Policy Innovation & Benefits Manager

Full Job Description

STATE OF COLORADO RESIDENCY REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION

NOTE: This announcement may be used to fill multiple openings.

Envision Yourself Working at HCPF

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) oversees and operates Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program), Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), and other state public health programs for qualified Coloradans.

Our mission is to improve health care equity, access and outcomes for the people we serve while saving Coloradans money on health care and driving value for Colorado.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

As part of the State of Colorado, HCPF offers a competitive benefits package:

• PERA retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan, PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401K and 457 plans

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage

• Automatic Short-Term and Optional Long-Term Disability Coverage

• Life and AD&D Insurance

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection and State of Colorado Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)

• 11 Paid Holidays Annually and Accrued Annual and Sick Leave

• Accrued Sick Leave for State of Colorado Temporary Employees

• Flexplace and Flextime work arrangements

• Variety of discounts on services and products available through the State of Colorado's Work-Life Employment Discount Program

• Free RTD EcoPass to all eligible State Employees

• Reduced college tuition through CSU Global

• Credit Union of Colorado Membership Eligibility

• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/student-loan-forgiveness-programs.https://dhr.colorado.gov/dhr-resources/student-loan-forgiveness-programs

We are looking for a Policy Innovation & Benefits Manager for the Policy Innovation & Benefits Section of the Health Policy Office (HPO)!

We are onboarding new employees using a hybrid approach. The Department supports flexible work arrangements.

Depending on the business need and description of the position, we have options that range from hybrid to full-time in the office.

Specific discussions about the schedule will be discussed during the offer stage.

**Please note - equipment provisioning and certain onboarding tasks will take place in person, in our downtown Denver office, on the first day of employment.**

Requirements

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING AS POLICY INNOVATION & BENEFITS MANAGER:

• Provides senior-level leadership, supervision, and strategic direction for the Policy Innovations and Benefits Section within the Benefits Management Section of the Health Programs Benefits and Services Division.

• Plans, directs, and oversees a complex portfolio of Medicaid benefits, exercising advanced judgment, critical thinking, and deep subject-matter expertise in federal and state health coverage policy, benefit design, and program innovation.

• Directly supervises supervisors and professional staff and is accountable for the quality, timeliness, and strategic alignment of all work products produced by the section.

• Sets priorities, allocates resources, establishes performance expectations, and ensures effective workflow management across multiple benefit areas with high operational, fiscal, and policy complexity.

• As a senior leader within the division, serves as a trusted thought partner to Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Senior Executive Team (SET) members, providing policy analysis, strategic recommendations, and implementation guidance on complex Medicaid benefit issues.

• Relied on by leadership to anticipate policy risks, identify opportunities for innovation, interpret federal guidance, and align benefit strategy with department priorities, statutory requirements, and member needs.

• Performs supervisory duties over positions responsible for managing the following benefits and programs: Hospice Benefit Program, Speech Therapy Benefit Program, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Benefit Programs, Maternal Health Benefit Programs, Reproductive and Family Planning Benefit Programs, Vision Services Benefit Program, Audiology Benefit Program, Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Benefit Programs, Immunizations and Vaccines Benefit Programs, School-Based Health Center Benefit Program, Acute Home Health Benefit Program, Pediatric Behavioral Therapy Benefit Program, Dental Benefit Program, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Benefit Program.

• Functions as a project manager and decision-maker for complex policy development, benefit implementation, and continuous improvement initiatives, with responsibilities including monitoring and directing workflows, making supervisory and personnel decisions, resolving complex policy and operational issues, and ensuring responsiveness to internal and external stakeholders.

• Plays a critical role in advancing innovative benefit design, ensuring federal compliance, and improving access, quality, and health outcomes for Medicaid members across the lifespan.

Qualifications

Residency Requirement:

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Class Code & Classification Description:

H1A3XX

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT II

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

There are two ways to qualify for this position:

Option 1:

Experience Only:

Nine (7) total years of professional experience in health policy, public administration, program management, Medicaid, and/or health care benefits administration.

