Government Affairs Specialist

San Carlos, CA

The Senior Government Affairs Specialist is a key member of the Government Affairs team, responsible for leading advocacy initiatives focused on biomarker and diagnostic test coverage and reimbursement within a defined multi-state region. This role requires a deep understanding of state-level healthcare policy, regulatory environments, and legislative processes. The ideal candidate will be a skilled strategist and relationship-builder who can drive impactful policy change and collaborate effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

  • Regional Advocacy Leadership
    Develop and implement targeted government affairs strategies to advance biomarker test coverage and reimbursement at the state level, including legislation, regulation, and payer policy.

  • Policy Development and Analysis
    Monitor and analyze relevant legislation, regulations, and health policy trends across assigned states. Draft policy positions, testimony, briefing materials, and advocacy collateral.

  • Stakeholder Engagement
    Build and sustain productive relationships with key state legislators, executive branch officials, regulatory agencies, healthcare coalitions, and patient advocacy organizations.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
    Partner with internal teams such as Market Access, Medical Affairs, Legal, and Communications to align advocacy efforts with business objectives and ensure consistent messaging.

  • Mentorship and Leadership Support
    Provide guidance and support to junior government affairs staff within the region, as applicable. Support the Regional Manager in executing complex advocacy campaigns and policy initiatives.

  • Public Policy Representation
    Represent the organization in legislative hearings, regulatory meetings, stakeholder coalitions, industry associations, and regional advocacy forums.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Health Administration, or a related field; advanced degree (JD, MPH, MPP) preferred.

  • 5–7 years of experience in government affairs, legislative advocacy, or health policy, preferably within healthcare, biotechnology, diagnostics, or life sciences.

  • Strong working knowledge of state legislative and regulatory processes and healthcare policy, especially relating to diagnostics, biomarkers, reimbursement, and access.

  • Demonstrated success in developing and executing state-level advocacy strategies and influencing legislative or regulatory outcomes.

  • Experience in managing stakeholder relationships and navigating complex political landscapes.

Key Competencies

  • Strategic Advocacy: Ability to design and lead policy strategies that drive meaningful outcomes.

  • Legislative Negotiation: Skilled in influencing policymaking through negotiation, testimony, and collaboration.

  • Stakeholder Influence: Effective at cultivating trust-based relationships across the political and healthcare ecosystem.

  • Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience drafting policy documents and public speaking.

  • Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work cross-functionally in a dynamic, matrixed environment.

  • Adaptability: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting policy landscapes across multiple jurisdictions.

Travel Requirement

  • Regional travel up to 30% based on legislative calendars and stakeholder engagement needs.

The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.

San Carlos, CA

$1 - $1 USD

OUR OPPORTUNITY

Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.

The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers and many other professionals from world-class institutions, who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you’ll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you’ll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.

WHAT WE OFFER

Competitive Benefits - Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!

For more information, visit www.natera.com.

Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents. 

Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/

Please be advised that Natera will reach out to candidates with a @natera.com email domain ONLY. Email communications from all other domain names are not from Natera or its employees and are fraudulent. Natera does not request interviews via text messages and does not ask for personal information until a candidate has engaged with the company and has spoken to a recruiter and the hiring team. Natera takes cyber crimes seriously, and will collaborate with law enforcement authorities to prosecute any related cyber crimes.

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