Senior Health Policy Specialist

State of Iowa; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

IPERS

Retirement Investors Club (RIC)

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Paid Vacation and Sick Leave

9 Paid Holidays per Year

Flexible Work Schedules

Telework Opportunities

Employee Assistance Program

Professional development and learning

Job summary

Iowa Insurance Division is seeking a Senior Health Policy Specialist/Program Manager 4 to join our team in Des Moines, IA. You will help plan, strategize, and manage regulatory programs including Healthy Hometowns, pharmacy benefit manager, ACA, and mental health parity.

Responsibilities include policy development, resource decisions, collaboration with executive leadership, drafting administrative rules, and analysis of state and federal insurance laws to resolve program challenges.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field.
• Experience equal to six years of full‑time professional‑level work in program administration, development, operations, or management.
• Total of ten years of education and/or full‑time experience as described above.
• Current/state executive branch experience: PM3 or PM2 equivalents or comparable management role.

Responsibilities

• Develop policy and procedures for health regulatory programs and clarify goals.
• Decide on required financial and technological resources.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to form strategic plans for initiatives.
• Draft administrative rules for health regulatory programs.
• Analyze health insurance laws and propose solutions to program challenges.
• Present information to leadership to support division decisions.

Skills

Policy development

Strategic planning

Stakeholder collaboration

Decision making

Education

Four-year degree

Public sector/program management experience

State government experience

Tools

Regulatory frameworks

Job description

The Iowa Insurance Division is currently seeking a motivated Senior Health Policy Specialist/Program Manager 4 to join our team.

The Senior Health Policy Specialist will provide secondary decision-making authority in planning, strategy development and managing the Healthy Hometowns, pharmacy benefit manager, affordable health care act and mental health parity regulatory programs.

What You’ll Do

• Develop policy and procedures for health regulatory programs and identify and clarify goals and objectives.
• Make decisions regarding the necessary financial and technological resources.
• Collaborate with the commissioner, deputy commissioners, and bureau chiefs to create strategic plans for all key initiatives and organizational matters.
• Draft, direct and make decisions regarding the drafting of administrative rules for the Healthy Hometowns, pharmacy benefit manager, affordable health care act and mental health parity regulatory programs.
• Analyze state and federal insurance laws, rules and regulations and recommend solutions for resolving program challenges.
• Present information to the Commissioner and senior staff to support Division decision making.

Must have excellent reading comprehension, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Why Join the Iowa Insurance Division?

At the Iowa Insurance Division, your work directly contributes to protecting consumers and maintaining a fair, competitive insurance marketplace. You’ll join a collaborative team committed to professional excellence, public service, and thoughtful regulation that benefits all Iowans.

We value expertise, integrity, and work-life balance while providing opportunities to engage in meaningful regulatory work.

Benefits of Working for the State of Iowa

The State of Iowa offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you professionally and personally:

• Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS)
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC)
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Vacation and Sick Leave
• 9 Paid Holidays per Year
• Flexible Work Schedules
• Telework Opportunities (Monday & Friday)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Professional development and learning opportunities

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to six years of full‑time professional‑level work in program administration, program development, program operations, or management.
2. A total of ten years of education and/or full‑time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full‑time experience.
3. All of the following (a, b, and c): (a) Four years of full‑time professional‑level work experience in program administration, program development, program operations, or management; and (b) A total of four years of education and full‑time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full‑time experience; and (c) A total of two years of graduate‑level education and full‑time experience (as described in part a), where twenty‑four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in a public‑service‑related area (e.g., public or business administration, social work, public health, law, education, engineering) equals one year of full‑time experience. Graduation from the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is also equivalent to one year of full‑time experience or education.
4. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full‑time work as a Program Manager 3 or two years of full‑time work as a Program Manager 2 or comparable specific management‑level position.