Manager/Senior Manager of Policy

The Fairness Project; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Retirement plan

20 days PTO to start

Eight paid holidays

Summer Fridays

Professional development stipend

Wellness benefit reimbursed monthly

Paid sabbatical after five years

Job summary

Healthier Colorado seeks a Manager/Senior Manager of Policy to translate campaign priorities into effective policy and shepherd it through Colorado’s legislative process. You will lead research, draft proposals, and coordinate with coalition partners and campaign staff to advance health equity.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Policy and Campaigns, you will track bills, prepare position papers, and support lobbying activities while supervising interns and guiding cross‑department

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3+ years of public policy/advocacy experience for Manager, or 6+ years for Senior Manager.
• Strong research and analytical skills; ability to summarize legislation and studies.
• Excellent writing; ability to produce plain-language materials quickly.
• Knowledge of Colorado legislative process and sessions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct policy research, develop proposals, and draft policy materials.
• Track legislation, prepare position recommendations, and staff coalitions.
• Support lobbying activities including testimony, stakeholder meetings, and calendars.
• Coordinate policy workstreams within advocacy campaigns and with partners.
• Supervise interns and fellows; contribute to planning and policy agenda.

Skills

Policy research

Policy writing

Legislative tracking

Stakeholder engagement

Coalition building

Analytical thinking

Public health knowledge

Oral/written communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree or JD preferred

Job description

Job Title: Manager/Senior Manager of Policy

Reports to: Senior Director of Policy and Campaigns

Status: Full-time exempt

Healthier Colorado is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to raising the voices of Coloradans in the public policy process to improve the health of our state’s residents. Healthier Colorado believes every Coloradan should have an equal opportunity to live a healthy life. Healthier Colorado aims to make meaningful changes to improve people’s health throughout our state’s diverse communities. Our brand is fun, engaging, and approachable–we tackle serious health issues with charm, humor, and a willingness to think creatively and “around corners.”

Position Summary

Healthier Colorado seeks a Manager/Senior Manager of Policy to turn our campaign priorities into sound, winnable policy — and to carry that policy through the Colorado legislative process and beyond.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Policy and Campaigns, this position is Healthier Colorado’s day-to-day engine for policy research, bill development, legislative tracking, and stakeholder follow-through. Working across physical health, mental health, and social determinants of health, the Manager/Senior Manager of Policy researches emerging issues, drafts policy proposals and advocacy materials, staffs legislative and coalition work, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks during the session.

Healthier Colorado uses a campaign-based approach to advocacy. In this role, you will be the policy expert inside those campaigns, partnering with communications staff to make complex issues clear and compelling.

The ideal candidate is a rigorous researcher and clear writer who is just as comfortable in a committee hearing room or coalition meeting as at a desk. They are highly organized, curious about how policy actually gets made, and eager to grow their legislative and campaign leadership. The role is posted at two levels — Manager or Senior Manager — with the title based on experience (see Leveling below).

The successful candidate will be an innovative and collaborative individual who leads with optimism, humor, and a “sunshine warrior” approach, tackling serious challenges with approachability and levity.

Core Responsibilities

Policy Research and Development

• Research and analyze health policy issues, emerging trends, and best practices in Colorado and other states to inform Healthier Colorado’s priorities.
• Draft policy proposals, issue briefs, one-pagers, bill summaries, fact sheets, testimony, and talking points.
• Work with legislative drafters, bill sponsors, and partners to develop and refine bill language and amendments.
• Analyze fiscal notes, budget implications, and implementation considerations, including TABOR and state budget constraints.
• Translate research, data, and public opinion findings into clear recommendations and plain-language materials.
  

Legislative Affairs and Advocacy

• Track and analyze legislation, rulemaking, and interim committee activity relevant to Healthier Colorado’s priorities.
• Prepare recommendations on organizational positions for priority and secondary bills.
• Support lobbying at the Colorado General Assembly, including meetings with legislators and staff, committee testimony, and coordinating witnesses.
• Maintain session tracking systems, bill-position lists, and legislative calendars; keep internal teams informed of fast-moving developments.
• Support lobbying registration, disclosure, and reporting in partnership with the Senior Director.
• Monitor implementation of passed legislation and engage in agency rulemaking and stakeholder processes as needed.

