The National Association of Counties (NACo) announces an opening for a Program Director for Health and Human Services. Reporting to the Director of the Counties Futures Lab, the Program Director, Health and Human Services directs the Health and Human Services portfolio which provides thought leadership to counties on issues related early childhood education, human services delivery, public health and behavioral health.

The position is dependent on the availability of project-based outside funding

Position Responsibilities and Activities:

• Oversee all strategic aspects of the Health and Human Services program portfolio, including identifying current and near future priority areas of county need, emerging trends and best practices in local human services and health service delivery and using this information to design, propose and launch new programs; facilitating external engagement with portfolio program offerings; and building strategic networks of portfolio-specific stakeholders, funders and thought partners.

• Oversee the day-to-day activities of the Health and Human Services program portfolio, including managing workflow across a multi-person team; developing, maintaining and reporting on program-specific and portfolio annual budgets; managing contracts and agreements with funders, sub-contractors and providers; preparing regular financial and progress reports for program funders and NACo leadership; ensuring quality control of all portfolio products and deliverables; and fostering effective relationships and efficient collaboration across portfolios and departments.

• Provide oversight, supervision and guidance of educational offerings and technical assistance to county officials, including responding to requests for information, making presentations at national, regional, state and local meetings, and facilitating the exchange of best practices and programmatic information between county officials.

• Partner with the Director of Strategic Communications and Operations to develop metrics to illustrate programs’ effectiveness; ensure portfolio program activities and budgets are aligned and continually maintained; manage the portfolio-specific workload and funding for cross-cutting staff and program interns; and develop and execute strategic communications plans for all portfolio content

• Partner with NACo’s Government Affairs department to stay apprised of current policy positions, policy developments and develop relevant content for NACo members

• Build and maintain relationships with national and local government officials, and business and civic leaders to secure new business opportunities and strategic partnerships

• Represent NACo to key external constituencies, as appropriate, related to area of expertise and responsibilities of the position

• Participate in organization-wide activities, including conference planning and implementation; membership recruitment and retention; and internal reporting and planning

• Educate external partners, funders and the general public about the role of county government and establish relationships with them to support county government efforts

• Responsible for leading and supporting a productive team, including supervising portfolio staff; supporting the development and achievement of program-specific and career development goals and plans; and providing guidance and direction on special projects and initiatives

• Performs all other duties as assigned by the NACo Chief Economist and Chief Research Officer and the Director of the Counties Futures Lab

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in public administration or policy or relevant field preferred;

• minimum ten years’ relevant experience in related content area (children, youth and families, health, behavioral health and/or human services);

• minimum five years’ people and team management experience;

• experience in the state or local government context preferred;

• knowledge of local government policies and practices;

• strong project, budget and supervisory people management skills;

• the ability to thrive and remain nonpartisan in a political environment;

• excellent oral and written communications skills;

• the ability to set and meet deadlines and work well under pressure;

• experience working with grantors and the desire and skillset to develop new funding relationships;

• experience working with high level/senior leaders with the ability to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus;

• the ability to coordinate partnerships with other organizations to achieve better services for counties

Working Conditions:

• In office work schedule minimum 2 days a week

• Travel required up to 25% of the time

Application Procedures:

NACo is committed to providing excellent customer service and creating quality experiences for our stakeholders. Please send a cover letter, resume and salary expectations to resumes@naco.org. Resumes without a cover letter and salary expectations will not be considered for the position.

Why Work a NACo:

Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant counties across America. Counties play an integral part of the intergovernmental responsibilities among federal, state, local and tribal government officials. We are guided by the belief that stronger counties result in a stronger America.

NACo is committed to fostering a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our jobs are open to all applications regardless of race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, disability, military status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. We embrace and respect our diversity of experience, heritage, and thought and strive to cultivate an equitable workplace. As outlined in our Values and NACo Norms, we pursue our mission through a ONE NACo mindset of genuine care, empathy, and respect for each other, our partners, and our members.

Teammates of NACo enjoy a fun and challenging environment with a wide range of competitive benefits, including comprehensive medical, vision and dental insurance; generous paid leave and federal holidays; transportation subsidy; tuition assistance; 401(k) match, pension plans, group life insurance, voluntary payroll deduction for pet insurance and credit union membership, and short/long term disability coverage including applicable parental leave and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program