Government Affairs Fellow

Health Plan of San Mateo Fellowship Program 2026

Application Due by March 2, 2026

Make a difference in your community

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 programs, with most of 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.

Objective

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.

Fellowship Scope

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 HPSM leadership.

Fellowship Logistics

• 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

Duration

Total Hours

Compensation

Experience Level

Fellow

4 - 6

months

24 - 29 hrs/week

Up to 1000 hours

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

Required Skills & Knowledge

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).

Project Information

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

Project Description

Government Affairs Fellow

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.

Project Key Deliverables

• 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 capstone projects. We have experienced MPH professionals to serve as preceptors. Applicants must have completed 1 year of their MPH program studies.

It is HPSM's policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. HPSM does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. HPSM also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that an applicant or employee has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived to have any of those characteristics.