Wellstar Health System · 6 days ago
Chief Government Relations Officer
Marietta, GA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expWellstar Health System is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of every person they serve. They are seeking a Chief Government Relations Officer to lead advocacy, policy, and lobbying efforts, aligning stakeholder support with Wellstar's mission and policy goals.
FitnessHealth Care
Responsibilities
Manage and lead Wellstar government relations activity and actively participate in local, state and federal legislative processes
Provide strategic oversight to government relations department and is responsible for government affairs strategies that advance the systems mission and goals with local, regional, state and federal elected officials
Establish and implement short- and long-range organizational goals, objectives, strategic plans, policies, and operating procedures; monitors and evaluates programmatic and operational effectiveness, and effects changes required for improvement
Establish and maintain constructive relationships with elected and appointed officials on a federal, state, and local level and invests considerable time and energy in prioritized networking activity
Apprise senior leadership of pertinent legislative issues, external factors, and policy proposals and actions that could impact the System
Understand, communicate and advocate System priorities to governmental officials, local and national organizations and other government entities on key legislative issues related to health policy
Serve as a key representative for the System at legislative sessions, before State bodies, and Federal agencies in support of institutional goals and objectives
Shape and influence legislative programs and other critical business issues in alignment with System goals and objectives
Work in collaboration with Senior Leadership, to develop an effective health focused state and federal legislative agenda and attendant strategy
Work with lobbyists and legislators in establishing and implementing a lobbying strategy, both proactive and responsive
Prepare communications to and for key stakeholders, regarding pertinent issues on legislative changes; direct and oversee the development of materials in support of the government relations agenda, such as talking points, legislative summaries, factsheets, testimony, reports and letters
Participate with senior leadership on institutional planning, policy development, and problem resolution
Design, establish, and maintain an organizational structure and staffing with the necessary expertise (health sciences and other key university areas) to effectively accomplish the organizations goals and objectives; oversee recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of unit staff
Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned
Manage a team of political consultants and contract lobbyists/advocates
Lead an ongoing discussion to determine the best possible contract representation for the health system
Define and maintain strong and open channels of communication with contract team
Provide appropriate information to educate contract team on system operations and issues of interest
Leverage team members relationships with elected officials to the benefit of the system
Coordinate team meetings, agendas, tours, special events, etc
Develop strategy to maximize value of investment in contract team, and delegate responsibilities and make assignments among team members during critical junctures in the legislative process
Utilize team resources to conduct research and analysis as needed and assign team members to attend and report on meetings as needed
Enhance WellStar Political Brand by participating in Community Relations efforts in the WellStar service area
Establish a clear consistent political brand among political audiences
Attend select community events and meetings as a representative for WellStar
Serve on business and community task force groups and other areas to engage with community leaders about healthcare in the community when politically relevant
Serve as a speaker to select community groups on topics such as Medicare, Policy Changes, etc
Office Management
Direct Coordinator of Operations on ways to assist in Government Relations responsibilities
Provide management oversight of departmental budget, expenses, costs, etc
Perform other duties as assigned
Comply with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct
Qualification
Required
An undergraduate degree is required
Minimum 10-12 years working with elected officials, board members, community leaders, programming, policy writing, budget oversight and event planning
The successful candidate will be an executive-ready government affairs leader with substantial health policy experience, including engaging with relevant state policymakers and regulators in Georgia
The ideal candidate will have senior-most leadership experience in roles of increasing responsibility for an organizations advocacy agenda and the achievement of policy objectives, in alignment with the organizations strategy and business objectives
A collaborative leader, the Senior Vice President will be a demonstrated team developer with experience building, motivating, and optimizing a team, including by leveraging cross-functional resources to rebuild Wellstar's brand in the capital
The successful candidate will be an articulate spokesperson with a track-record of experience effectively telling the story of an impactful organization
A natural relationship builder who has a well-established network of relationships with relevant policymakers and regulators
The successful candidate will bring excellent communication, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution skills
Preferred
An advanced degree such as a JD or MBA is highly desirable
Company
Wellstar Health System
The largest health system in Georgia.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Candice L. Saunders
President and CEO
Alan Muster
SVP Specialty Division
Recent News
BiometricUpdate.com
2025-10-28
Company data provided by crunchbase