Option 2:

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in public administration, public health, health policy, or a related field

AND

Three (3) total years of professional experience in health policy, public administration, program management, Medicaid, and/or health care benefits administration.

Appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis. Relevant education will be calculated as the following:

• An associates will count as two years of experience

• A bachelors will count as four years of experience

• A masters degree will count for six years of experience

• A doctorate or juris doctorate degree will count for seven years of experience

Note: Per the Job Application Fairness Act, you may redact information that identifies your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution on your transcripts.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous relevant professional state experience

• Masters degree in public administration, public health, health policy, public policy, or a closely related field.

• Professional experience:

  • Within a Medicaid agency, health and human services department, or other public health or health policy organization.

  • Leading or supervising professional staff, including setting priorities, managing performance, and overseeing complex work products or programs.

  • Coordinating Medicaid benefit design, policy development, or program implementation, including interpretation of federal and state statutes, regulations, or CMS guidance.

  • Developing or overseeing legislative analysis, fiscal notes, rules, State Plan Amendments, or stakeholder-facing policy guidance in a complex regulatory or public-sector environment.

Skills to Support Success

• Strategic thinking and judgment – Ability to anticipate policy, operational, and fiscal implications of decisions; synthesize complex information; and provide clear, actionable recommendations to executive leadership.

• Leadership and people management – Ability to lead, coach, and support supervisors and professional staff; set clear expectations; manage performance; and foster a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team culture.

• Clear and effective communication – Ability to translate complex Medicaid policy and technical information into clear written and verbal communication for diverse audiences, including leadership, staff, legislators, providers, and external stakeholders.

• Collaboration and relationship-building – Ability to work effectively across divisions, agencies, and with external partners; navigate differing perspectives; and build trust to advance shared goals.

• Problem-solving and adaptability – Ability to respond thoughtfully to ambiguity, shifting priorities, and emerging issues; make sound decisions under pressure; and adjust strategies as circumstances change.

• Political and organizational awareness – Ability to understand and navigate the public-sector environment, including legislative processes, stakeholder dynamics, and organizational priorities, while maintaining professionalism and credibility.

• Equity-minded and member-focused approach – Commitment to improving access, quality, and outcomes for Medicaid members by considering equity, lived experience, and system impacts in policy and program decisions.

DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Work that involves exercising discretion, analytical skill, judgment, personal accountability, and responsibility for creating, developing, integrating, applying, and sharing an organized body of knowledge that characteristically is uniquely acquired through an intense education or training regimen at a recognized college or university; equivalent to the curriculum requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field; and continuously studied to explore, extend, and use additional discoveries, interpretations, and application and to improve data, materials, equipment, applications and methods.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• All positions at HCPF are security sensitive positions and require that the individuals undergo a criminal record background check as a condition of employment.

• Employees who have been disciplinary terminated, resigned in lieu of disciplinary termination, or negotiated their termination from the State of Colorado must disclose this information on the application.

APPEAL RIGHTS:

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative.

This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Additional Information

How to Apply (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

Please note that ONLY your State of Colorado job application will be reviewed during the initial screening; if you submit a resume and cover letter, they will be reviewed in later stages of the selection process.

Therefore, it is paramount that you clearly describe all your relevant experience on the application itself. Applications left blank or marked "SEE RESUME" will not be considered.

Your application will be reviewed against the minimum qualifications for the position. If your application demonstrates that you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be invited to the comparative analysis process, which is described below.

Comparative Analysis Process

The comparative analysis process will consist primarily of a review of applications against the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position.

Applications will be reviewed in comparison to all others in the applicant pool in order to identify a top group of candidates who may be invited for a final interview.

Depending on the size of the applicant pool, additional selection processes may be utilized to identify a top group of candidates. Applicants will be notified of their status via email.

Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date will result in your application being rejected.

ADAAA Accommodations: The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Anupreet Kaur, at anupreet.kaur@state.co.us.

The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing does not offer sponsored visas for employment purposes.