Senior vice president, public affairs and advocacy

About Jarrard, Inc. Jarrard Inc. is a U.S. Top 10 strategic communications consulting firm focused exclusively on healthcare and the unique opportunities and challenges inherent in this sector. Founded in 2006, the firm has worked with more than 1,800 clients across 48 states and has led communications and political strategy on $75+ billion in announced M&A and partnership transactions. Jarrard partners with leaders across the spectrum of healthcare in high stakes moments of growth, innovation, change, and reputational/public affairs challenges. This array of specialized services is tailored to support leaders in the most impactful parts of the ecosystem that are essential in transforming U.S. healthcare for the better. In 2020, Jarrard Inc. joined Chartis, one of the nation’s leading healthcare advisory firms, and operates as a division under an independent brand. Chartis is a comprehensive advisory firm dedicated to transforming healthcare. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic, clinical, financial, and digital transformation Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, hospitals and health systems, integrated delivery networks, children's hospitals, physician enterprises, payers, and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. Across both Jarrard and Chartis, we are fortunate to have extraordinarily talented people working in our firm – all brought together around our unifying mission “to improve healthcare”, a shared dedication to our core values, and the emphasis we place on creating an environment that enriches the experiences of our clients, our colleagues and our communities. Jarrard has offices in Nashville, TN and as part of Chartis has offices in Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Washington D.C., and Boston, MA. Remote work is allowed. For more information, visit jarrardinc.com and chartis.com.

Role Overview

Jarrard is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial leader based in the Washington, D.C. area to expand and play a key leadership role in our broader Public Affairs and Advocacy offering. This role reflects a critical growth priority for the firm as healthcare organizations face intensifying scrutiny, policy volatility and political complexity at the federal, state and local levels. The Senior Vice President, Public Affairs & Advocacy will be responsible for helping shape and further activate Jarrard’s public affairs and advocacy vision, expanding capabilities and bandwidth, and building durable client and market impact across the full spectrum of public affairs, including advocacy campaign development and execution, policy intelligence, stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and government relations. This leader will serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, boards, and government affairs leaders, helping clients protect and advance strategic priorities through coordinated public affairs, advocacy and government relations strategies and tactics. As a senior leader at the firm, the SVP will help define market strategy, grow revenue, ensure excellence in client delivery, and recruit, develop, and inspire top-tier talent. This leader will play a central role in establishing and expanding Jarrard’s presence and credibility at the federal level while accelerating growth in state- and local-level public affairs and advocacy work.

Responsibilities

Client Service & Public Affairs Leadership

• Serve as a senior trusted advisor to healthcare leaders navigating complex public policy, regulatory, reputational, and political challenges
• Lead the development and execution of integrated public affairs, advocacy and government relations strategies aligned to client business objectives
• Advise clients on positioning for or against legislative, regulatory, and policy actions at the federal, state and local levels
• Oversee coalition and alliance development, including multi-stakeholder and federal and multi-state advocacy initiatives
• Partner with colleagues across strategic communications, research, digital, and creative teams to deliver cohesive, high-impact programs
• Ensure consistently high-quality client work delivered on time, on budget, and aligned to scope

Policy Advocacy

• Provide strategic counsel on legislative and regulatory strategy, including engagement with elected officials, regulators, and third-party stakeholders
• Guide clients on government relations strategy, including issue briefings, testimony development, fly-ins, site visits, and regulatory engagement
• Advise on political strategy, including grasstops and grassroots activation, compliance considerations, and integration with broader public affairs efforts
• Stay abreast of healthcare policy developments and political dynamics impacting providers, payers, health tech and related sectors

Business Development & Growth

• Lead growth of the Public Affairs & Advocacy offering with responsibility for revenue generation and pipeline development
• Leverage existing relationships and build new senior-level relationships with healthcare leaders, associations, and partners
• Identify market opportunities, emerging issues, and client needs that align to Jarrard’s capabilities and growth strategy
• Collaborate with firm and practice leadership and the business development team to shape offerings, craft proposals, and win new work
• Represent Jarrard through speaking engagements, conferences, thought leadership, and industry visibility

Thought Leadership & Market Positioning

• Help define and articulate Jarrard’s point of view on healthcare public affairs, advocacy, and political dynamics
• Contribute to firm thought leadership, including policy briefings, white papers, presentations, and client-facing insights
• Strengthen Jarrard’s market reputation as a go-to partner for high-stakes public affairs and advocacy challenges in healthcare

Team Leadership & Firm Management

• Recruit, develop, and lead high-performing teams of public affairs and communications professionals
• Coach and mentor colleagues, supporting career growth through Jarrard’s talent development platform
• Ensure strong project management, fiscal oversight, and productivity across engagements
• Actively participate in firm leadership, planning, and culture-building initiatives
• Model and reinforce Jarrard’s mission, values, and commitment to excellence

Qualifications and Desired Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, communications, business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in public affairs, government relations, strategic communications, or related roles (including Congressional or Regulatory Agency roles), with deep healthcare sector expertise
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives or boards on public policy, advocacy, or political strategy
• Strong understanding of healthcare policy and regulatory dynamics at the federal, state and local levels
• Established professional network across healthcare, policy, and government stakeholders
• Track record of building and leading teams and managing complex, multi-disciplinary client engagements
• Experience driving revenue growth, managing budgets, and ensuring engagement profitability
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with strong executive presence
• Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort building new offerings and navigating ambiguity
• Willingness to travel occasionally for client work, firm gatherings, and industry events

What You Can Expect From Us

• High stakes work that makes healthcare better
• A collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven culture
• The opportunity to shape and grow a strategically important firm capability
• Meaningful investment in your professional growth and leadership development
• Flexibility through a remote work model with national reach
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package, including health benefits, retirement plan, paid time off, and wellness support

Salary range: $215,000-$295,000, plus may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skills, experience, training, licensure and certifications, practice area, and other business and organizational needs. In addition, Jarrard offers several benefits including medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) match, paid time off, wellness stipend, and additional voluntary benefits. At Jarrard and Chartis, we pride ourselves on having a diverse workforce. We value and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals and the different perspectives the provide. We offer equal opportunity employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, marital status, or protected veteran status.