This position serves as the Tribal Liaison between AHCCCS Indian Health Services (IHS) Tribal 638 providers Urban Indian Organizations Tribes and other interested parties representing AHCCCS on various work groups and in meetings addressing the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This position is responsible for tribal consultation between AHCCCS and the American Indian Tribes in Arizona.

This position will identify health care challenges and opportunities among AHCCCS eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives through development of policies processes forums and recommendations as well as monitoring of communications relating to AHCCCS and American Indians and Alaska Natives. This may include interaction with federal state and local governmental officials multiple departments within AHCCCS and external stakeholders. The position supervises one direct report and works closely with teams across the agency to successfully build and strengthen services for American Indian AHCCCS members.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Meet with IHS and Tribal officials other state and local agencies and advocacy groups; Review and update the Tribal Consultation policy. Liaise with the Arizona Governors office health care providers and other stakeholders interested in health care for American Indian AHCCCS members.
Respond by phone or email to requests for information and assistance from Tribes IHS CMS and other interested parties.
Participate on stakeholder committees and represent AHCCCS as required in other forums.
Read research and analyze Medicaid-related issues affect American Indians and develop recommendations for consideration by AHCCCS and Tribal stakeholders.
Supervises the Tribal Relations Coordinator and related work. Responsibilities including but not limited to training counseling and managing performance assigning and monitoring work-flow setting goals and expectations approving ETEs leave requests completing appraisals and issuing disciplinary actions if needed.
Monitor legislative regulatory or policy activity via publications memoranda letters meeting etc. to identify actual or potential issues related to health care as it affects American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Provide technical assistance and/or advisement to internal workgroups to ensure that agency actions consider potential impacts to Tribal members.

Knowledge of:
Health care issues that impact American Indians and Alaska Natives
Familiarity with the cultural diversity of the various Tribes and able to interact with Tribal leaders/ representatives federal/state officials and other interested parties effectively and sensitively
Medicaid and health care delivery systems including but not limited to 638 healthcare systems that provide services to American Indians and Alaska Natives both on-and off- reservation
Federal and state laws/regulations that affect health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Research techniques and ability to effectively locate source material
Budgeting principles and developing budgets
Computer word processing and spreadsheets
Tribal government operations

Skills in:
Management and behavioral skills
Demonstrated skills in management of professional staff
Excellent verbal skills for oral presentations
Excellent written skills to present material in clear and logical format
Project management skills
Organize and facilitate large stakeholder events
Zoom and Microsoft Teams

Ability to:
Provide public presentations and/or coordinate with others in the agency
Research complex policy issues analyze material and present written and verbal results
Work independently with minimum supervision
Superior organization and interpersonal relationship skills including facilitation of group interaction
Understand the unique characteristics of issues that impact health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Present and recommend solutions for issues that will arise with health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Understand the culture diversity of the Tribes and interact with sensitivity
Perform under pressure within tight time frames
Represent AHCCCS in the highest professional manner

Arizona Drivers License.

Minimum:
Bachelors degree in health care or a related field and two years of experience in tribal relations (or equivalent experience) and familiarity with Medicaid and health care delivery to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Preferred:
Masters degree or higher.

Two or more years experience in researching analyzing and preparing reports about health care and American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Familiarity with AHCCCS eligibility categories.

Successfully pass fingerprint background check prior employment verifications and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the agencys ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.

Travel may be required for State business. Employees who drive on state business must complete any required driver training (see Arizona Administrative Code R.12.)

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business then the following requirements apply:Drivers License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Among the many benefits of a career with the State of Arizona there are:
10 paid holidays per year
Paid Vacation and Sick time off (13 and 12 days per year respectively) - start earning it your 1st day (prorated for part-time employees)
Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child. Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here.
Other Leaves - Bereavement civic duty and military.
A top-ranked retirement program with lifetime pension benefits
A robust and affordable insurance plan including medical dental life and disability insurance
Participation eligibility in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (must meet qualifications)
RideShare and Public Transit Subsidy
A variety of learning and career development opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule employees enjoy improved work/life balance report higher job satisfaction and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot programhere. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona please visit our benefits page

Lifetime Pension Benefit Program
Administered through the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)
Defined benefit plan that provides for life-long income upon retirement.
Required participation for Long-Term Disability (LTD) and ASRS Retirement plan.
Pre-taxed payroll contributions begin after a 27-week waiting period (prior contributions may waive the waiting period).

Deferred Retirement Compensation Program
Voluntary participation.
Program administered through Nationwide.
Tax-deferred retirement investments through payroll deductions.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by emailing .

Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.