Director, Health Systems Development First 5 OC Administration

First 5 Orange County

Director, Health Systems Development

Application Deadline: Friday, March 14, 2025 at 11:59pm (PST)

About First 5 Orange County

We envision an Orange County in which all children reach their full potential. The groundwork for this vision is set during a child’s earliest years. Frist 5 orange County partners with many organizations working toward creating and maintaining an early childhood system that families experience as a seamless network of care. 

Since our inception 25 years ago, First 5 Orange County has become a leading convener and collaborator, as well as a valued capacity builder and funder of best practices with an emphasis on elevating equity. In these roles, we offer the community deep expertise on the importance of early childhood in human development and the conditions that children and families need to thrive. 

Our Values

Respect

We recognize and value the inherent worth of all coworkers, partners, and community members and treat everyone with the same level of appreciation, kindness, understanding, and helpfulness. 
Teamwork

Through collaboration, dedication, and effective communication, we work together to fulfill our mission to serve the children and families of Orange County to the best of our collective ability. 

Accountability

Summary of the position

The Director of Health Systems Development oversees the Health Systems and Family Resilience programmatic investment portfolios, including day to day oversight of Health Systems and Family Resilience staff. This position leads the implementation of First 5 Orange County initiatives, coordinating resources and managing the team to ensure efficient operations. The Director of Health Systems Development will design and implement programs that create linkages between systems and stakeholders to reduce barriers for families to access services. The Director will also develop administrative processes to streamline implementation and support programmatic sustainability.

Essential Job Responsibilities 

Oversee Health Systems and Family Resilience Programmatic Investments

• Actively manages a portfolio of investments focused on improving family and child outcomes, including the use of performance management and documentation of learnings, progress measures, tracking and reporting. Examples of portfolio of investments are CalAIM strategies (Community Health Worker, Enhanced Care Management, Doula), Hospital System interventions, Home Visiting, Plans of Safe Care/Family Wellness Plans, and Prenatal/Postnatal education and access to resources.
• Directs, supports, and strategizes the use of Program Officers and expert consultants to oversee programmatic investments.
• Uses best practices to develop, define and implement First 5 Orange County’s role(s) within health systems based on research findings, national and state policy.
• Oversees the organization’s evaluation agenda related to health systems and family resilience.
• Shares and receives data about key indicators and outcomes related to the wellbeing of young children in Orange County to identify barriers and gaps in services, to inform program development and adjustments. 
• Identifies, pursues, and obtains new or repurposed sources of funding to sustain, improve, and grow early childhood services in Orange County.  
• Develops and nurtures relationships with provider organizations to facilitate effective and knowledgeable outreach during program design phases and to mitigate issues that arise in existing programs.

Oversee Health Systems and Family Resilience Staff  

• Regularly scheduled team and individual meetings to ensure coordination of work across teams, shared learning, and integration of programs, evaluation, and system efforts.
• Provide regular feedback to direct reports on strengths and growth opportunities.
• Support prioritization of work and problem-solving as needed.
• Support setting of annual goals and conduct quarterly performance reviews.

Strategic Partnerships

• Liaises with executive leadership from County and other health-related agencies and leverages these relationships to promote an integrated approach on behalf of young children and families. 
• Cultivates and participates in health-related community collaboratives advocating for improved system alignment, developing shared language, measurement, and co-created solutions and potential investments.
• Actively participates in First 5 State network and other First 5 initiated programs to collaborate with statewide peers.
• Cultivates and maintains appropriate strategic alliances and professional relationships. 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Health Services administration, Public Health, social work, health and human services or an additional 5 years of related work experience (in addition to the ten years stated above). 
• 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience, including in a supervisory capacity, in the areas of health systems, collaborative program planning, implementation, and management; policy research and development; data analysis and evaluation; grants writing and management; and sustainable funding models in complex public or private environments.
• Licensed individual such as Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Nurse (RN) or other  behavioral health provider. 
• Advanced knowledge of the policies, systems, interventions, and issues relating to the mental and physical health and development of children and families beginning in the prenatal stages through age 5, including the social determinants of health. 
• Demonstrated ability to evolve existing programs to reflect changing circumstances.
• Proven, sophisticated approach to stakeholder management and partnerships in an environment where relationships are based on engagement, trust, and shared values rather than direct accountability or hierarchy.
• Demonstrated superior skills in writing, editing, facilitating, and public speaking, including the ability to communicate persuasively and effectively. Proven ability to develop partnerships and influence stakeholders to achieve specific outcomes.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills.
• Ability to travel in and around Orange County for meetings and to attend meetings and events on weekends or in the evening as needed.

Physical, Mental, Environmental and Working Conditions

• Speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly and understandably in person to individuals and groups and over the telephone
• Vision ability to read, count and write to accurately complete all documentation and reports.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Possess manual dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard, utilize office equipment, and to write.
• Ability to work in a standard office environment, including some lifting, bending, stooping, standing, kneeling, or walking. 

Employer                               Address                                                                                      Phone                                     Website
First 5 Orange County          1505 E. 17th Street, Suite 230, Santa Ana, CA 92705            714-834-5310                            https://first5oc.org/

Salary and Benefits

Starting Salary $120,000 - $150,000 Negotiable and commensurate with experience.

Benefits include Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Vacation/Sick Leave.

Special Requirements

This is an “at-will” position. Incumbents in this position will serve at the discretion of First 5 Orange County and can be terminated at any time. In such an event, the candidate has no right to any appeal or grievance procedure under any rule or regulation of First 5 Orange County or the State.

Location

The position is based in Santa Ana and is in-person, includes nights and weekends when necessary.

Apply

Submit a resume to Cinda Muckenthaler at first5oc@cfcoc.ocgov.com

Application deadline: March 14, 2025

Salary : $120,000 - $150,000