive feedback from all levels of the organization and initiates strategies to develop talent in others. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Leverages relationships and insight to forecast potential future needs and influence delivery of work to exceed expectations. - Communicates Effectively: Anticipates difference audience concerns, styles and finds mutually beneficial solutions across conflicting and sensitive issues. Delivering Excellent Services : - Serves Others with Compassion: Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of broad-based issues and considers the interests of others to improve satisfaction of services. - Solves Complex Problems: Critically evaluates complex information and identifies trends/risks to make recommendations to improve processes across areas. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing feedback and development discussions to motivate and support team members to maximize performance. Ensuring High Quality : - Performs Excellent Work: Anticipates problems or obstacles which may interfere with quality standards and develops plants to ensure area’s quality standards are met.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Routinely draws upon valuable learning from others, past experiences, and new information to determine key opportunities. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Develops appropriate corrective actions for unsafe environments in order to ensure operational and safety compliance. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Identifies potential obstacles to goal achievement and develops solutions to address those obstacles. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Creates the appropriate systems and processes to effectively manage resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Applies in-depth knowledge of data to recommend and implement new approaches to improve decision making capabilities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Identifies opportunities and leads development of new initiatives that create value across areas. - Applies Technology: Creates the energy and drive for self/others to identify and leverage technology in new, innovative ways to drive greater efficiencies. - Adapts to Change: Anticipates the change process and clearly communicates impact on others/own team(s), assisting them in embracing the change.

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level:

5 years

Education:

Bachelor’s (Required)

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which mayinclude health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed tofosteringan environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.