Overview
Job Title: Health Policy Specialist
Reports to: Director of Legal and Government Affairs
Initial Salary Range: $55,000 – 70,000 annually
Benefits: Health, Vision, & Dental Insurance, Retirement Contributions, PTO, and Paid Holidays
Funded Through: September 30, 2025 (638 Contract, Annually Renewed)
Classification: Salaried, Exempt
Status: Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Regular w/ Benefits
Location: Portland, OR
Note: This application requires additional materials to be uploaded along with your resume and cover letter. See end of job description for details.
About the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB)
The Northwest Tribes have long recognized the need to exercise control over the design and development of health care delivery systems in their local communities. To this end, they formed the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (also referred to as NPAIHB or “the Board”) in 1972.
Guided by a vision of “Health and Wellness for the Seventh Generation,” NPAIHB is a 501(c)3 designated (non-profit) organization and Tribal organization, P.L. 93-638, under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) serving the 43 federally recognized Tribes in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (Northwest Tribes). Tribes become voting members of the Board through resolutions passed by their governing body. Each member Tribe designates a delegate to serve on the NPAIHB Board of Directors.
Led by our Board of Directors, NPAIHB’s mission is to “eliminate health disparities and improve the quality of life of American Indians and Alaska Natives by supporting Northwest Tribes in their delivery of culturally appropriate, high-quality health programs and services.” We have a staff of over 120 professionals dedicated to advancing Tribal health for the 7th generation in the Pacific Northwest.
The NPAIHB’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 can be found here.
Position Summary
The Health Policy Specialist supports the Director of Legal and Government Affairs by having both internal and external organization responsibilities grounded in serving NPAIHB’s 43 member Tribes to further advance the Board’s mission through excellence in federal and state legislative and regulatory tracking, research, technical assistance, and related activities. Additionally, the Health Policy Specialist operates in a fast-paced environment that requires meeting and managing multiple deadlines, and extensive research and writing.
The Health Policy Specialist must have a strong understanding of the Indian health care delivery system, the federal trust relationship with Indian Tribes, and the legal, policy, and political frameworks impacting Indian Tribes. The Indian Health Policy Specialist must be a self-starter who pays close attention to detail. Discretion, good judgment, and the ability to handle confidential information are also required since this position works closely with Northwest Tribal Leaders on issues related to health care and public health in Tribal communities.
The Health Policy Specialist reports to the Director of Legal and Government Affairs. This scope of work is housed within the Executive Division.
This position is based at NPAIHB’s offices in Portland, Oregon. Local travel and/or overnight travel outside of the area is required approximately 50-60% of the time.
Essential Functions
Health Policy Support
· Assists supervisor in organizing and implementing NPAIHB’s annual policy priorities, and provides support to align with the NPAIHB Strategic Plan
· Identifies, tracks, and analyzes health-related legislation (Medicaid/Medicare; behavioral health; public health, etc.) at the federal and state level that impacts NPAIHB member Tribes, American Indians/Alaska Natives, as well as the Indian Health Service and Tribal health programs
· Provides support to supervisor in the development of Indian health legislative and policy documents (e.g., white papers, background papers, briefings, resolutions, testimony, comments, timelines, tables, charts, presentations, talking points, articles memoranda, etc.)
· Tracks deadlines for supervisor and policy team, including setting NW Tribal caucus, preparing draft documents, and final drafts for dissemination.
· Supports supervisor with maintaining ongoing communication between NPAIHB, member Tribes, the Indian Health Service, and other governmental agencies
· Assists with articles to Health and News and Notes, as assigned
· Ensures policy documents are maintained in SharePoint
Health Policy Communications
· Supports supervisor in providing timely Indian health policy information to Northwest Tribes.
· Assists with daily tracking of federal and state legislation, regulations, memoranda and other policy documents, including news and media alerts; and keeps supervisor apprised of new developments
· Assists with gathering information for urgent and/or weekly electronic legislation/policy updates
· Assists with policy-related social media posts to NPAIHB platforms
Meetings & Organizational Representation
· Participates in policy meetings (virtual/in person, conference calls and webinars) and conferences with federal, state and tribal representatives
· Sets up policy meetings with federal, state and tribal representatives, as requested
· Prepares meeting schedules and agendas, as requested
· Tracks follow-up items from internal and external policy meetings
· Attends NPAIHB Quarterly Board Meetings and other meetings and conferences related to Indian health concern, as assigned
· Actively takes notes at meetings and provides meeting notes to supervisor
· Timely informs supervisor of important issues at policy meetings
Technical Assistance Support
· Tracks requests for information from federal, state and tribal representatives
· Responds to requests for information
· Supports supervisor in providing technical assistance support at meetings, as requested.
· Briefs Northwest Tribal Leaders on Indian health legislative and policy issues, as requested.
