[Hiring] LTSS Senior Policy Advisor @Texas Health & Human Services Commission

Role Description

The Program Policy team within the Medicaid and CHIP Services (MCS) Office of Policy is seeking a Long-term Services and Supports (LTSS) Senior Policy Advisor (PSVII) who is passionate about improving independence and choice for fellow Texans with disabilities.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual who will serve as a team lead for the LTSS Special Projects Team. The selected individual will report to the manager of the LTSS Special Projects Team in the Office of Policy.

LTSS Special Projects work aligns with state and federal policy initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule
• Person-centered practices and planning
• CMS Access Rule
• LTSS quality measures

The focus of the LTSS Special Projects team shifts depending on agency and division priorities, so the LTSS Senior Policy Advisor workload will shift to accommodate these changes.

The selected candidate will have experience with policy and program development in long-term services and supports provided through both fee-for-service and managed care.

This position will be directly involved in developing and implementing public policy which will positively impact millions of current and future Medicaid members through initiatives that emphasize access to community life.

The ideal candidate:

• Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment that will allow you to learn and grow with the position.
• Is able to analyze complex state and federal policies and identify impacts to current Medicaid LTSS and propose recommendations.
• Is able to work collaboratively as part of a team and independently, and function effectively as a team lead.
• Has strong critical thinking skills.
• Has excellent communication skills, and is able to present complex information in a manner that is clear and easy to understand for a general audience.
• Is organized and has strength in project management skills such as tracking project progress and deliverables, developing project charters, conducting project kick-off activities, and working on multiple tasks and projects at a time.
• Is a self-starter, able to plan and initiate projects even with limited direction.

The position is not supervisory, but will train, lead, and prioritize the work of others on the team. The applicant selected for this position will work closely with project stakeholders and other agency partners and have exposure to other Medicaid programs and services. Interest in and ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders is essential for this position.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Experience developing or overseeing advanced (senior-level) deliverables, reports, or other technical writing work products.
• At least four years’ experience in working on policy, program, or quality initiatives in Medicaid LTSS programs and services, such as 1915(c) Medicaid waiver programs and community first choice services.

Requirements

• Knowledge of best practices for managing and negotiating competing interests of multiple parties, resolving conflicts, and establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Knowledge of Texas Medicaid LTSS programs and policies.
• Skill in developing and implementing creative and workable solutions to complex problems.
• Skill in implementing project management and organizational principles to maintain and track implementation milestones, identify risks, and ensure changes to project scope are efficiently communicated and vetted.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Researching and analyzing Medicaid LTSS state and federal policies and programs.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and work independently with limited direction in a leadership role.
• Ability to work cooperatively and effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to participate in strategic planning with the manager of Program Policy.
• Ability to synthesize complicated and technical information and translate it into easily understandable and concise documents and/or presentations.
• Ability to negotiate competing interests of multiple parties, resolve conflicts, and establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Benefits

• Excellent health benefits.
• Defined Benefit Retirement Plan.
• Generous leave benefits.
• Leadership commitment to invest in and foster your professional growth and knowledge of the Texas Medicaid program and your career advancement.
• The ability to impact the lives of thousands of Medicaid clients that depend on Medicaid services throughout Texas.
• Being on the ground level of healthcare policy implementation, including the opportunity to work closely with stakeholders such as federal partners, providers, advocates, managed care organizations, and other healthcare contractors.
• Engagement with the Texas legislative process, including the opportunity to analyze and inform legislators of potential impact of proposed bills.
• Being part of a team at the forefront of interpreting, implementing, and developing policies with statewide impact.
• The opportunity to learn and engage with multiple domains of the healthcare delivery system, including managed care, fee-for-service, federal and state Medicaid partnerships and other activities related to the administration of the Medicaid program.