Location: This position is required to be based in the Washington, D.C. Metro area.
Position Description
The Vice President for External Affairs provides strategic leadership, vision, and strategy for UNOS’ external affairs activities, designed to deepen relationships with government officials and donation and transplantation associations. This position also will lead efforts to promote public policy that advances our mission to save and transform lives through research, innovation, and collaboration. Ultimately, the Vice President will lead and coordinate UNOS’ external advocacy efforts to advocate for organ donation and transplant reforms that benefit patients, donors, and their families.
Key Responsibilities
- Enhance our relationships with federal, state and local government officials, deepen their awareness of the work done and the progress made by UNOS and the donation and transplant community, and ensure patients’ interests are represented in relevant legislative and regulatory discussions.
- Proactively build strategies to advance legislative, regulatory or other appropriate public policies to support UNOS’ mission.
- Track and analyze federal and state legislation/public policy to determine the potential impact on UNOS and the donation and transplant community; develop and recommend solutions to address issues that may arise from those policies to advance and protect the interests of UNOS.
- Represent UNOS before elected officials at the federal, state and local levels to advance UNOS positions on public policy.
- Oversee and coordinate UNOS leadership interaction with senior-level decision makers in the legislative and executive branches at the Federal level.
- Leverage our collective voice in partnership with donation and transplant associations to advocate on behalf of the patients our community serves.
- Represent UNOS at government, association and other key stakeholder meetings.
- Develop and leverage grassroots advocates, including community volunteers, to advance UNOS’ mission.
- Working closely with the Communications Director and team to ensure alignment of messaging and brand.
- Managing an individual contributor, providing coaching to help them achieve individual, departmental, and organizational goals as well as grow in their job and career.
Minimum Requirements
- 10+ years of experience developing and leading government relations strategies that include lobbying, association engagement and third-party advocacy
Critical Skills
- Expertise engaging with policymakers and their staff.
- Ability to develop effective relationships with key stakeholders.
- Proven ability to advance legislation and influence regulations.
- Advanced knowledge of Congressional parliamentary procedures and processes.
- Broad understanding of the U.S. health care system.
- Experience in reputation management and crisis communication, with deep understanding of communications tools that effectively engage key stakeholders.
- Strong leadership and management skills.
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams to accomplish organizational goals.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Strong analytical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills; expert oral, written and presentation skills for engaging with diverse audiences.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment and develop strong relationships.
- Ability to evaluate and establish project requirements, priorities, staffing requirements, budgets and timeframes for both large-scale efforts and small quick turnaround work.
- A positive, can-do attitude and desire for a fun and inclusive workplace.
- Ability and willingness to register under the Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act, and any state lobbying transparency registers applicable.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) in Political Science, Healthcare Administration, Communications, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience will be considered.
Physical Requirements
- Some overnight travel required
- General office demands
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Frequent reaching, handling, and fine manipulation for using office equipment, filing, and managing paperwork.
- Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, mouse, and other office tools.
- Occasional standing, walking, and bending.
- Ability to lift up to 10-20 pounds occasionally.
- Vision abilities required include close vision for computer work and reading documents.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Skills Required
- 10+ years developing and leading government relations strategies including lobbying, association engagement, and third‑party advocacy.
- Expertise engaging with policymakers and their staff.
- Proven ability to advance legislation and influence regulations.
- Advanced knowledge of Congressional parliamentary procedures and processes.
- Broad understanding of the U.S. health care system.
- Experience in reputation management and crisis communication and familiarity with communications tools.
- Strong leadership and management skills, including coaching direct reports.
- Ability to lead cross‑functional teams to accomplish organizational goals.
- Ability and willingness to register under the Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act and applicable state lobbying registers.
- Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Healthcare Administration, Communications, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
What We Do
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a non-profit scientific and educational organization that administers the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) in the United States. Under contract with the federal government, UNOS manages the national transplant waiting list, matches donors to recipients, and maintains a comprehensive database of transplant data to save and transform lives through research, innovation, and collaboration.
