Secretary of Health (Department of Health)

Description

Please Note: To allow for growth and salary progression over time in this role, the full salary range is $124,956 - $ 224,916 annually. The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates’ qualifications within the starting salary range. This recruitment will remain open until filled and the hiring manager may make a hiring decision at any time. First review of applications will occur the week of February 24, 2025.

Terms of Appointment: The secretary is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the governor.

The opportunity

The Secretary of Health is a critical leadership role for the state of Washington, serving as the Governor’s public health expert and guiding the future of public health in the state. We’re looking for a dynamic, visionary leader who is ready to advance statewide health policy, oversee regulatory improvements, and lead swift responses to public health emergencies.

As Secretary, you will drive key initiatives to support healthcare professionals, enhance community health outcomes, and rebuild trust in our public health systems following recent challenges. You’ll ensure that science leads the way in shaping both public health practices and policy making, creating a balanced approach where research and practice work hand-in-hand to improve the well-being of all Washingtonians.

In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to lead the charge in shaping and advancing statewide healthy policy to improve the health of all Washington residents. This includes overseeing and improving the regulatory framework for healthcare systems and providers, ensuring accountability and quality care. By collaborating across diverse groups of partners, including state and federal agencies, Tribal Nations, nonprofits, academic institutions, and public-private partnerships, we will achieve improved health outcomes.

Duties

What you’ll work on

• Strategic Leadership: Set the agency’s vision, aligning priorities with the Governor’s objectives and mission. Lead the agency’s Executive Team to implement strategic goals and optimize resources. Champion the State Health Improvement Plan and position Washington as a leader in public health innovation.
• Accountability: Implement robust performance management and customer feedback systems, ensuring accountability and high-quality service delivery.
• Fiscal Responsibility: Effectively manage the agency’s annual operating and capital budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with state priorities, ensuring sustainable operations.
• Operational Excellence: Streamline and reduce barriers in the licensing and certification processes for healthcare professionals. Direct a comprehensive set of activities aimed at reducing or eliminating health hazards in the environment, including program areas associated with drinking water, food safety, radiation protection, toxic substances, and toxins.
• Community Engagement: Center community voices, especially marginalized populations, in health planning. Build meaningful partnerships with Tribes, local governments, healthcare providers, hospitals, and advocacy groups.
• Regulatory Oversight: Oversee healthcare system and professional regulations to ensure compliance and patient safety. Manage responses to public health emergencies, such as disease outbreaks and climate-related events.
• Advocacy and Policy Development: Represent the DOH before the legislature, elected officials, and key partners, leading the implementation of health reform legislation. Propose and implement health policy legislation to address public health challenges.

Key Challenges and Opportunities

• Address the politicization of public health and rebuild trust in state health systems.
• Effectively manage the budget and ensure sustainable operations.
• Strengthen the public health workforce and improve morale following pandemic-related challenges.
• Enhance the state’s data infrastructure and integrate public health and clinical care systems effectively.

Qualifications

What we need you to bring

Required Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Minimum five (5) years’ executive level management experience in large, complex organizations.
• Working knowledge of leadership, communications, human resources and labor relations, finance and business practices, and performance management and quality improvement.
• Understanding of the state and local public health and the connection between public health and health care systems.
• Knowledge of issues affecting a wide range of health protection and promotion programs, such as tobacco prevention, nutrition and healthy living, emergency preparedness, and environmental public health.
• Knowledge of Washington's public health and health care delivery systems.
• Understanding of the Incident Management System, and possess experience planning for and/or responding to emergency situations that threaten life, public health, and/or property.

Competencies and Skills:

• Organizational and political awareness, relationship building skills, and effective decision making.
• Ability to lead and direct groups of diverse and highly technical employees, such as physicians, toxicologists, epidemiologists, engineers, nurses, attorneys, laboratory scientists, etc.
• Ability to integrate performance leadership into program activities, provides coaching and mentoring for improved success, provides personalized recognition and celebrates successes, and displays characteristics of interpersonal influence.
• Seeks to understand the needs, objectives and challenges of the people they impact.

Personal Attributes:

• Exceptional emotional intelligence, humility and thoughtfulness
• Resilient and adaptable
• Action-oriented
• Highly ethical
• Innovative and challenges the status quo

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s in Public Health Administration, Public Administration, or related field.
• Experience working in public administration, public health systems or health care organizations.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one from a less traditional background. Don’t let doubts stop you from applying for this position. If you have transferable experience, please tell us about it or contact us with questions about the required qualifications and how your experience relates to them.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental Information:

What we offer:

We foster a culture of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences, believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being, we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

Please visit our Recruitment Page for a full list of benefits available to employees. Here’s a quick glance at some of the unique benefits that we offer:

• An environment of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

• Tuition reimbursement

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year

• State retirement programs

Application Process: Once you’ve decided to apply for a state government job, you’ll complete an online application to showcase your qualifications. Keep in mind that once you submit the application, a real person is going to read it. We do not use AI or other technology that screens your application and rejects it. So please be sure to provide clear and detailed information about your work history so your qualifications can be accurately assessed. We will contact the top candidates directly to schedule interviews. If you need reasonable accommodation in applying, please call 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

When completing your application, we encourage you to attach all of the following:

• Cover letter: describing your qualifications for this specific position
• Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
• References: at least three professional references and their contact information.

Questions:
Our Staff ASL interpreter is available to all deaf and hard of hearing applicants. For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process, please email us at TalentAcquisition@ofm.wa.gov.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact:

LeAnna Spriestersbach

Principal

Anvil Rock Consulting, LLC

253-227-5821

leanna@anvilrockconsulting.com

The Office of the Governor is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply.