VP, Senior Counsel and Strategic Advisor to CEO
Kids Are Our Everything.
Department
10045 Office of the President
Pay Range
$250,000.00 - $750,000.00
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
Develop and implement strategies for managing issues related to significant federal, state, and local government affairs programs or legislative, regulatory, and oversight matters.
In coordination with the CLO/CSO, provide legal advice to the President and CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leaders on high-profile, cross-cutting or controversial topics.
In coordination with the CLO/CSO and government affairs, provide support and guidance to the President and CEO and senior leaders regarding federal, state, and local oversight and compliance risks and activities.
Coordinate with the CLO/CSO regarding legal advice and guidance related to the President and CEO’s strategic priorities.
At the direction of the CEO, lead projects and special initiatives of strategic or opportunistic value/importance to the Office of the President.
Facilitate connections and relationships with leaders from State and Federal government who oversee and influence activities relevant to the vision and mission of Children’s National.
Benefits That Support You:
- Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, prescription, infertility, and transgender health services.
- Generous paid time off, including vacation accrual from day one, sick leave, holidays, and a personal day.
- Financial wellness support, including a 401(k) plan and healthcare and dependent care spending accounts.
- Employer-paid life, AD&D, and long-term disability coverage, with optional supplemental plans.
- Additional perks, including tuition assistance, fitness resources, employee assistance, commuter benefits, and more.
Why Join Us:
- Nationally Recognized Excellence – Consistently ranked among the Top 10 Children’s Hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
- Leading Pediatric Care – One of the largest and most comprehensive children’s hospitals in the country, offering nationally ranked specialties and cutting-edge treatments.
- Innovation & Research – A premier academic medical center with a strong commitment to pediatric research, education, and advancing the future of child health.
The disclosed salary range includes the minimum and maximum rates within which Children’s National believes an individual’s base pay rate will fall for this position. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the maximum of the pay range. The exact pay rate for this position will be based on a variety of factors in alignment with the Children’s National compensation philosophy. These factors are legitimate and non-discriminatory including, but not limited to, the current market conditions; organizational needs; the individual’s combination of prior work experience, level of education, knowledge, skills, and other qualifications. Children’s National is committed to providing a fair and competitive total rewards package to each of our employees. This base salary range does not include our comprehensive benefits package or any additional compensation for which this position may be eligible.
Childrens National Hospital is an equal opportunity employer that evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, identity, or other characteristics protected by law. The “Know Your Rights” poster is available here: and the pay transparency policy is available here: Know Your RightsPay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster.
Please note that it is the policy of Children's National Hospital to ensure a “drug-free” work environment: a workplace free from the illegal use, possession or distribution of controlled substances (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act), or the misuse of legal substances, by all staff (management, employees and contractors). Though recreational and medical marijuana are now legal in the District of Columbia, Children's National and its affiliates maintain the right, in accordance with our policy, to enforce a drug-free workplace, including prohibiting recreational or prescribed marijuana.