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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, and other stakeholders 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 education for, and specialized assistance to, member companies.
The Council is the largest national trade association representing members on the full range of employee benefit issues, with over 400 member 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. As a team, we have a culture of respect for all roles on the team and we support each other at work and outside of the office.
We are a small staff, with eleven employees total – and with member service as our guiding principle we work hard each day to serve our member companies and to shape public policy on their behalf.
The Senior Vice President, Health Policy is responsible for leading the Council’s federal legislative activity related to employer-sponsored health and welfare plans and, along with the Council’s Senior Counsel, Health Policy, for developing, and implementing, the health policy direction of the Council. This role is critical, as effective public policy advocacy in the legislative arena is 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. The role provides a unique, exciting and varied day-to-day experience, with activities ranging from engaging with policymakers at all levels, collaborating with other stakeholders in the health policy community, developing and implementing health policy strategy, tracking health policy issues, substantive analysis and writing, one-on-one communication with member companies, and representing the Council’s positions to the public.
This individual will work very closely with the Senior Counsel, Health Policy, who also reports to the President and who is primarily responsible for the Council’s health policy regulatory and judicial work but who also participates in our legislative efforts and with whom the Senior Vice President, Health Policy coordinates on all issues. The Council’s health policy team also works closely with our outside counsel law firm, which provides extensive support and expertise and operates as part of the health policy team.
The Senior Vice President, 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.
Responsibilities
The individual who will most enjoy this role is someone who loves advocacy, public policy, problem solving and working with a wide array of stakeholders to build consensus.
The person who will be the best fit for this role will be someone who is thoughtful, diplomatic, action-oriented and highly personable. This individual will need to be able to react to 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/bipartisan and the ideal candidate will have these traits as well. To uphold this reputation, the ideal candidate will be a skilled communicator, who is highly knowledgeable and collegial and someone who builds relationships and trust, internally and externally.
Because of the array of health policy issues that arise, ideally this individual will genuinely enjoy learning new things, will have an open mind and will be able to see the various sides of any given issue – while at the same time, remaining focused on seeing issues through the lens of employers. To enjoy this role, this person will need to 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 a very good listener and be highly responsive to member companies. And, as a member of a lean team, the ideal candidate should be comfortable being a self-starter, taking charge when necessary but also be happy to roll up their sleeves to support on the various actions needed to carry out effective advocacy and to support the Council’s members, no matter how big or small the task, as is the case for all members of our team.
Preferred Qualifications
Persons interested in this position should submit a cover letter and resume to kjohnson@abcstaff.org. We encourage interested candidates to apply by October 1, 2026.
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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