Government Affairs Manager

Missouri Family Health Council champions the freedom to access sexual and reproductive healthcare—no matter who you are or where you live. Through programs like Title X, Free EC, and The Right Time, we partner with providers, support communities, and advocate for policies that protect care and expand rights. We ensure that everyone can get the care they need, without shame, judgment, or obstacles. Simply put, we do hard work and we do it well.

Our work is rooted in three core values:

● Justice: We fight for a world where equitable access to healthcare is a reality, not a privilege. We challenge systemic barriers and advocate for policies that uphold dignity and self-determination.
● Courage: We take bold stands, even when it’s difficult. We speak truth to power, innovate in the face of adversity, and support our partners and communities with unwavering resolve.
● Tenacity: We don’t give up. In a hostile landscape, we remain steadfast—finding creative solutions, sustaining our networks, and pushing forward to protect reproductive freedom.

If you’re a resilient and tenacious individual that excels at relationship building and navigating complex legislative dynamics with demonstrated success in leveraging advocacy opportunities to advance policy priorities on a local, state, or national level, we want to hear from you.

Position Summary

As a member of the Programs team, the Government Affairs Manager is responsible for ensuring a functional connection between MFHC’s policy priorities and relevant local, state, and, occasionally, national policy and regulatory work, legislative advocacy, and lobbying, serving as a trustworthy resource to elected officials and their staff on issues related to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. They work in close collaboration with other members of the MFHC team and other health- and equity-focused coalition members and community partners in order to defend against legislative attacks to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice, and pave the way toward implementation of proactive policies that move us closer to the vision that everyone has access to healthcare without shame, judgement, or obstacles.

WHAT YOU DO
The core of this role is developing and implementing legislative strategies to achieve MFHC’s policy priorities on the local, state, and federal levels. This includes a focus on:

Policy and Legislative Strategies
● Establish MFHC’s priorities in conjunction with MFHC’s Policy and Advocacy workgroup.
● In conjunction with the Advocacy Manager, design power-building strategies that activate MFHC’s base to effectively influence policymakers, including incorporating story-telling and person-level impact into the policy process.
● Effectively lobby policymakers to build support for MFHC’s policy priorities, provide written and verbal testimony, and prepare other advocates to testify on behalf of MFHC.
● Maintain an effective in-Capitol presence in order to support MFHC’s policy priorities.
● Inform strategies for institutional and local municipal changes to policy and practice to support MFHC’s mission in collaboration with the broader Programs department.

Relationship Building
● Build bipartisan champions to support MFHC’s proactive policy agenda.
● Serve as a trusted resource for accurate, clear, relevant information related to sexual and reproductive healthcare and provision to policymakers, state department leaders, and their staff.
● Create and maintain effective, supportive relationships with coalition partners and other stakeholders, focusing on finding common ground on which to advance policy priorities.

Analyze and Communicate Policy Details
● Supported by the Policy Analyst, read, understand, and monitor key policies moving through the legislative process and effectively communicate the impact (or potential impact) to relevant stakeholders, including MFHC staff and board, clinics, volunteers, and community partners.
● Draft suggested policy language and priorities for proactive bills and effectively share with relevant stakeholders.
● Provide clear, concise, and actionable summaries of legislative happenings with the goal of strategically mobilizing appropriate stakeholders toward power-building and legislative efficacy.

Power Building
● In conjunction with the Advocacy Manager and other key stakeholders, support in-Capitol activities like lobby days, legislative visits, and other actions to build and demonstrate community power.
● Facilitate an effective and compelling connection between policymakers and their constituents within the MFHC network, including through in-district visits and clinic tours.
● Occasionally conduct outreach and/or presentations to build MFHC’s stakeholder network to better achieve our shared policy priorities.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities
● Attend events, conferences, trainings, and meetings on behalf of MFHC, including tabling/outreach, as needed.
● Promote MFHC’s programs with passion and appropriate knowledge with partners/stakeholders.
● Other duties as assigned that support MFHC in meeting its mission.

This job offers a hybrid work situation while located within Missouri, but. MFHC offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits. Please read the full job description for more information, including what is required in your cover letter.