Manager, State Advocacy & Outreach

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Manager, State Advocacy & Outreach (SAO), supports the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) state advocacy program in the assigned region(s) and issue areas. Reporting to the Director of State Advocacy and Outreach for the assigned region, this position works collaboratively to assist in enacting state priority legislation and regulations.

Responsibilities include supporting the Director and assigned state constituent organizations in creating state advocacy plans, grassroots tools and resources, supporting materials including one-pagers and testimony, as well as assisting with drafting legislation and regulations. The Manager works closely with members of the AAPA communications team to support state advocacy efforts and will serve as the primary project manager for targeted state grassroots campaigns.

The Manager is responsible for tracking and reporting on legislation and regulations, in the assigned region and assists the Director in identifying, monitoring, and reporting trends emerging at the state level.

At the discretion of the Director, the Manager may serve as the primary point-of-contact for some state PA organizations within the region.

The Manager works closely with other members of the Advocacy team, other departments, member leaders, and AAPA constituent organizations to improve all state organizational advocacy efforts and capacity. The position requires well-rounded interpersonal skills, a willingness to collaborate, and experience in communicating and interacting with diverse personality styles.

ABOUT AAPA

AAPA is the national organization that advocates for all PAs and provides tools to improve PA practice and patient care. Founded in 1968, AAPA represents a profession of approximately 168,000 PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories and the uniformed services. PAs are integral to modern healthcare and provide a solution to the demand for increased access to cost-effective, evidence-based, patient-centered care.

The American Academy of PAs is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse team. As a member of the AAPA team we will honor your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming for all team members.

ABOUT THE ADVOCACY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM

AAPA's advocacy and government relations department works to advance the priorities of the organization and promote policies that improve the ability of PAs to practice at the top of their education and experience. The department is divided into three teams; State Advocacy and Outreach (SAO), Federal Advocacy, and Reimbursement and Professional Advocacy. Together, these teams manage external advocacy on behalf of the organization and conduct work that is vital to the profession. The department has twenty staff members, with a wide scope of expertise but a shared dedication to excellence. Most team members have a background in law, health policy or government service.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Tracking state legislative and regulatory activity in the region and notifies the Director and/or state leaders about legislation or regulations that may affect PA practice.
• Assisting with planning and executing advocacy strategies for constituent organizations.
• Managing the creation and execution of state-based grassroots efforts, including action alerts, town halls, lobby days, etc.
• Preparing and providing supporting materials for state advocacy efforts, including talking points, testimony, and one-pagers.
• Partnering with Communications staff in their efforts to promote the PA profession.
• Attending stakeholder and coalition meetings and makes presentations as needed.
• Assisting the Director in informing AAPA staff and leadership of state legislative and regulatory issues affecting PA practice.
• Serving as staff lead for updating and maintaining assigned resources.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

ABOUT THE REGION:

AAPA's four Directors of State Advocacy & Outreach (SAO) divide their portfolio by region. Due to department growth, AAPA is hiring Managers, SAO to partner with the Directors of both the Northeastern and Midwestern/Northcentral regions.

Northeastern Region: (CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT)

Midwestern & Northcentral Region: (CO, IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI)

Qualifications:

• Strong persuasive and interpersonal skills.
• Experience creating and supporting grassroots campaigns.
• Experience with volunteer management and engagement preferred.
• Experience using social media platforms to support grassroots campaigns preferred.
• Ability to tailor communications and grassroots tactics to diverse political environments.
• Knowledge of health care issues and the state legislative process.
• High-energy problem solver and a willingness to learn.
• 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in a field related to state advocacy.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple projects with various timelines and deliverables.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Special Working Conditions:

• Willingness to travel and attend evening and weekend meetings.

The American Academy of PAs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability and any other classification protected by law.

REMOTE WORK OPTIONS

AAPA has been operating primarily remotely since March 2020 and now offers both hybrid and fully remote work arrangements to staff. Applicants to both hybrid and fully remote positions should be willing to work standard AAPA business hours (EST) and occasionally travel on-site and to annual conference (each May). This position is eligible to be fully remote from anywhere in the contiguous United States, with special consideration given where the employee is based within the region they support.