Be a part of a dynamic team whose work enriches the health of communities by strengthening city and county health departments. At the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), we are united by our work to improve our country's over 3,300 U.S. local health departments. We represent the voice of local public health while striving to live out our core values of equity, excellence, participation, respect, integrity, leadership, science, and innovation. We provide our employees with meaningful work, opportunities to learn and grow, a strong work/life balance, and a flexible, hybrid work schedule while being a part of a collaborative team.

We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. The Director of Health Equity and Social Justice will join NACCHO at a time of dynamic growth. This position is important in the Programs Department.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Health Equity and Social Justice organizes and manages a significant function or program of NACCHO, including the supervision of staff members at the Senior Specialist, Specialist or Associate levels. The Director of Health Equity and Social Justice develops the processes and programs required to implement the unit’s strategy and manage the resources of the function - both financial and human. The Director of Health Equity and Social Justice is accountable for the effective day-to-day operations and results of the unit and develops and implements initiatives to ensure results are attained and quality standards are met. Positions at this level typically report to a Senior Director or Senior Advisor and require advanced knowledge and experience in an area of specialization as well as significant management capabilities. Incumbents generally have eight or more years of experience in their discipline and a Bachelors Degree of the equivalent, as well as substantive experience at the Senior Specialist level. Graduate level degrees may be considered in lieu of experience.

The Director of Health Equity and Social Justice will lead an $8 million portfolio that grounds local health departments in principles of health equity and social justice (HESJ) and an energetic, growing HESJ Team of nine individuals, comprised of subject matter experts, program managers, and support/administrative staff. The person in this role will lead NACCHO’s health equity and social justice work by providing expertise, strategic direction, and programmatic and partnership development toward building the health equity and social justice (HESJ) capacity of LHDs. In addition to work with LHDs, the HESJ Team builds the capacity of NACCHO’s programmatic teams to apply HESJ principles, collaborating with staff across program areas and at times matrixing staff across the organization. This work is a part of NACCHO’s broader Public Health Infrastructure and Systems (PHIS) portfolio, which also includes Performance Improvement and Workforce and Leadership Development.

The ideal candidate will have experience in and be a passionate advocate for public health, focused on equity and social justice, including racial equity, to creatively drive change in support of NACCHO’s LHD members and their community-level efforts. The candidate will have experience applying HESJ principles with a focus on root causes, particularly in public health settings, as well as in partnership development with funders, communities and other stakeholders. They will have a successful track record leading large, multi-year projects including developing teams, systems and structures that ensure the production of high-quality deliverables. Finally, the person should have experience with portfolio diversification including relationship development, opportunity identification, and grant writing.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS:

• Ensures that regular communication occurs based on the needs of the work, the individual, management or the situation.
• Fosters an environment conducive to open, transparent communications among all levels.
• Makes use of specialized knowledge to assist staff, internal and external stakeholders in resolving problems.
• Uses all available information appropriately to guide decisions and negotiations to meet objectives, while acting with integrity.
• Assesses, manages and takes calculated risks to achieve goals.
• Understands the political environment, management priorities, staff roles and responsibilities, and grasps external factors impacting the organization.
• Applies rules and regulations in a consistent, non-biased manner.
• Understands and executes the various stages of the grant lifecycle including pre-award review, grant progress monitoring, and award closure.
• Develops and manages the scope of a project (e.g., project objectives, team, tasks, deliverables, timelines, hours, costs).
• Understands management and organizational principles pertaining to areas of responsibility (e.g., delegations of authority, administrative procedures) in order to plan and conduct complex studies to assess organizational operations.
• Translates new performance management policies into actionable goals for one’s own team/program and holds self and others accountable to achieving the goals.
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Project Management - Develops project plans; coordinates projects; communicates changes and progress; completes projects on time and budget; manages project team activities.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions; displays orientation to profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Diversity - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes a harassment-free environment; builds a diverse workforce.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.
• Strategic Thinking - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization's strengths & weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; makes timely decisions.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
• Health Equity and Social Justice – Committed to principles of health equity and social justice and applies them to position responsibilities, team development, programs and practices.
• Budget Management - Obtains financial information from within and outside of an organization for relevant guidance or other information related to unit; Reviews and evaluates the financial data and makes decisions as appropriate; Prepares budget based on direction from budget and finance; Uses guidelines for establishing effective budget objectives; Collaborates across the organization to leverage unit resources and sustain unit activities.

POSITION SPECIFIC DUTIES:

Provides leadership, subject matter expertise, and overall oversight and management of NACCHO’s Health Equity and Social Justice portfolio, including to develop and implement capacity-building projects, trainings, tools and resources. Specific duties include:

• Develops an overall strategic plan for the direction and growth of the HESJ portfolio, outlining goals and objectives which align with NACCHO’s mission and strategic plan; contributes to long term planning and overall business development.
• Manages projects and activities within the HESJ portfolio to ensure deliverables are completed on time, within budget, are high quality, and meet the needs of LHDs and funders; develops internal team systems and processes that supports staff in completing successful deliverables; works with team members to create work plans that align with available budget.
• Creates and manages budgets to ensure projects and activities remain on budget including developing initial proposal budgets; monitoring and updating budgets on a regular basis using NACCHO tools and resources; completing all budget and finance requirements related to NACCHO financial systems.
• Supervises and manages staff including assessing staffing needs and hiring employees as needed; setting achievable goals and activities for staff; providing timely feedback on performance; supporting growth and development activities; completing performance reviews and other requirements related to NACCHO human resources systems; and supporting a strong team environment that encourages open, transparent communication.
• Ensures collaboration across program teams to maximize operational effectiveness and value added including matrixing staff from other teams as needed; works with NACCHO’s Research, Evaluation and Data Communications team by informing process and outcome evaluations of project activities, as well as research opportunities that may arise.
• Represents NACCHO and the HESJ team to LHDs, funders, and external partners and stakeholders; builds strategic relationships that support HESJ work; serves as principal point of contact for requests and inquiries regarding issues related to NACCHO’s HESJ portfolio.
• Stays abreast of public health issues, particularly developments in health equity, particularly frameworks, models, tools, and practices.
• Assists the Senior Director, Senior Advisor, or Chief of Programs in other matters, as assigned.
• Key projects include:

o Local Support for COVID-19 Health Equity: Lead the continuation of a national, CDC funded initiative to provide training, TA, tools and other resources to build large metropolitan and rural serving LHD health equity infrastructure and partnership capacity as a result of COVID. This includes helping LHDs mobilize partners and collaborators to advance health equity and address the structural and social determinants of health associated with COVID-19 health disparities and inequities, particularly their impacts on high-risk, historically marginalized populations.

o Resilience Catalysts in Public Health: Oversee CDC-funded project in partnership with George Washington University (GWU) to provide CBTA and facilitate collaborative learning to help participating LHDs address systemic inequities through cross-sector initiatives that foster equity and build community resilience through policy practice and program change.

o Roots of Health Inequity course series: Support team in efforts to ensure the promotion and ongoing evolution of this signature HESJ product, including supporting the development of supplemental resources and tie-in materials for course users.

o HESJ Workgroup: Support the leadership and administration of NACCHO’s Health Equity and Social Justice Workgroup, comprised of LHD and field experts who assist NACCHO by developing policy statements, advising on issues important to local health departments, and informing NACCHO programs regarding HESJ.

o Consulting: Support fee-for-service work related to health equity and social justice through NACCHO Consulting.

o Other Projects: Advise the development and execution of other cross-team projects related to health equity and social justice, including but not limited to leading a HESJ Ambassadors Workgroup and HESJ internship program, and representing NACCHO on national advisory boards.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:

Bachelor's degree in relevant professional field with a minimum of 8-10 years relevant work experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience, including a relevant certification. Master’s degree and certification in a relevant field preferred with a minimum of 7-8 years relevant work experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience, including a relevant certification is required.

Relevant work experience would preferably be in equity and justice work, systems change, working in or with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and other marginalized communities, in or with government entities, especially local health departments, facilitating meetings, and working with multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, and multi-sectoral partnerships.

Note that your resume/CV and NACCHO’s online application must demonstrate the minimum number of years of relevant work experience indicated above (i.e., 7-8 years with a Master’s degree or 8-10 years with a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent).

Required Knowledge and Experience

• Knowledge and understanding of health equity and social justice principles and frameworks and their applications within the field of public health including the role of racism and other social and structural determinants of health (i.e., class oppression, capitalism, gender oppression, homophobia and transphobia, etc.) on population health outcomes/ health inequities.
• Knowledge and understanding of public health principles and frameworks and their application, preferably in governmental public health settings.
• Experience managing complex projects with significant budgets, including creating systems and processes to ensure successful deliverables and evaluating process and outcomes for quality improvement.
• Experience managing large teams with staff at different organizational levels and with different backgrounds and experiences and matrixing staff across teams.
• Experience building partnerships, including at the community level, including sensitivity to varied interests of many stakeholders, partners, advocates, elected officials, and colleagues.

Desired Skills

• Experience with the principles and practices of coalition building and developing community partnerships.
• Experience with federal funding including cooperative agreement, grant management and contract processes, especially from Federal funders
• Experience in governmental public health and in particular, local health departments and their unique needs and functions as it relates to their ability to adopt and implement health equity and social justice frameworks.
• Experience developing and/or delivering trainings on health and race equity, structural racism, social justice, and/or the social determinants of health.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Occasionally required to sit.
• Occasionally required to walk.
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to bend, lift or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The noise level in the work environment usually is moderate.

Salary Range: $101,882 - $108,266

This is a full-time, exempt position. This position is considered a term position made possible through grant funding, some, or all of which is scheduled to end July 31, 2025. While NACCHO will make every effort to secure continued funding, this position may be eliminated on July 31, 2025.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The selected candidate must reside in the Washington, DC – Maryland – Virginia (DMV) area within 30 calendar days of their start date.

We only accept applications that follow the electronic process. No phone calls please. This position is subject to background screening. Qualified applicants should send a cover letter with salary requirements, resume, and one writing sample to: PN – 466 Director of Health Equity and Social Justice.

• In your cover letter, please describe why you are enthusiastic about this opportunity and why you think you are a good fit for the position.
• Please also submit a relevant writing sample that you developed related to a health equity, racial justice topic. This can be an article, blog post, commentary, or academic paper that you developed in a professional or academic setting.

https://naccho.clearcompany.com/careers/jobs/4166ee8b-8e28-be83-d831-a42e44e56474/apply?source=3228590-CS-2909

NACCHO offers generous benefits package such as:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD insurances
• 15 days of paid vacation & 13 days of sick leave and other types of leave
• 403(b) Retirement plan,
• Hybrid Remote Work Available
• NACCHO is a qualified employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

At NACCHO, our commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action seeks to ensure a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We respect and value work force diversity among all employees and all those with whom we do business.