Administrative and Reporting Functions
· Supports supervisor in the preparation and submission of all required project reports within the IHS P.L. 93-638 Contract for Executive Direction activities
· Engages policy team staff in the collection of pertinent data to meet reporting requirements
· Prepares activity reports for NPAIHB Delegates, as requested
Other Duties
· Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor and/or Executive Director or designee
Standards of Conduct
· Act in service to the Tribes and Tribal communities we serve
· Uphold the Mission, Values, and Vision of the NPAIHB
· Maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all NPAIHB information and documentation
· Consistently exhibit professional behavior and a high degree of personal and professional integrity and impartiality appropriate to the responsible and confidential nature of the position
· Exercise good judgment and initiative in performance of duties and responsibilities
· Demonstrate high emotional intelligence in the performance of all duties and responsibilities
· Orientation toward learning, innovation, service, and the building of second-line leadership
· Commitment to building an organizational culture which centers NPAIHB’s service to Tribes, promotes professional excellence, and builds an environment where employees grow and thrive
· Commitment to build an inclusive workplace across a range of identities and experiences, including (but not limited to) geography, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, language, disability, religion, spiritual practices, and immigration status
· Sees diversity as a strength, and equity as a baseline
· Work in a cooperative manner with all levels of management and with all NPAIHB staff
· Effectively plan, organize workload, and schedule time to meet workload demands
· Use reasonable judgment to consistently display professional work attire during normal business hours, and/or dress appropriately for the workday, space, or event in lieu of a formal dress code
· Be present, available, and responsive for meetings and calls during regular working hours
· Commit to sharing knowledge and building expertise by participating in all virtual spaces in our workplace with cameras on
· Show consideration by communicating effectively and building collective understanding
· Recognize relationships are the cornerstone of NPAIHB’s work by treating all NPAIHB delegates/ alternates, partners, staff, and American Indian/Alaska Native people with dignity and respect
· Participate willingly in NPAIHB activities
Qualifications
Education
Minimum education required:
· Bachelor’s degree in public policy, public administration, public health, law or related field
Additional education preferred:
· Master’s or other graduate degree (JD, PhD, etc.) in public policy, public administration, public health, law or related field
Experience
Minimum experience required:
· At least two (2) years of demonstrated experience in health policy research, writing and analysis
· Verifiable professional experience working with a Tribe, or 638 Tribal organization
· Demonstrated experience preparing written reports
Additional experience preferred:
· Direct experience working with Northwest Tribes
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
· Demonstrated knowledge of the Indian Self-Determination Education Assistance Act, Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Affordable Care Act, Medicaid/Medicare, and other relevant Indian health related legislation
· Demonstrated knowledge of legislative and regulatory processes
· Demonstrated knowledge, discretion, tact, judgment, and overall ability in working effectively with Tribal, federal and state representatives
· Proficiency with computer applications (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft Office Suite programs)
· Strong technical writing skills, including good spelling and grammatical skills, and the ability to produce polished writing under a deadline
· Excellent research and analysis skills
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Must be sensitive to cross-cultural differences, and able to work effectively within their context
· Ability to work with minimal supervision, exercise initiative, and make independent decisions and recommendations
· Ability to make professional oral presentations in settings at the national, regional, and community levels, as well as in Tribal settings
· Ability to complete tasks in a timely and accurate manner
· Ability to travel frequently (approximately 50-60% of the time)
Probationary Period
External applicants must agree to serve a minimum six-month probationary period during which time their employment can be terminated at will. For the purpose of evaluating job performance, internal applicants must agree to serve a minimum six-month probationary period when job duties change significantly.
Work Conditions
Physical Demands
This position:
· Frequently involves sedentary work (exerting up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body)
· Occasionally involves light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force and/or up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to move objects)
Physical Requirements
This position:
· Consistently requires the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and expressing or exchanging ideas or important instructions accurately, loudly, or quickly
· Constantly requires working with fingers, rather than the whole hand or arm
· Constantly requires repetitive movement of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
· Often requires walking or moving about to accomplish tasks
· Occasionally requires standing and/or sitting for sustained periods of time
· Occasionally requires ascending or descending stairs or ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms
· Occasionally requires raising objects from a lower to a higher position, or moving objects horizontally
· Occasionally requires stooping, which entails the use of the lower extremities and back muscles
· Infrequently requires crouching
Typical Environmental Conditions
The worker is frequently subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes, and is occasionally subject to outside environmental conditions.
Travel Requirements
Local travel and/or overnight travel outside of the area is required 50-60% in the position.
Disclaimer
The individual must perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation efficiently and accurately without causing a significant safety threat to self or others describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required of all personnel so classified.
Except as provided by Title 25, U.S.C. § 450e(b), which allows for Indian preference in hiring, the NPAIHB does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, politics, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, veteran or military status, genetic information, ancestry or any other characteristic protected by law.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED:
· Please provide two (2) work samples demonstrating relevant experience in health policy research, writing, and analysis
· Candidates offered interviews may be asked to prepare additional materials for consideration, such as a brief presentation reflecting their knowledge on topics relevant to the position
For more information, or to apply now, you must go to the website below. Please DO NOT email your resume to us as we only accept applications through our website.