Description:

About the role:
The VP, Senior Counsel and Strategic Advisor to the CEO serves as a senior strategy and legal operational leader dually reporting to the CEO and the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO/CLO) and acting as a trusted advisor to executive and operational leadership. The position serves as a key advisor to the CEO and CLO/CSO on enterprise-wide strategic priorities and plans, and provides legal counsel and strategy guidance across a broad range of healthcare and business matters, including but not limited to reimbursement and grant programs, regulatory affairs and oversight issues, real estate priorities and strategic partnerships (domestic and international), research, academic affairs, physician services contracting and innovation affairs, government and community relations, IT, marketing and communications, and immigration matters. The role serves as a key partner to hospital operations, finance, human resources, strategy, government affairs, research and academics, supply chain, and clinical leadership.

The successful candidate will possess significant experience managing teams in cross-functional organizations, knowledge of healthcare programs and policies, significant healthcare regulation and oversight experience, strong strategic judgment, and a demonstrated ability to translate legal requirements into practical operational solutions and effective presentations to senior leaders and partners. The position also demands steady leadership and oversight of legal professionals, paralegals, contract specialists, and administrative staff while supporting strategic initiatives and operational excellence.

What You'll Bring:
Minimum Education:
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school. (Required)

Minimum work experience:
  • 10-15 years of progressively responsible legal, government, regulatory, oversight, and/or strategic experience. (Required)
  • Significant experience as a top leader in the healthcare sector with a preference for pediatric hospital experience.
  • Significant experience working on major Federal, state, and local health care reimbursement and grant programs, regulations, and oversight matters.
  • Prior law firm and/or Federal programmatic, regulatory and oversight experience strongly preferred.
  • Proven experience managing regulatory and oversight matters, outside counsel, and/or multidisciplinary professional teams.
  • Experience advising executive leaders, governing boards, and operational leaders on complex healthcare, legal, regulatory, legislative, oversight, and/or strategic matters.
  • Experience managing cross-cutting and high-profile teams, programs or initiatives in large, cross-functional organizations.

Required Skills/Knowledge
  • Strong knowledge of hospital regulations, health care grant, research, reimbursement, and drug discount programs, operations and healthcare delivery systems.
  • Expertise in regulatory matters and oversight, including working knowledge of immigration, grant, and research policies and programs related to health care providers and service delivery.
  • Demonstrated ability to analyze operational and business implications of legal decisions and developments in the hospital industry.
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
  • Strong project management and organizational abilities.
  • Ability to balance legal risk with strategic business objectives and operational realities.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams, projects, and initiatives in large cross-functional organizations.

Required Licenses and Certifications
Active membership in at least one state bar and eligibility to practice as in-house counsel in the District of Columbia. (Required)

Functional Accountabilities under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (estimated to be 30% of total effort)
  • ​Work with and advise the CEO to identify strategic priorities and mobilize personnel resources around these priorities. As per CEO direction, facilitate progress by engaging senior management to direct resources as needed.
  • Advise and assist CEO on Federal and State government relations strategy impacting operations and mission.
  • Support the CEO in staying abreast of relevant and notable activities and developments in State and Federal government that impact or have the potential to impact the mission and vision of Children's National.

Functional Accountabilities under the Direction of the CLO/CSO (estimated to be 70% of total effort)
Strategic Legal Counsel
  • Serve as a legal advisor to executive and operational leadership on strategic and operational initiatives.
  • Provide practical, business-focused legal guidance that supports the organization's mission, growth strategy, and operational objectives, including real estate priorities and strategic partnerships.
  • Identify legal, operational, financial, and reputational risks and develop effective mitigation strategies.
  • Present legal analyses and recommendations to senior executives, committees, and the Board of Directors as requested.

Regulatory Affairs
  • Provide counsel on federal and state healthcare regulatory requirements affecting hospital operations.
  • Advise on licensing, accreditation, reimbursement, program requirements, Certificate of Need, Certificate of Public Need, provider enrollment, fraud and abuse, and related healthcare regulatory matters.
  • Monitor emerging legal and regulatory developments and advise leadership regarding organizational impact.
  • Partner with compliance, audit, finance, and operational teams to support enterprise-wide regulatory initiatives.

Immigration
  • Collaborate with Human Resources and external immigration counsel regarding visa sponsorship, work authorization, and permanent residency matters.
  • Ensure compliance with immigration-related regulatory requirements and reporting obligations.
  • Monitor and develop strategies for responding to changes in immigration law, policy, and regulation related to healthcare providers and service delivery.

Leadership and Team Development
  • Lead, mentor, and develop attorneys, legal operations professionals, paralegals, contract specialists, and administrative staff.
  • Foster a highly collaborative, service-oriented, and accountable team culture.
  • Manage outside counsel relationships and related legal expenditures.

Legal Operations and Department Management
  • Support departmental strategic planning and operational improvement initiatives.
  • Assist the Chief Legal Officer in managing legal department priorities, resource allocation, staffing, budgeting, and performance management.
  • Develop meaningful relationships with internal stakeholders and serve as a trusted partner throughout the organization.

Research, Innovation and Academic Affairs
  • Provide legal support and strategic counsel for the organization's research, innovation, academic, and commercialization activities.
  • Advise investigators, research administration, compliance personnel, and executive leadership regarding clinical research, sponsored research, grants, research collaborations, and academic affiliations.
  • Counsel stakeholders on regulatory requirements affecting research activities, including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations, grant compliance obligations, and research integrity matters.
  • Support innovation, commercialization, licensing, startup relationships, and strategic research partnerships.
  • Advise leadership on significant research-related disputes, investigations, audits, and regulatory inquiries.
  • Foster collaborative relationships with academic institutions, governmental agencies, industry sponsors, foundations, and other research partners to advance the organization's research mission.

Cross-Cutting Strategic Initiatives
  • Lead, coordinate, and/or implement critical projects for the CEO that cross departmental lines and that are critical to attainment of institutional objectives.
  • Act on the authority of the Office of the President and CEO to oversee strategic projects with a primary focus on initiatives affecting the priorities of particular concern or value to the CEO that typically require cross functional resource allocation.
  • Participate in the planning and execution of broader strategic efforts across the organization.

Legislative and Oversight Matters