Join Us
We are working to fundamentally reshape the U.S. health care system. These DC-based roles support the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The work centers on navigating the federal bureaucracy, primarily HHS and its sub-agencies including CMS, FDA, CDC, and NIH, in order to dismantle the status quo in bureaucracies that you are personally eager to reform.
We are not looking for someone comfortable with our existing public health infrastructure, we seek a maverick who will smash down walls, take names, and help us build a responsive health infrastructure that reflects the values of the American people in the age of MAHA.
We seek exceptional individuals who are:
- Intellectually rigorous, with the judgment and problem-solving ability to operate effectively in complex, ambiguous environments
- Execution-oriented, with a proven record of making things happen—unblocking progress and expanding the Overton window to move work forward decisively
- Deeply mission-driven, with a strong commitment to the Make America Healthy Again agenda and systemic health care transformation
Candidates must demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset, full ownership of outcomes, and a history of proven success in high-impact, complex environments.
These roles are based in Washington, DC, at the center of federal health policy making. While top talent often hesitates to relocate, this is a rare opportunity to directly influence federal health reform during a pivotal administration.
To Apply
Please submit a resume and a brief statement outlining a model for a healthier future and how Making America Healthy Again can be achieved to candidate@mahainstitute.us.
Senior Policy Strategist
Role Overview
As Senior Policy Strategist, you will lead the development of bold policy strategies to advance MAHA priorities within HHS and across the administration. You will analyze flaws in the current system (e.g., misaligned incentives, regulatory capture, chronic disease drivers) and craft innovative legislative, regulatory, and executive actions focused on HHS sub-agencies.
Key Responsibilities
- Build models of a healthier American future that address current systemic issues.
- Design policy interventions in areas like payment reform, drug pricing transparency, chronic disease prevention, and agency realignment.
- Navigate HHS bureaucracy and interagency processes to advance reforms.
- Conduct analysis for implementation within the current administration.
- Advise on political and regulatory pathways to execute high-impact changes.
Required Qualifications
- Exceptional intelligence with proven ability to rapidly master complex policy landscapes.
- Expertise in health policy, regulatory processes, or economics (experience with HHS or federal agencies strongly preferred).
- Track record of strategic policy influence and navigating government stakeholders.
- Entrepreneurial disposition: ownership mentality, action bias, and resilience in bureaucratic environments.
Reform Strategist - Bureaucratic Restructuring
Role Overview
As Reform Strategist, you will drive bureaucratic restructuring within HHS to eliminate inefficiencies and support MAHA goals. This involves analyzing entrenched processes in HHS and sub-agencies, designing streamlined structures, and executing changes to overcome institutional resistance.
Key Responsibilities
- Deeply dissect bureaucratic failures (e.g., silos, redundant divisions, misaligned incentives across CMS, FDA, CDC, etc.).
- Develop and implement strategies for agency reorganization, staff optimization, and process reforms.
- Model operational impacts and navigate implementation challenges within the federal framework.
- Push reforms through resistant structures, coordinating with administration priorities.
- Align restructuring efforts with broader policy and coalition objectives.
Required Qualifications
- High intelligence with strong analytical skills for complex government systems.
- Proven success in operations, restructuring, or reform initiatives (federal government or HHS-related experience ideal).
- Demonstrated ability to make things happen in high-resistance bureaucratic settings.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: full ownership, resourcefulness, and alignment with MAHA mission.
Coalition Builder - Partnerships Manager
Role Overview
As Coalition Builder, you will forge alliances with internal HHS stakeholders, external partners, Congress, and aligned groups to build support for administration-led healthcare reforms. You will mobilize diverse voices to advance MAHA priorities and overcome opposition within the federal ecosystem.
Key Responsibilities
- Map and engage key players: HHS sub-agency leaders, administration officials, lawmakers, think tanks, industry innovators, and health advocates.
- Build coalitions to advocate for structural changes, transparency, and chronic disease-focused reforms.
- Communicate current system flaws and MAHA vision to government and external audiences.
- Lead outreach, negotiations, and campaigns to drive consensus and bureaucratic buy-in.
- Integrate coalition feedback into policy and restructuring initiatives.
Required Qualifications
- Exceptional intelligence with proven ability to rapidly master complex policy landscapes.
- Proven track record of coalition-building in policy, government affairs, or advocacy (federal health experience preferred).
- Deep relationships and influence in Washington, DC environments.
- Entrepreneurial disposition: proactive ownership, persistence, and drive to surmount obstacles for mission success.