Associate General Counsel

National Committee for Quality Assurance•Washington, DC

About The Position

NCQA is seeking an Associate General Counsel, Programs and Privacy to serve as a strategic partner in its evolution as a leader in healthcare quality. This role will provide senior-level legal counsel across NCQA’s programs, products, contracts, research, data practices, privacy obligations, corporate operations, and stakeholder-facing processes. The position requires sound legal judgment, business orientation, privacy and healthcare regulatory depth, and the ability to advise senior leaders in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment. It is a strategic risk, business enablement, transformation, privacy, and enterprise counsel role central to NCQA’s future.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
Active bar admission in good standing.
Approximately 7–10 years of relevant legal experience.
Experience advising on healthcare law, privacy, regulatory compliance, data governance, research, or related matters.
Experience drafting and negotiating legal agreements.
Ability to provide practical legal advice to business leaders and cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience serving as privacy counsel or privacy official.
HIPAA and healthcare privacy and data governance expertise.
Healthcare regulatory experience, including AI regulation.
Human subject research and IRB experience.
Healthcare quality, accreditation, certification, or evaluation program experience.
Familiarity with Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid programs.
Experience supporting governance, compliance, and enterprise-risk activities.

Responsibilities

Serve as NCQA's Privacy Official and principal legal advisor on privacy, data protection, data governance, technology, and emerging issues, including HIPAA compliance, privacy policies and procedures, privacy impact assessments, breach and incident response, Business Associate Agreements, Data Use Agreements, sensitive data classification, privacy training and awareness, monitoring federal and state privacy developments, and technology-related legal considerations.
Partner with Information Security and business leaders to support responsible innovation and appropriate data governance controls while protecting NCQA's legal and reputational interests.
Advise NCQA leaders and staff on healthcare regulatory, evaluation program, product, customer-facing, and operational matters, including healthcare regulatory requirements (including AI), accreditation and recognition activities, program operations, customer-facing processes, product development initiatives, survey and review activities, and quality measurement activities.
Translate legal requirements into practical guidance that supports strategic and operational objectives.
Advise NCQA business units regarding standards implementation, recognition, accreditation, and certification processes, reconsideration and appeals procedures, procedural fairness considerations, customer communications, and legal risks affecting operational determinations.
Help maintain the integrity, defensibility, and transparency of stakeholder-facing programs.
Provide legal counsel and support related to Human Subject Research Protection Program activities, Federal wide Assurance requirements, Institutional Review Board processes, research determinations, research policies and training, and data-sharing and publication activities.
Promote legally compliant and responsible research practices across NCQA.
Partner with the General Counsel, Enterprise Risk Management Officer and Compliance Officer and organizational leaders to identify legal and regulatory risks, support compliance activities, participate in risk assessments, assist with investigations and dispute resolution, analyze emerging legal and regulatory developments, support litigation and other significant legal matters within the role's designated practice areas, and provide legal recommendations that help the organization manage enterprise risks effectively.