About Sepsis Alliance
Sepsis Alliance, the first and leading sepsis organization in the U.S., seeks to save lives and reduce suffering by improving sepsis awareness and care. More than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with sepsis each year in the U.S. with more than 350,000 adults dying and over 50% of survivors experiencing post-sepsis syndrome and other lingering effects, including amputations. At Sepsis Alliance’s founding in 2003, only 19% of U.S. adults were aware of the term “sepsis.” After over ten years of educational efforts for the general public and healthcare professionals through Sepsis.org, Sepsis Alliance Clinical Community, Sepsis Alliance Institute, and Sepsis Alliance Voices, awareness is at 66%. Over 30,000 healthcare professionals across the country have attended sepsis webinars and courses to elevate their practice.
About Sepsis
Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming response to infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, amputations, and death. Sepsis is the #1 cause of death in U.S. hospitals, killing 350,000 people each year in the U.S., or one person every two minutes. Sepsis kills more children than cancer and more adults than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and opioid overdoses, combined. It is the #1 cost for acute and skilled nursing care at $62 billion per year. Sepsis is the most severe complication of COVID-19 that is responsible for most deaths from this infection.
In the United States, differences in health and mortality are influenced by both socio-economic status and race/ethnicity. Black and “other nonwhite” individuals have nearly twice the incidence of sepsis as whites. Black people bear nearly twice the burden of sepsis deaths relative to the size of the Black population, as compared to white people, and sepsis deaths among American Indians/Alaskan Natives and Hispanics are also elevated as compared to white people. For Sepsis Alliance, health equity means eliminating preventable disparities in sepsis awareness, incidence, morbidity, and mortality.
Role
The Director of Policy and Advocacy is responsible for leading the development and implementation of Sepsis Alliance’s legislative, policy, and advocacy agenda. This includes identifying and analyzing key policy issues, developing and promoting legislative proposals, building relationships with elected officials, government agencies, and other stakeholders, and engaging a vast nationwide grassroots advocate network. The Director of Policy and Advocacy will report directly to the President and CEO and work closely with the Policy and Advocacy Committee, part of the Board of Directors, to establish and advance the legislative, policy, and advocacy priorities of Sepsis Alliance.
Key responsibilities include
- Develop and execute the organization’s legislative, policy, and advocacy strategy, including but not limited to sepsis data collection; antimicrobial resistance; maternal sepsis; and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
- Identify and analyze key policy issues that impact Sepsis Alliance’s mission and its advocates
- Monitor legislation of importance to Sepsis Alliance
- Develop and promote legislative and policy proposals to address issues identified internally and as part of key coalitions
- Build and maintain relationships with elected officials, government agencies, and other stakeholders
- Represent Sepsis Alliance at relevant meetings and events
- Serve as the organization’s primary spokesperson on policy and advocacy issues
- Collaborate with other Sepsis Alliance staff to ensure alignment of legislative, policy, and advocacy efforts with overall organizational goals, including working closely with the Marketing and Communications team
- Build and educate a grassroots network of advocates to lobby on behalf of Sepsis Alliance
- Manage Policy and Advocacy Committee meetings, working closely with the co-chairs, to review, set and implement Sepsis Alliance’s legislative and advocacy priorities, with regular reports to the Board
- Manage one or more interns and/or support staff, as appropriate
- Regularly report on advocacy activities to Sepsis Alliance staff as appropriate
- Other duties as assigned by, and in coordination with, the President and CEO.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, political science; Master’s degree in public policy, public administration, political science or other related discipline strongly preferred
- 5+ years of legislative or lobbying experience in healthcare policy on the state and/or federal level
- Strong understanding of the legislative and policy process
- Intermediate understanding of the healthcare system and clinical medicine
- Proven ability to build and maintain relaitonships with elected officials, government agencies, and other stakeholders
- Willingness to register as a federal lobbyist
- Experience working in a nonprofit environment, particularly with healthcare professionals
- Experience working with patient advocates and motivating advocates to action
- Comfortability with using data-driven research to inform the public and other stakeholders
- Ability to inspire partners both inside and outside of Sepsis Alliance
- A passion for improving health outcomes and working with patient advocates
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong management and leadership skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Technology savvy
- Ability to travel to the Washington, D.C. area, as needed
Sepsis Alliance is committed to developing and implementing programs and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in all areas of employment. As part of this commitment, applicants are given the opportunity to answer equal opportunity employment questions. This protected information will only be used to evaluate our recruitment efforts through standard reporting, and will not be shared with hiring managers or other team members. Every applicant has the option not to disclose this information.
Candidates with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, and other state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Sepsis Alliance. Please contact us at info @sepsis.org f you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.