Campaign Support and Project Management

• Manage policy workstreams within integrated advocacy campaigns, including timelines, deliverables, and coordination with internal and external partners.
• Provide policy expertise and fact-checking for campaign messaging, earned media, digital content, and public activations.
• Support legislative scorecards, voter education materials, and policy-related ballot measure analysis, consistent with nonprofit political engagement rules.
• Help evaluate campaign opportunities for policy impact, political viability, and coalition support.

Coalition and Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent Healthier Colorado in coalition meetings, working groups, and stakeholder convenings.
• Build and maintain relationships with legislative staff, agency staff, advocacy partners, researchers, and community leaders.
• Coordinate coalition sign-on letters, joint testimony, and shared advocacy activities.
• Help elevate the voices of everyday Coloradans and partner organizations in policy debates.

Organizational Support

• Support supervision of interns and fellows, including research assignments and source guides.
• Contribute to annual planning, policy agenda development, and cross-department coordination.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 3+ years of experience (Manager) or 6+ years (Senior Manager) in public policy, advocacy, government relations, legislative staff work, public health, or related fields.
• Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to read and summarize legislation, fiscal notes, and research studies.
• Excellent writing skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate, plain-language materials on tight deadlines.
• Working knowledge of the state legislative process.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities during fast-moving legislative sessions.
• Comfort presenting to and building relationships with policymakers, coalition partners, and community stakeholders.
• Commitment to cross-partisan public health advocacy and health equity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree (e.g., MPP, MPA, MPH) or Juris Doctor.
• Experience working in or around the Colorado State Legislature, including as legislative staff, lobbyist, or advocate.
• Experience drafting or negotiating bill language or amendments.
• Knowledge of Colorado health policy, including Medicaid, insurance affordability, behavioral health, public health systems, or social determinants of health.
• Familiarity with Colorado’s fiscal and budget framework, including TABOR.
• Familiarity with lobbying compliance and nonprofit political engagement rules.
• Experience supporting advocacy campaigns, coalitions, or ballot measures.

Key Competencies

• Rigorous researcher and analytical thinker
• Clear, persuasive writer who leads with human impact over policy mechanics
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and dependable under deadline pressure
• Sound political judgment and growing strategic instincts
• Collaborative team player who works well across policy, communications, and development
• Relationship builder who earns trust with partners and policymakers
• Curious, adaptable, and eager to learn and grow
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered advocacy
• Embodies a “sunshine warrior” ethos, approaching serious work with optimism, humor, collaboration, and resilience

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends during legislative sessions and campaign periods.
• Regular in-person presence at the State Capitol during the legislative session (January–May).
• Willingness to travel throughout Colorado for meetings, events, and advocacy activities.
• Comfort with a fast-paced, deadline-driven work environment.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation

Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and level. The anticipated salary range is $70,000-$85,000 annually.

Benefits

Healthier Colorado offers a very generous benefits package. We value the opportunity for our employees to support their physical, mental, and social health as well as practice a work and life balance. Our benefits package includes:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance;
• Retirement plan (no match requirement);
• 20 days of PTO to start;
• Eight paid holidays;
• Summer Fridays;
• Professional development stipends;
• Wellness, parking and cell phone benefit reimbursed monthly; and
• Paid sabbatical after five years of employment.

Healthier Colorado Non-Discrimination Policy

Healthier Colorado is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any term, condition or privilege of employment. Healthier Colorado does not discriminate in employment or advancement opportunities on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation (including gender identity and gender expression), disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

We believe that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people — including people of color, people from different socio-economic backgrounds, women, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community, to name a few. We believe that we are better as an organization when we work to deconstruct barriers and build a team that has authentic representation from diverse communities, backgrounds and beliefs. Hence, we strongly encourage qualified candidates from those mentioned, as well as other marginalized communities, to apply for roles within our team.