Legislative Affairs Manager

Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Massachusetts Department of Public Health is seeking a Legislative Affairs Manager to support the Commissioner’s office. The role coordinates legislative tracking, policy development, and stakeholder engagement to advance public health initiatives and Administration priorities.

You will draft briefing documents, presentations, and testimony, translating complex health data into actionable recommendations for executive leadership and external partners.

Qualifications

• Four years of professional experience in public administration, policy, or legislative affairs.
• Demonstrated ability to translate data into policy recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft legislative and budget testimony and supporting documentation.
• Track and prepare summaries on legislation before the General Court.
• Develop legislative policy and strategies to advance public health initiatives.
• Coordinate feedback on pending legislation with senior staff.
• Attend hearings and prepare briefing materials afterward.

Skills

Policy analysis

Legislative tracking

Public health policy

Stakeholder engagement

Briefing and testimony

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree (related field)

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Department of Public Health (DPH) is accepting applications for a Legislative Affairs Manager. The Legislative Affairs Manager operates in the fast-paced office of the Commissioner, providing critical support to executive leadership and managing legislative coordination, reporting, and constituent inquiries. Working closely with the Director of Legislative Affairs, this role analyzes policy issues, tracks legislative priorities, and translates complex public health data into actionable strategies and policy recommendations. Additionally, the Manager is responsible for drafting briefing documents, presentations, and testimony to effectively promote the Department’s mission and the Administration’s priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Draft legislative and budget testimony and supporting documentation designed to support and implement the Department’s policy priorities.
• Track, analyze and prepare internal summaries on legislation before the General Court.
• Directly engage in the development of legislative policy and strategies that proactively advance public health initiatives.
• Coordinate internal feedback on pending legislation in collaboration with the Director, Legislative Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy.
• Manage priority projects within the Chief of Staff office with supervision from the Director of Legislative Affairs.
• Attend legislative hearings and create briefing documents after hearing.
• Establish and maintain legislative report tracking systems and submission workflows.
• Formulate evidence-based policy and conduct research to support legislative opportunities and strategic initiatives.
• Work with advocacy and community groups to convey the official position of DPH across the full range of public health issues.
• Foster and support favorable public relationships and active partnerships between Department of Public Health and the Legislative branch of State and Federal government.
• Manage legislative constituent inquiry intake, tracking, and resolution processes in collaboration with Bureau and Office staff.
• Coordinate and quality-control briefings, presentations, and testimony for the Commissioner and senior staff.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills with the ability to collaborate with diverse work teams.
• Ability to use data to inform policy decisions, identify systemic gaps and underserved populations and develop system wide quality improvement initiatives.
• Understanding of health equity and social determinants of health.
• Strong planning, research, analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills and be able to research information affecting a broad range of public health topics.
• Analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience developing, implementing and using project management tools to oversee and keep initiatives on task.
• Action-oriented and highly organized with the ability to work under deadlines, work on a number of tasks simultaneously, and quickly prioritize multiple and competing tasks.
• Proactive and solution-oriented approach to challenges with the ability to think through problems, organize information, identify key factors and underlying causes to generate solutions.
• Understanding of diversity and the importance/commitment to shaping and developing a positive, inclusive, diverse and supportive work culture.
• Knowledgeable of various methods used in the preparation of charts, graphs and tables and be adept with various software programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong judgement, responsiveness, political awareness, project management skills, and the ability to translate complex policy into actionable legislative strategy.

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at: MA Department of Public Health

A tax & background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Human Resources Division prior to the candidate being hired.

Education, licensure, and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

ADA Reasonable Accommodation:

If you require a reasonable accommodation with the application/interview process, please contact us at: EOHHS Candidate ADA Requests

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800-510-4122 Ext. #4

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) four (4) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, professional internship, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

II. An Associate's degree in a related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

III. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

IV. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience.

V. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience.

Salary placement is determined by a combination of factors, including the candidate’s years of directly related experience and education, and alignment with our internal compensation structure as set forth by the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines. For all bargaining unit positions (non-management), compensation is subject to the salary provisions outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement and will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range.

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

An Equal Opportunity / Affine Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.