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The American Benefits Council is a Washington D.C.-based, non-profit, employee benefits public policy organization that for nearly 60 years has advocated for employers that sponsor health, retirement and paid leave coverage programs for their employees. The Council works closely with Congress, the White House, executive branch agencies and the courts to support the provision of valuable health, retirement and paid leave benefits to many millions of American workers and their families. The Council is committed to both broad-based policy advocacy as well as specialized assistance to member companies.
The Council is the largest national trade association representing the breadth of the employee benefits system on the full range of employee benefit matters, with approximately 430 organizations. These members are chiefly large, multi-state employers who sponsor health, retirement and paid leave programs. The membership also includes service providers to those companies and other industry trade associations who support employee benefits. Through those organizations, approximately 7,500 individuals participate in Council activities and receive membership benefits.
The Council staff is a close-knit, supportive and intellectually curious group. We care deeply about our members and about each other. We are proud of the work we do, which enables our member companies to provide valuable benefits to millions of American families.
We are a small staff, with ten employees total – working hard each day to serve our member companies and to shape public policy on their behalf. We genuinely enjoy each other and the work the we do, and we have a strong culture of flexibility with a shared respect of, and support for, our colleagues’ commitments outside of the office, family or otherwise.
The Senior Counsel, Health Policy will be responsible for leading the Council’s federal regulatory and judicial activity related to employer-sponsored health plans and will also play a role in the Council’s targeted state law advocacy efforts related to health plans. This role is critical, as effective public policy advocacy in the regulatory and judicial arenas is absolutely central to the Council’s mission.
This role provides an opportunity to work on interesting, important issues each day and to make a meaningful difference for employers, employees and their families. This role provides a unique, exciting and varied day-to-day experience, with activities ranging from high-visibility speaking events, substantive analysis and writing, engaging with policymakers at all levels, tracking health policy developments and current events, one-on-one communication with member companies including on cutting-edge issues, development of policy strategy, and collaboration with other stakeholders in the health policy community.
While the Senior Counsel, Health Policy reports to the Council president, this individual will work very closely with the Senior Vice President, Health Policy, who is responsible for the Council’s health policy legislative work and who oversees the health policy direction of the Council generally. The Senior Counsel, Health Policy also works closely with our outside counsel law firm, which provides extensive support and expertise and effectively operates as part of the health policy team.
The Senior Counsel, Health Policy also collaborates frequently with the Council’s leadership, retirement policy, communications, membership, and meeting planning colleagues, to complete the full array of Council services for members.
The individual who will most enjoy this role is someone who loves problem solving and public policy. Health care policy is dynamic, complex and central to the well-being of every American, and the Council has a vital role to play in the system.
The person who will be the best fit for this role will be someone who is well-rounded and nimble, able to react to health policy developments as they arise, while also proactively driving the Council’s public policy agenda forward. The Council has a hard-earned reputation as substantive, constructive, trustworthy and non-partisan. To uphold this reputation, the ideal candidate will be a skilled communicator who is collegial, diplomatic, and responsive.
Because of the array of health policy issues that arise, ideally the Senior Counsel, Health Policy arrives to work with a learning mindset – possessed with an open mind and an eagerness to dig in on complex issues. And the individual who will most enjoy this role will have the patience and persistence to continue working on the same issues over time to achieve results.
As part of a member-focused organization, this individual will also need to be able to understand all sides of an issue but also remain focused on seeing issues through the lens of employers. And, as a member of a lean team, the ideal candidate should be comfortable taking charge and leading when necessary, but also be happy to roll up their sleeves to execute the various actions needed to carry out effective advocacy.
Persons interested in this position should submit a cover letter and resume to resume@abcstaff.org.
The American Benefits Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on an individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as defined by federal, state, and local law. Reference checks are conducted on all prospective new hires.
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