Legislative Liaison/Section Coordinator

Texas Health & Human Services Commission • Austin, TX

5d • $5,099 - $6,702 • Hybrid

About The Position

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.
• Minimum one year of 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 section programs to develop bill analysis, or lead the analysis and implementation of the bills and tasks that do not fit to a specific program within the section. Works closely with the section financial analyst in preparing cost estimates for bill implementation. Promptly and accurately works on legislative bill analysis, bill tracking, and public hearings and related meetings for the Section. Assists the section director in preparing for public hearing of section related bills. Communicates with department staff, stakeholders, Government Affairs Unit, and others on legislation affecting the Section. Participates in activities related to legislative assignments, legislative inquiries, legislative reports development, report reviewing, monitoring and tracking timelines for legislative reports, and rulemaking associated with legislation, interim studies or project work teams, and outreach activities. Coordinates with other legislative liaisons in the division and follow the section and division guidance on responding to legislative tasks. Facilitates appropriate section involvement with inter- and intra-agency activities.
• Works with HPCDP staff to coordinate section, CHI division and agency assignments and follow up as needed. Coordinates assignments such as weekly CHI updates, budget and legislative assignments, policy reviews, inquiries, exceptional item funding, reports, publications etc. Coordinate, compile, and review responses before submitting to the section director. Reviews section reports, weekly and quarterly newsletters, reports, and other publications before section director’s review and work with program staff to ensure appropriate edits are made. Coordinates with program attorneys and Government Affairs Unit, and others on matters related to councils and committees the HPCDP section supports. Assists the programs with creating any guidance documents related to statues and committee/councils.
• Works on rules overseen or assigned to the section. Develops, maintains, amends, and reviews rules and works on assignments as required. Works closely with the CHI division office staff in coordinating rules with the CHI division and HHSC rules office. Serves as a backup for the grants coordinator position within the section and fills in for the duties when that position is vacant.
• Provide guidance to section staff on policy, planning, and administrative operations of the Section. Facilitates and coordinates the flow of program and administrative assignments and composes/edits final responses for further submission.
• 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. Such participating may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. To perform these job duties, this position may require working the extra hours needed to meet defined deadlines and support the agency’s mission critical reporting requirements.

Benefits

• 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