Vice President of Government Relations (50137)

Salary Range $140,000.00 - $140,000.00 Salary/yearPosition Type Full TimeEducation Level 4 Year DegreeTravel Percentage Road WarriorDescriptionPosition Summary:The Vice President of Government Relations – Florida serves as WestCare Florida’s executive leader for all governmental relations, legislative advocacy, and public policy initiatives across the state. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive government relations strategy that advances WestCare Florida’s behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, prevention, reentry, and community-based service priorities.As a member of the Florida leadership team, the Vice President provides strategic counsel to regional leadership, represents WestCare Florida at the highest levels of state and federal government, and drives public funding and policy outcomes critical to organizational sustainability and growth.Essential Job Functions include those listed below.Essential Job Functions: Serve as WestCare Florida’s executive authority on government relations, legislative affairs, and public policy under the guidance of the COO. Develop and lead a statewide government relations strategy aligned with WestCare’s mission, strategic plan, and Florida regional priorities. Advise the COO, regional leadership, and senior leadership on political, legislative, and regulatory risks and opportunities. Represent WestCare Florida in high-level governmental, policy, and advocacy settings, regional, statewide, and nationally. Serve as the primary liaison to the United States legislators, the Florida Legislature, the Governor’s Office, county commissions, municipal governments, and federal partners. Lead advocacy efforts related to behavioral health, substance use treatment, prevention, mental health, criminal justice, reentry, and social services. Monitor and analyze state and federal legislation, regulatory changes, and budget proposals impacting WestCare Florida. Coordinate and manage with contracted lobbyist. Develop organizational policy briefs, talking points, and legislative agendas as needed. Coordinate state and national legislative days in collaboration with the COO and regional leadership to annually advocate for and advance WestCare Florida’s priorities. Lead the identification, pursuit, and advocacy of state appropriations, federal earmarks, and other public funding opportunities. Partner with regional leadership to establish annual governmental funding priorities and strategies for each Florida region. Collaborate with development, finance, and operations teams to align advocacy with grant submissions and government contracts. Track, evaluate, and report on public funding outcomes and return on advocacy efforts. Build, maintain, and strengthen strategic relationships with elected officials, agency leadership, regulatory bodies, and key policy influencers. Represent WestCare Florida in statewide and national coalitions, associations, and advocacy organizations. Oversee and manage relationships with contracted lobbyists and external governmental affairs consultants. Coordinate executive-level meetings, briefings, and site visits for policymakers and government leaders. Partner with operations, compliance, communications, and development teams to ensure cohesive advocacy, messaging, and policy alignment. Support public relations efforts related to legislative initiatives, funding awards, and policy positions. Provide regular briefings and reports to the COO on legislative developments, funding opportunities, and advocacy outcomes. Establish metrics and reporting structures to evaluate the effectiveness of government relations strategies. Perform any other duties as assigned. QualificationsEssential Qualifications:Certifications/Licensures: Valid driver’s license and the ability to obtain and maintain WestCare’s vehicle insurance is required. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Public Policy, Social Work, Behavioral Health, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred. Experience and Competencies: 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in government relations, legislative affairs, public policy, or lobbying. Demonstrated executive-level experience engaging with state and/or federal government entities. Proven success securing public funding or influencing legislative or regulatory outcomes. Experience in behavioral health, healthcare, human services, or nonprofit systems strongly preferred. Excellent communication skills required; Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion required; Ability to work well in a team environment required; Ability to adhere to the highest standard of ethical conduct and confidentiality required; Professional appearance and demeanor required; Must be sensitive to populations served; Ability to utilize a computer and software that includes Microsoft 365. Working Conditions: Work is primarily performed in an office or indoor setting; Extensive travel required. Regular and prompt attendance is required throughout employment. Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the JobThe employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or without accommodation:Physical Demands: Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 50 pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files). Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations through the use of approved physical de-escalation techniques. Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public, and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly. Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication. Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employees’ essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility. The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee. Mental Demands: Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions. Requires the ability to work and cooperate with clients, co-workers, managers, the public and employees at all levels in order to exchange ideas, information, instructions and opinions. Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings. Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in mentally/verbally abusive situations through the use of approved mental/verbal de-escalation techniques.

Created: 2026-03-06