Legislative Liaison/Section Coordinator

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Austin, TX

2d

About The Position

DSHS is committed to hiring skilled and dedicated individuals who share a passion for public health to pursue our vision of A Healthy Texas. If you are looking to make an impact and tackle new challenges, we encourage you to consider a career with us.   Employee Benefits: DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). To learn more about all the benefits available to you as a DSHS employee and other DSHS opportunities for early career pathways, visit the DSHS Careers Page. Review our Top 10 Tips for Success when Applying to State of Texas Jobs.   Performs management or oversight of activities for the daily operations of the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention (HPCDP) Section under the general direction of the Section Director. Facilitates the integration and streamlining of processes, assignments, and activities within the Section. Works as a section coordinator and develops guidelines, policies, and procedures for the Section and monitors compliance with policies and procedures. Coordinates with section branch managers and subject matter experts on assignments from the Community Health Improvement (CHI) division and the agency. Performs the role of a legislative liaison and coordinates with the section and CHI division on legislative tasks and assignments, bill analysis, legislative inquiries, media inquiries, and fiscal notes. Tracks and monitors legislative tasks and activities on bills assigned to the section. Assist the Section Director in preparing for legislative hearing, rules reviews and other assignments as needed. Works closely with section and division peers on implementation plans. Works on developing, reviewing, amending, maintaining, and coordinating rules overseen by the section. Coordinate and review legislative reports, section publications, council and committee documents, and briefings. Works under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. To perform these job duties, this position may require working extra hours needed to meet defined deadlines and support the agency’s mission critical reporting requirements.

Requirements

• Knowledge of public administration and management techniques
• Knowledge of Texas legislative and appropriations process
• Skill in bill analysis and tracking, in monitoring and coordinating response to legislative and other inquiries
• Strategic planning and goal setting skills, time management skills
• Skills in using MS Office programs
• Skills in gathering and analyzing information
• Skill in conducting and facilitating meetings
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work in a high profile and fast-paced environment
• Ability to prioritize, work under pressure, and meet short turnaround assignments
• Ability to coordinate multiple assignments at a time, involving multiple people
• Ability to express complex ideas clearly, concisely, and accurately both verbally and in writing
• Ability to work collaboratively in teams as well as independently
• Ability to provide effective team leadership
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in public health, public affairs, public administration, health policy or a related field is required.
• Experience analyzing legislative bills, tracking, monitoring is required.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in project management is preferred.
• Experience working on state agency rules preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates section activities related to legislative and appropriations tasks.
• Works with HPCDP staff to coordinate section, CHI division and agency assignments and follow up as needed.
• Works on rules overseen or assigned to the section.
• Provide guidance to section staff on policy, planning, and administrative operations of the Section.
• Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery of Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation.

Benefits

• DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees