Health Policy Director en Los Angeles LGBT Center

Position: Health Policy Director

Program: Public Policy

Department: Policy & Community Building

Reports to: Associate Director of Public Policy 

Status: 100% Full-Time, Exempt 

Compensation: $102,274 - $115,774 annually

Center’s Mission: Building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: The Center plays a vital role in advancing equity through bold leadership, strategic advocacy, public education, and the mentorship of emerging changemakers. Our Policy and Community Building Department is at the heart of this work, leading legislative, budgetary, administrative, and grassroots campaigns that protect hard-won rights and open new pathways toward justice. We work in coalition with community members, government agencies, and movement partners to influence policy, shift public narratives, and drive long-term systems change. This role offers a meaningful opportunity to help shape a more inclusive future and strengthen the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ communities everywhere.

JOB SUMMARY: The Health Policy Director leads the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s health policy and advocacy efforts to protect and expand equitable, accessible, and culturally competent healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities across Los Angeles and beyond. This leadership role is responsible for developing and implementing strategic policy initiatives that safeguard and grow access to primary care, HIV/STD services, gender-affirming care, and inclusive health systems—particularly within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community clinics. The Health Policy Director builds and maintains relationships with government agencies, elected officials, coalition partners, and healthcare providers to drive transformative systems change. They serve as a key policy spokesperson and strategist for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, ensuring that advocacy efforts are grounded in the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people, especially those most impacted by systemic barriers. This position plays a critical role in integrating community voice, service provider insight, and government engagement to protect existing care and expand future opportunities for LGBTQ+ health equity at the local, state, and national levels.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Policy Advocacy

•    Lead the development and execution of strategic policy initiatives that enhance and expand access to LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare, with a focus on primary care, HIV/STD services, gender-affirming care, and reproductive health.  

•    Create and refine impactful policy materials—including briefs, position statements, public comment letters, and legislative testimony—that promote health equity for LGBTQ+ communities in Los Angeles, throughout California and the nation.  

•    Monitor and analyze legislation, regulations, administrative policy, and budget proposals, coordinating timely and strategic responses that reflect the Center’s priorities and address the needs of LGBTQ+ communities.  

•    Champion sustainable and equitable public funding initiatives, including Medi-Cal, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and other safety-net programs that support LGBTQ+ healthcare in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community clinics. 

•    Represent the Center in high-level policy coalitions and public forums, fostering partnerships and spearheading advocacy efforts at local, state, and federal levels to advance LGBTQ+ healthcare.

Strategy Development

•    Develop and oversee the implementation of a proactive and reactive health policy agenda that aligns with the Center’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.  

•    Identify emerging threats and opportunities related to LGBTQ+ healthcare, coordinating timely organizational responses, including with the Marketing and Communication department, Community Mobilization team, and other subject matter experts across the Center.  

•    Ensure that policy strategies are informed by community voices by collaborating closely with Center programs providing gender-affirming care, HIV services, and primary care. 

•    Establish clear advocacy goals, metrics, and evaluation processes to assess policy impact and drive continuous improvement.  

Government Relations

•    Build and manage strategic relationships with elected officials, legislative staff, and public health administrators at local, state, and federal levels.  

•    Serve as the representative for the Los Angeles LGBT Center in meetings with key government agencies, including the Los Angeles County Department of Health Care Services, California Health & Human Services Agency, and the LA County Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and others.

•    Facilitate regular site visits, briefings, and consultations with policymakers to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ healthcare and the services provided by the Center.  

Service Provider Relations

•    Act as a liaison between the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s policy initiatives and its internal health services teams—including primary care, gender-affirming services, HIV/STD care, and behavioral health—to ensure advocacy strategies are informed by firsthand client and provider experiences.  

•    Collaborate closely with internal clinical and program leadership to identify systemic challenges, elevate community-identified policy needs, and align advocacy goals related to care delivery and access.  

•    Build and maintain strong relationships with LGBTQ+-serving FQHCs, community clinics, and other healthcare providers throughout Los Angeles and California to promote policy alignment and shared health equity objectives.  

•    Convene and participate in external provider collaboratives to support coordinated advocacy on important issues such as cultural competency requirements, reimbursement rates, workforce development, and regulatory compliance.

•    Promote cross-sector collaboration between Center departments and external partners to strengthen the broader LGBTQ+ healthcare infrastructure and improve care outcomes system-wide. 

Coalition Relations

•    Serve as a representative of the Los Angeles LGBT Center within coalitions and advocacy networks dedicated to health equity, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive justice, racial justice, and gender justice.  

•    Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships with LGBTQ+, BIPOC-led, and health justice organizations across California and beyond to amplify community-driven health policy initiatives.  

•    Coordinate coalition-based advocacy campaigns, policy sign-on letters, and legislative actions aligned with the Center’s health policy priorities including with the California Primary Care Association, Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Ending the Epidemics Coalition, and others. 

•    Facilitate collaboration between community partners and Center leadership to present a united front in the effort to protect and expand LGBTQ+ healthcare.   

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

•    A passion for the Center’s work and its mission to make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.

•    7+ years of professional experience in public policy, government affairs, health systems advocacy, or a related field, with a focus on health equity and LGBTQ+ issues.

•    Strong knowledge of health policy at the local, state, and federal levels, especially related to Medicaid/Medi-Cal, FQHCs, HIV care (Ryan White), behavioral health, and gender-affirming care.

•    Proven success developing and advancing policy agendas, including drafting legislation, public comment, and strategic campaign plans.

•    Experience engaging elected officials, agency staff, community members, and coalitions, and representing an organization in high-level policy forums.

•    Demonstrated commitment to LGBTQ+ equity, racial justice, and health access for historically marginalized communities.

•    Exceptional writing and communication skills, including the ability to translate complex policy concepts into accessible language for varied audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

•    Advanced degree in public policy, public health, law, or related field (MPH, MPP, JD, etc.), or equivalent lived/professional experience.

•    Deep familiarity with California’s health policy landscape, including state budget processes, Medi-Cal waivers, and county-level systems like DHSP, DMH, or DHS.

•    Experience working in or with FQHCs or LGBTQ+-serving community clinics on issues of funding, compliance, or systems reform.

•    Track record of success in intersectional, community-informed policy advocacy, especially related to BIPOC, trans, undocumented, and low-income populations.

•    Media or public speaking experience on health equity or LGBTQ+ issues.

•    Bilingual or multilingual fluency (especially Spanish) is a plus.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, religion, disability, age, military or veteran status, including status as a victim of domestic violence, assault or stalking, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation or activities, medical or health conditions, and marital status.

The Center has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy as a condition of employment for all employees who work on the Center’s premises, subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws. For more information, please contact [email protected].