Salary : $115,252.80 - $163,904.00 Annually
Location : Des Moines - 50319 - Polk County, IA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 27-00189
Agency: 400 Health & Human Services - Medicaid
Opening Date: 07/21/2026
Closing Date: 7/31/2026 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag: #LI-DNP
Point of Contact:
To Apply: To be considered applicants please send resume and cover letter to Grace Steffensen at [email protected]

Job Description
This is a non-merit position for Health & Human Services - Medicaid. Candidates must follow the instructions in the "To Apply" section.

Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of Medicaid, is seeking a Chief of Staff to join our team!

This position serves as the Chief of Staff to the Medicaid Director, providing strategic guidance, organizational coordination, and expert analysis on complex federal and state Medicaid policy issues. The position leads the development and implementation of the Medicaid strategic initiatives, directs major policy initiatives, supports executive decision-making, and represents the agency in high-level legislative, regulatory, and stakeholder engagements to advance the goals of Iowa's Medicaid program.

Other Responsibilities Include:

• Serves as the principal advisor to the Medicaid Director, providing strategic guidance on policy direction, organizational priorities, stakeholder relationships, and operational needs.
• Coordinates division-wide activities, ensuring alignment across units, work streams, and leadership priorities.
• Manages executive-level communication flow, including briefing materials, decision memos, legislative updates, presentation materials, and strategic planning documents.
• Anticipates operational and policy challenges, identifies solutions, and ensures leadership is informed and prepared for agency, legislative, and stakeholder engagements.
• Represents the Medicaid Director in meetings, work groups, and cross-agency collaborations when delegated, ensuring consistent communication of priorities and organizational decisions.
• Oversees the execution of special initiatives, internal processes, and high-impact projects, ensuring they meet deadlines, quality expectations, and strategic goals.
• Facilitates internal coordination between Medicaid bureaus to ensure consistent implementation of policy and strategic objectives.
• Works closely with executive leadership to align strategic initiatives with agency mission, budget priorities, and statewide health system goals.
• Guides cross-functional teams in evaluating program policy needs and translating them into actionable strategic initiatives.
• Conducts complex, high-stakes policy analysis on federal and state laws, regulations, guidance, and legislation that may impact Medicaid programs.
• Produces concise analysis documents, impact assessments, policy briefs, and strategic recommendations for Medicaid leadership and key internal partners.
• Translates legislative initiatives and federal regulation into state Medicaid program policies, operational requirements, and implementation plans.
• Supports Medicaid budget planning and development through policy-driven analysis and strategic recommendations.
• Maintains a comprehensive archive of legislative analyses, regulatory reviews, policy briefs, and related research materials.
• Advises on programmatic, technical, and process-related topics to improve coordination, efficiency, and policy alignment.
• Identifies and resolves complex policy administration challenges, recommending solutions based on thorough analysis of laws, regulations, and best practices.
• Supports internal decision-making by analyzing sensitive or complex issues and preparing clear recommendations.
• Coordinates and maintains relationships with federal and state entities including CMS, DHHS, NGA, NAMD, MACPAC, Advancing States, and state Medicaid agencies.
• Represents the agency in legislative meetings, hearings, and work groups related to Medicaid policy.
• Serves as a key point of contact for federal and state partners on Medicaid matters, ensuring accurate and timely communication of agency positions.
• Monitors and contributes to government relations efforts concerning General Assembly, Congress, the federal administration, regulatory bodies, and national Medicaid-focused organizations.
• Communicates the agency's policy agenda, strategies, and decisions to internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitors national and state Medicaid policy trends, emerging issues, regulatory changes, and shifts in the healthcare environment affecting Medicaid, LTSS, and dual-eligible populations.
• Identifies alignment or divergence between Iowa Medicaid's positions and those of other stakeholders, advising leadership on risks and opportunities.

Benefits

Working for the State of Iowa comes with its perks. In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!
• Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation (96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).
• Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.
• Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.
• Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.
• Employee Discount Programs: Enjoy discounts on a variety of goods and services through our employee discount programs.

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Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1) Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to seven years of full-time professional-level work in program administration, program development, program research/evaluation, or management.
2) A total of eleven years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
3) All of the following (a, b, and c):
a. Five years of full-time professional-level work experience in program administration, program development, program research/evaluation, or management; and
b. A total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience; and
c. A total of two years of graduate-level education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in a public-service-related area (e.g., public or business administration, social work, public health, law, education, engineering) equals one year of full-time experience. Graduation from the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is also equivalent to one year of full-time experience or education.
4) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work as an Executive Officer 3 or thirty months of full-time work as an Executive Officer 2 or comparable specific management-level position.

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