Careers

Posted: September 11, 2026

The Health Connector seeks an Associate Director of External Affairs to support the agency’s Deputy Chief of External Affairs in bolstering the Health Connector’s external engagement. The Associate Director will support the External Affairs team in developing and executing a holistic strategic vision for the Health Connector’s external affairs functions and relationships; building and maintaining trusted relationships with government officials and other stakeholders; serving as lead staff supporting Board of Directors engagement (including preparing for Board of Directors meetings and developing meeting materials); evaluating the state and federal political landscape to inform external affairs strategy; and serving as a liaison for local, state, and federal officials.

The Associate Director of External Affairs will report to the Deputy Chief of External Affairs.

• Support the Health Connector’s Deputy Chief of External Affairs in carrying out the Health Connector’s external-facing strategic priorities
• Support preparation and execution of Board of Directors meetings and communications, including
  • collaborating to establish relevant agendas, managing review and issuance of official communications between the Health Connector and its Board,
  • supporting Board meeting logistics,
  • overseeing development of and finalization of presentation materials, and
  • identification of and completion of action items
• Serve as the primary liaison for staff-level interactions with and inquiries from federal agencies and/or regulatory entities—i.e., the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Office (CCIIO) state officer, or others—and manage the development and timely responses from the Health Connector
• In collaboration with the Deputy Chief and others, organize engagement with a diverse set of external stakeholder partners, inclusive of government and local industry groups, and execute external-facing strategic initiatives that promote the mission of the Health Connector
• Lead cross-functional work focused on internal alignment of strategic messaging regarding key events impacting members of the Health Connector and residents of the Commonwealth
• In coordination with the Policy team, monitor and interpret state and federal policy proposals and identify state- and federal-level legislative changes that would affect the Health Connector’s ability to deliver on its mission to provide access to high-value care to residents of the Commonwealth
• In conjunction with the Deputy Chief of External Affairs, develop and execute a government affairs engagement roadmap on a regular basis to strengthen relationships and deepen educational opportunities and partnerships across local, state, and federal governmental bodies
• Monitor state political and policy dynamics that have a direct and indirect impact on the Health Connector’s function and/or partners and ensure that Executive, Policy, and Legal teams are kept apprised
• Work with the Health Connector’s Ombuds team to ensure the resolution of member escalations received from community, state, and federal partners and facilitate external communications related to member escalations
• Maintain a library of presentation material used to brief external stakeholders on key topics, in coordination with subject matter experts and Communications staff, and regularly lead refinement and evolution of these materials based on best practices regarding external communications and stakeholder needs and feedback
• Provide strategic guidance to staff on publications and other materials to ensure they are relevant to external stakeholders’ needs and interests

• 10+ years’ experience in government or a public agency
• Extensive experience with government relations and public affairs work
• Extensive knowledge of state and federal legislative and executive branch regulatory processes
• Ability to maintain and build relationships with elected officials, government and health care leaders
• Extensive understanding of the Health Connector’s business responsibilities, mission, and external affairs and stakeholder relations landscape
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required
• Highly detail-oriented and able to produce, proofread, and oversee the development of highly professional, polished public-facing materials (e.g., memos, slide presentations, etc.)
• Self-directed and motivated to self-identify challenges and opportunities and construct responsive holistic strategies
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to create and manage effective professional working relationships are essential
• Eagerness to think outside of the box and conceive of creative, ambitious approaches to public engagement, public communications, and stakeholder relations
• Must be able to appropriately handle confidential information and materials, anticipate media needs, and consistently exercise sound judgment as a representative of a public organization
• Knowledge of health care field and experience in health care or health insurance strongly preferred
• Exceptional ability to distill complex, nuanced topics into clear, compelling messages