Federal Food Policy Update

Aug 28, 2020

Position Title: Health Access Manager

Reports To: Executive Director

Status: Full-time, exempt

Location: North Carolina: hybrid/remote with statewide travel

Hiring Salary Range: $62,000–$68,000

Supervisory responsibilities: None currently

About the North Carolina Alliance for Health

The North Carolina Alliance for Health brings together community voices, bipartisan leaders, businesses, and partners across the state to advance practical policy solutions grounded in local experience and designed for statewide impact. Together, we improve health outcomes while reducing long-term healthcare costs, expanding access to care, strengthening the workforce, and helping communities thrive. 

About the Role

As federal funding cuts and policy shifts threaten public health and Medicaid coverage, the North Carolina Alliance for Health (NCAH) is committed to fighting for North Carolinians’ continued access to affordable care. In alignment with NCAH’s commitment to public health and ensuring health access for all, the Health Access Manager will lead and coordinate Keeping NC Medicaid Strong – a statewide coalition focused on protecting and advancing Medicaid in North Carolina.

This role requires strong skills in coalition management, stakeholder communications, and policy analysis. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, a skilled communicator, and committed to access to care in North Carolina.

Key Responsibilities

  • Coalition Management & Leadership

    • Manage NCAH’s health access portfolio, with a primary focus on Medicaid policy and related public health issues. 
    • Convene and grow a diverse coalition of organizations, advocates, and community partners.
    • Facilitate Keeping NC Medicaid Strong coalition meetings by setting agendas, supporting discussions, and ensuring follow-through on action items.
    • Work with the Executive Director to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including advocacy groups and community leaders.
    • Manage project timelines, budgets, deliverables, and grant requirements; identify risks and recommend adjustments to keep work on track. 
    • Engage Medicaid beneficiaries, grassroots organizations, and communities most affected by health access barriers in campaign planning, messaging, and advocacy. 

 

  • Policy & Legislative Work

    • Monitor and analyze federal and state policy developments affecting Medicaid and health access; advise leadership on emerging opportunities and threats.
    • Draft policy briefs, talking points, and testimony targeted to a variety of audiences.
    • Represent the coalition with media and relevant public forums.
    • Work closely with the Executive Director to influence policy outcomes.

  • Advocacy & Campaigns

    • Implement advocacy campaigns, including grassroots mobilization and digital outreach.
    • Prepare coalition members for legislative meetings, press events, and other advocacy opportunities.
    • Track campaign progress and report on outcomes to the coalition and funders.

  • Communications & External Relations

    • Serve as a representative for NCAH’s healthcare access work in meetings with key stakeholders, funders, and the media, providing timely updates, reporting recent developments, and sharing relevant information.
    • Translate complex Medicaid and healthcare policy issues into clear, compelling messages for diverse audiences.
    • Collaborate with the communications team to draft fact sheets, advocacy toolkits, talking points, and digital content.
    • Support coalition members in amplifying unified messaging.

  • Organizational Management

    • Work with the Executive Director to support Medicaid-related grants, including budget tracking, deliverable management, and funder reporting.
    • Ensure projects are executed effectively, on time, and in alignment with NCAH’s strategic goals.
    • Contribute to funding proposals, funder cultivation, grant reports, and sustainability planning for NCAH’s health access portfolio. 
    • Develop annual goals, strategies, work plans, and performance measures for NCAH’s health access portfolio in collaboration with the full team.
    • Establish and track campaign goals, performance indicators, partner engagement, policy progress, and outcomes; use findings to improve strategy and support funder reporting.
  • Team Participation & Collaboration
  • Work closely with NCAH staff, consultants, and coalition partners to align strategies and coordinate communications.

    • Uphold NCAH's mission, vision, and values in your daily work.
    • Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values diverse perspectives and lived experiences.
    • Support colleagues across projects by contributing expertise in policy, advocacy, and coalition management.

 

Qualifications

  • Minimum two to four years of health policy advocacy or NC Medicaid program experience.
  • Strong project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines, budgets, and deliverables.
  • Familiarity with the North Carolina General Assembly, state agencies, and state policymaking processes.
  • Demonstrated ability to facilitate diverse groups, navigate differing perspectives, and build consensus.
  • Commitment to racial, geographic, disability, and economic equity.
  • Ability to work independently and adapt to rapidly changing policy conditions.
  • Willingness to travel within North Carolina and occasionally work outside regular business hours.

 

How to Apply: To apply, send your resume and cover letter to admin@ncallianceforhealth.org by September 4, 2026.

We're a state-level organization, but we usually find ourselves following federal legislation, regulations, and waivers throughout the year. In this way, and only this way, this year is no exception.

There are several bills in front of Congress that aim to increase access to online SNAP. The 2014 Farm Bill mandated a pilot to explore the feasibility and utility of allowing online purchases with SNAP. In 2017, eight retailers were selected, and in late 2019, online SNAP began rolling out in selected pilot states. As COVID-19 escalated, the pilot was expanded to include any states that chose to participate, bringing the total number of states to 45.

  • Expanding SNAP Options Act of 2020 (H.R.7535/S.4202):  This bill establishes an "EBT Online Redemption Portal" app that allows SNAP participants to order online or delivery from local SNAP retailers and includes contracts for any for-profit or non-profit entity to participate in the development of the app and establishes a "SNAP Online Purchasing Technical Assistance Center" to provide State agencies, SNAP retailers, and participants with technical assistance, with appropriations of $75 million.
  • Local FARM Act of 2020 (S.4140): This bill increases the number of online SNAP retailers and increases grant funds to farmers markets, agricultural co-ops, and nonprofits that purchase crops from socially disadvantaged farmers.
  • Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act of 2020 (H.R.6904/S.3736): This bill authorizes SNAP retailers to swipe EBT card with a mobile device for home deliveries or for in-store pickup during the COVID-19 and provides $500 million for delivery to seniors, immunocompromised individuals, or others unable to travel safely to a grocery store.
  • SNAP Online Purchasing Flexibility Act of 2020 (H.R.6510): This bill expands the program to approve retail food stores to accept through online transactions SNAP benefits.

Carolinas Farm Stewardship Association and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition have been really critical in their advocacy efforts, and we're grateful to them for their leadership on these issues!

We're also following proposals impacting school nutrition programs.

  • We've been following the many waivers that allowed our school nutrition programs to pivot into summer feeding and beyond so quickly in March. Unfortunately, we're on the final days of most of those waivers here.
  • There has been a strong push for universal meals this year, led by FRAC, Feeding America, National PTA, and other national organizations. We aren't seeing any indication that a universal meal bill will get traction yet, but the movement is exciting.

Here's where you can learn more about these issues:

We'll continue to keep you up to date!

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