Salary : $99,964.80 - $142,355.20 Annually
Location : Des Moines - 50319 - Polk County, IA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 27-00554
Agency: 400 Health & Human Services - External Relations
Opening Date: 08/25/2026
Closing Date: 9/9/2026 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag: #LI-DNP
Point of Contact:
To Apply: To be considered applicants please send resume and cover letter to Sarah Ekstrand [email protected]

Job Description
This is a non-merit position with Health & Human Services - External Relations. 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.

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking a full-time Legislative Liaison to join the External Relations - Government Relations team.

The primary duties of this position include:
Job Description:
The Legislative Liaison in collaboration with the Policy Director, serve as the Legislative liaison and provide oversight of the HHS Policy and Government Relations Program.

• Manage Legislative Proposal Process

From introduction to enactment this position will manage and oversee, in partnership with the policy director, the legislative proposal process by providing prompt and detailed information to department leadership on the impacts of proposed legislation to the agency's programs and operations. This will be accomplished by preparing and/or coordinating the development of legislative position papers and fiscal notes that accurately convey the public impact of the legislative proposal to HHS executive leadership, members of the legislature, and the Office of the Governor.

• Serve as the Department Legislative Liaison

Throughout the legislative session, and the interim legislative period, this position will serve as a department spokesperson by speaking on behalf of the department at subcommittee meetings, committee meetings, and with various stakeholder groups about policy issues impacting the department.

• Build and Maintain Effective Relationships with Key Constituencies

This position will serve as a liaison for the Department of Health and Human Services with the Legislature, Legislative Caucus Staff, the Legislative Service Agency (LSA), the Office of the Governor, the Department of Management, and key constituency representatives from stakeholder groups across the state by spending extensive hours during legislative session at the Capitol and remaining available to members of the Legislature, Caucus Staff, LSA, and members of legislative leadership.

• Manage Constituent Response Process

During legislative session and the interim period, provide prompt, accurate, and timely responses to constituent concerns or inquiries from members of the legislature, the governor's office, Congress, and stakeholder groups. This essential work will be accomplished by meeting regularly with department

leadership and subject matter experts throughout the agency to gather all necessary information to provide accurate responses.

• Coordinate Legislative Implementation Process

Once legislation is passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, which has impacts to the Department of Health and Human Services, this position will track and manage its implementation across the HHS enterprise. This will be accomplished by working with subject matter experts and executive leadership from divisions throughout the agency to accurately determine legislative intent,

implementation timeline, and necessary internal policy changes to comply with the legislation.

• Assist with Media Responses

This role will provide timely and accurate information to the communications director as needed that relate to policy and operational issues impacting the department.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advises Director and Deputy Director on policy matters affecting HHS
• Communicate with internal staff, external stakeholders, legislators, caucus staff, other executive branch agencies, the Governor's office and legislative services staff about the department's policy and budget priorities
• Coordinates responses to requests for information from members of the General Assembly and the Governor's office/department of management and legislative services agency
• Presents information about the department's budget and policy priorities internally and to external groups as requested
• Monitors activity at the Capitol during legislative session and communicate activity updates to internal staff and external stakeholders on a regular basis
• Position is a confidential employee pursuant to IAC 8A.412

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to maintain composure and manage multiple complex projects under severe time constraints with minimal supervision.
• Strong analytical, research, decision-making, project management, and critical-thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and monitor work across multiple teams, using structured processes and tools to track tasks and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to summarize complex information clearly and concisely.
• Strong customer service orientation and ability to build productive working relationships across varied levels of expertise.
• Knowledge of HHS legislative interests, state and federal laws, administrative code, and the Iowa legislative process.
• Demonstrates integrity, reliability, and a proactive, independent work style.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.
Location and hours:

Lucas Building, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, M-F, occasional after hours/weekends/holidays. Travel may be

required.
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.

For additional information on benefits

to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.

Background Checks

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

Selectives

Legislative Liaison
12 months' experience in professional level staff work for a legislative body or legislator at state or federal level; prior service as a legislator at the state or federal level or prior legislative/lobbying experience. Interns, pages, or those performing clerical work do not qualify under this selective.

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 six years of full-time professional-level work in program administration, program development, program operations, or management.
2. A total of ten 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.) Four years of full-time professional-level work experience in program administration, program development, program operations, 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 one year of full-time work as an Executive Officer 3 or two years of full-time work as an Executive Officer 2 or comparable specific management-level position.

For additional information, please click on this .