Policy Analyst

About NORD

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading nonprofit organization serving the rare disease community in the United States. Join our team and be part of the transformation of science, policy, care and awareness that is improving the lives of the 25 - 30 million Americans impacted by rare diseases.

Position Summary

The Policy Analyst will support the policy team’s efforts with state and federal lawmakers, regulatory, and judicial bodies, and other advocacy groups.  The Policy Analyst will assist with monitoring, evaluating, and crafting legislative and regulatory proposals, researching and drafting NORD comments and opinions, providing education and support on policy issues to other departments within NORD, and representing NORD in meetings with state and federal legislators and government officials, and other rare disease stakeholders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Analyze and report on legislative and regulatory proposals at the federal and state level; research and develop relevant policy deliverables including summaries, analyses and talking points on different proposals, as well as any other appropriate information

Work closely with the Director of Policy on research and implementation of NORD’s public policy priorities, including the development of innovative health policy solutions to aid the rare disease community

Coordinate and collaborate with other NORD policy staff or other NORD departments to the extent there are overlapping issues or concerns with pending legislation at the state or federal level

Attend legislative hearings and write reports; utilize online resources to conduct research; read and report on activities in the Federal Register

Represent NORD and its policy positions in meetings with elected officials, legislative offices, administration officials, and regulatory agency personnel

Draft, edit, and disseminate public statements pertaining to NORD’s policy positions

Coordinate outreach to special interest groups to organize efforts on legislative issues, including attending relevant meetings of special interest groups as the representative of NORD and report resulting developments to the appropriate committees and staff

Build strong working relationships with policy counterparts and external stakeholders

Provide education to NORD member organizations on the legislative process and answer inquiries on NORD policy and rare disease issues

Where appropriate to advance state or federal policy initiatives, travel to states participating in NORD’s Rare Action Network to conduct policy education with NORD’s in-state advocacy partners, member organizations, and elected officials  

Perform other duties and functions as assigned.

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (public policy, etc.) required

A minimum of 3-5 years of experience working in public policy with a focus on health care policy initiatives required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

High energy and passion for NORD's mission is essential

Candidates should have an ability to adapt and respond effectively to different audiences

Strong organizational abilities and superior attention to detail

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking before large audiences

Capable of handling a full range of delegated responsibilities and working independently     

Capable of exercising good judgment and displaying personal initiative in all areas assigned

Proficient in Microsoft Office

Working Conditions

Policy team is currently working remotely due to COVID-19 pandemic, but individual must be DC-based.

Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting with a low level of noise.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Overnight travel may be required intermittently.

NORD is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.