Health Policy Fellow

Description:

Georgia Health Initiative is working toward a Georgia in which all people have the opportunity to attain their fullest potential for health. Georgia Health Initiative is building on a solid foundation of two decades of community partnership. Our new strategic framework sets forth an exciting opportunity to bring energy, movement, and drive to the great work already happening around health equity in our state, as well as to new ideas and approaches that we can co-create with our partners.

Georgia Health Initiative is recruiting for two emerging leaders to join our organization as a part of a Two-Year Fellowship. One Fellow will be supporting the Initiative’s Community Engagement (CE) team and the other Fellow will be supporting the Initiative’s Health Policy (HP) team.

The purpose of the Initiative’s Fellowship program is to foster professional development and learning among recent graduates who are committed to advancing health equity. Each position will provide the Fellow with exposure to how the philanthropic and broader nonprofit sector can play a pivotal role in supporting and advancing systems change to improve community health and wellbeing.

The HP Fellow will be fully integrated as a member of the HP team and will conduct health policy research and writing, provide programmatic support, and contribute to building a strong research foundation for health policy-related projects and initiatives. As appropriate, the Fellow will represent the Initiative at conferences, meetings, and within other community venues of relevance to the Initiative’s work. Such participation will not only enhance the Fellow’s own learning and networking, but will also help to inform the ongoing work of the HP Team. Throughout the course of their two-year tenure, the Fellow also will have the opportunity to initiate and pursue a project in alignment with the Initiative’s strategic framework. This individual project will be commenced upon approval by the VP of Health Policy and Government Affairs, who will provide ongoing supervision and support for this and all other work conducted by the Fellow.

Upon completion of the Fellowship, the expectation is that the Fellow will have acquired a deeper understanding of how policy and broader systems change efforts serve as critical levers to advance health equity, the broader ecosystem of entities in Georgia working toward health equity, as well as greater skills and expertise to equip the Fellow for ongoing professional development and achievement.

The anticipated term of this Fellowship will be July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026.

Requirements:

Core Responsibilities

• Conduct health policy research (e.g. literature reviews, data analysis, and key informant interviews) and provide writing support for Initiative publications and externally facing materials including fact sheets, issue briefs, and presentations.
• Provide internally-facing research assistance to the Initiative policy team to support the development of projects and initiatives; this may include synthesizing information on health policy topics, approaches taken by philanthropic organizations in other states, or other research that will help inform new and emerging work.
• Participate in meetings, convenings, and other events that focus on policy issues and approaches of interest to the Initiative to keep the policy team informed and help develop the Fellow’s professional network.
• Assist with legislative monitoring and policy tracking during Georgia’s state Legislative Session.
• Provide other programmatic and project management support to the Initiative policy team.

Qualifications of a successful candidate

• Committed to and passionate about Georgia Health Initiative’s mission to inspire and promote collective action that advances health equity for all Georgians.
• Demonstrated interest in developing a career in health policy and/or advocacy and working knowledge of the health policy landscape in Georgia and nationally, including a basic understanding of the legislative process.
• Self-motivated, comfortable balancing multiple priorities and workstreams, remaining flexible and adaptive as project needs change.

Education and Experience

• A recent graduate, holding a Master's degree in public health, public policy, or related field.
• Relevant volunteer or work experience (including internships) that demonstrates potential to achieve outcomes of the position.
• Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research.

Workplace Culture?

Our mission is to inspire and promote collective action that advances health equity for all Georgians. Likewise, we wish to inspire and promote collective action within our staff team so that we each evolve and reach our fullest potential-both as a team and individually. We demonstrate our commitment to this aspiration through who we hire, how we value their contributions, and how we work together toward common goals. We value people over process, we encourage decision-making by team members, we share information openly and communicate candidly, and we value both flexibility and accountability.

In complex environments answers emerge when diverse groups work together to create the change Georgians deserve. At the Initiative we believe that cultivating deep and meaningful relationships requires a desire and willingness to be physically present. Georgia Health Initiative expects employees to commit to working from our Atlanta office or in the field with partners the majority of the time, being present for collaboration both planned and impromptu. We also recognize the need for work-life balance, and therefore allow employees flexibility in their daily schedule, including the opportunity to work from home one day per week.

Some workplaces think of their staff as family, we think of our staff as a team. Being part of a high-performing team means caring intensely about your team, stepping up when needed, and cheering on your teammates even when you are not on the field. The Georgia Health Initiative team is equally committee to our work and to each other. We know that when our team wins, Georgians win as well.

Compensation

The annual salary for this position is $60,000. The Initiative also offers a generous, comprehensive benefits package.

To Apply:

With shared values of courageous leadership, trust, equity, and partnership, the Initiative is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and constantly working toward inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, especially members of traditionally underrepresented communities, including women, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people who are differently-abled. If you are a solution-seeker, motivated to take an active role in making positive change in Georgia, we want to hear from you.

Please send your resume and a cover letter to apply for this position. Within your cover letter, please share what compels you to work to advance health equity in Georgia.