Government Affairs Fellow

801 Gateway Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA

Posted Friday, January 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM

Application Due by March 2, 2026

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The Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) is a local non‑profit health plan that offers health coverage to San Mateo County's underserved population. We currently serve more than 150,000 county residents through several our members qualifying for coverage through Medi‑Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. HPSM has more than 300 employees and partners closely with clinicians and community organizations throughout the region.

Health Plan of San Mateo’s Fellowship Program supports the recruitment, skill development, career growth, and retention of emerging managed care leaders by fostering a positive work environment with thoughtful and dedicated mentorship. The Fellowship Program is a paid opportunity to contribute meaningfully to HPSM’s organizational focus areas.

This opportunity will provide the fellow with:

• Knowledge and experience in the operation of a non‑profit community‑based health plan.
• Knowledge and experience in the development of programs and services that benefit our diverse membership.
• Professional experience working on a specific project important to HPSM and a chance to present recommendations through a final paper and/or presentation to HM leadership.

Start date:

June 22, 2026 (flexible based on applicant schedule)

• Work Type:
  Remote with in‑person opportunities at South San Francisco office.
• Applicants must have a California residence.

• Type:
  Fellow
• Duration: 4 – 6 months
• Total
  
  Hours:
  
  24 – 29 hrs/week
• Maximum
  
  Hours:
  
  1000 hours
• Compensation:
  Between $24 – $26/hour, depending upon experience

Good fit for recent college graduates, graduate students, and career professionals with previous related experience who are interested in working on multiple projects under an overarching focus area.

These are the qualifications typically needed to succeed in this position. However, you do not need to meet every requirement to apply.

• Currently enrolled or recent graduate of an undergraduate or graduate degree program in public health, public policy, business administration, social work, social sciences, communications, or related disciplines. Minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Experience and/or skills that align with one of the projects listed below.
• Solid written and verbal communication skills.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).

Working collaboratively with the HPSM sponsor, the fellow will be provided the opportunity to work on the following projects during the fellowship.

Project Description

HPSM’s Compliance department is seeking a fellow that will independently manage and update Government Affairs materials such as federal, state, and local directory, policy and bill trackers for Government Affairs priorities. They will create brief materials for meetings with Community Based Organizations, policy makers and elected officials. They will create rapid response messaging from leadership and will incorporate input from the leadership team, then adapt content based on the evolving external environment at the federal, state, and county levels.

The fellow will also create summaries and highlights of association calls and will update the Resource Guide for Government Affairs fellows. In addition, they will support multiple ongoing and emerging initiatives within the Government Affairs department, including the development of a media plan and training for HPSM staff.

• Maintain and enhance existing Government Affairs program materials such as core program materials (collateral and templates), lobbying materials, and policy summaries
• Incorporate input from leadership and changes in external environment (state budget, HR.1 implementation) to refresh annual Government Affairs plan and activities.
• Development of a Government Affairs training plan and materials
• Government Affairs fellowship presentation to the HPSM leadership team

* HPSM will also work with students to tailor this experience to meet requirements of a Master of Public Health field study, practicum or…