Director, State Government Relations & Public Affairs

Company Description

About Covista

Covista is America's largest healthcare educator, serving more than 97,000 students and supported by a community of 385,000 alumni across five accredited institutions. Through personalized, tech-enabled education powered by 10,000 faculty and colleagues, Covista expands access to healthcare careers and addresses the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage ista is the parent company of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University.

Our colleagues come from a wide range of backgrounds, business, academia, healthcare, government and nonprofits, and are part of a culture where doing exceptional work and making a meaningful difference for students and society aren't separate goals—they're one and the same. This means creating an environment where colleagues can develop new skills, build careers that match their ambitions and see the tangible impact of their work on healthcare education and workforce development.

Colleagues who deliver results and embrace new tools to work smarter are valued for their contributions. But what makes working at Covista distinctive is our impact. Our faculty and colleagues don't just support healthcare education—they shape it. This isn't abstract purpose work. It's solving real problems for real people in real communities while advancing careers.

We operate on a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week (Monday–Thursday). This approach enhances creativity, innovation, communication, and relationship-building, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

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Job Description

Opportunity at a Glance

This role sits within Covista's Corporate Affairs team and reports to the Senior Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs. You'll lead Covista's state-level government relations strategy — owning the relationships, managing the in-market resources, and driving the proactive policy engagement that allows Covista's institutions to operate, expand, and compete. This is not a reactive role. You'll be expected to anticipate and navigate fast-paced news, legislative and regulatory environment, build the political conditions for Covista's strategic priorities before they're at risk, and serve as a proactive counselor to institutional and segment leaders and other internal stakeholders needing to navigate state- and local-level decisions.

You'll work across a portfolio of priority states while managing a network of contract lobbyists and building direct relationships with state officials, legislative staff, industry associations, and healthcare system partners. As part of an integrated Government Relations and Public Affairs function, you'll bring to life the on-the-ground impact that Covista’s institutions, workforce partnerships, and Foundation partners have in the communities where they operate.

Responsibilities

State Legislative and Regulatory Strategy

• Own and drive Covista's state government relations strategy across priority markets
• Develop and maintain a proactive state legislative agenda — identifying opportunities to advance Covista's interests before issues materialize, not only in response to them
• Monitor state legislative sessions, regulatory proceedings, and executive agency actions across multiple states simultaneously; ensure no significant development reaches leadership as a surprise
• Translate state policy developments into clear, actionable intelligence for segment and institutional leaders making strategic decisions about campuses, programs, and partnerships
• Partner closely with Legal and Regulatory Affairs on state licensing, authorization, and compliance matters — ensuring legislative strategy and regulatory strategy are coordinated, not siloed

Lobbyist and Resource Management

• Manage Covista's network of contract lobbyists across priority states — setting clear direction, holding them accountable to outcomes, and ensuring their efforts are tied to Covista's strategic priorities
• Conduct regular lobbyist performance assessments; make…