Director, Health Equity

Location: Southeastern Michigan Health Association - Detroit, MI 48202

Company Overview:

Incorporated in 1956, the Southeastern Michigan Health Association (SEMHA) was first known as the Southeastern Michigan Tuberculosis Detection Project established to focus on tuberculosis control. In the beginning of 1972, the organization began expanding its reach by broadening services, partnerships, and programs with public health systems to deliver health promotion and to create risk reduction activities. We believe health needs are interconnected and increasing productivity in a shared service system will strengthen communities and contribute to the overall development of people.

At SEMHA, our strategically aligned partnerships support human equity, well-being, and community health. SEMHA’s Health Equity Division helps partners build a proactive public health infrastructure, ensure communities are valued and included in multisector partnerships, share resources for collective impact and remove patterns that contribute to poor health in Michigan.

Position Summary:

The Health Equity Director is responsible for the coordination and implementation of SEMHA’s strategies and programs related to population health, health equity, and related community engagement initiatives. With a focus on identifying and eliminating disparities in health outcomes, the Director will also implement programs to proactively address and mitigate bias in service delivery that leads to poor health outcomes based on race, ethnicity, language, and other factors, connect various community health improvement initiatives, facilitate information sharing across these initiatives while engaging communities in the work.

The work done by the Health Equity Director will help SEMHA to achieve its vision of a culture where the barriers that lead to health inequities in Michigan have been permanently removed, all individuals and populations are valued equally, historical injustices are rectified, and resources are distributed according to need.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage various programs, projects, and community initiatives

1. Design and develop project plans for new programs; this includes identifying analyses needed, conducting such analyses and/or coordinating with others
2. Play lead role in driving assigned strategies
3. Work with internal and external customers to provide appropriate deliverables (this may include developing and negotiating contracts as needed)
4. As required, manage, in part or in full, relevant staff to aid in project implementation

• Establish realistic and stretch goals for each project in advance of project launch for review and approval by leadership / stakeholders

1. Plan and schedule project goals, milestones and deliverables, and evaluation plans working with relevant committees and program staff
2. Liaise with project stakeholders on an ongoing basis to assure tasks are tracking with work plans and timelines

• Meet project plan deadlines (these deadlines may require extended daily work hours)

1. Implement programs for maximum results
2. Regularly monitor, interpret, and summarize program progress and results using trackers, trends, metrics, etc.

• Conduct project evaluations and create recommendations report to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements

1. Cultivate the development best practices and tools for project execution and management

• Effectively communicate project expectations to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion

1. Coordinate related activities across SEMHA to ensure that all aspects of each program are successful and that all impacted personnel are aware of progress/updates

• Undertake strategies for contingency planning and risk mitigation
• Staff relevant committee(s), including supporting agenda development, supporting documents, working closely with the committee chairperson
• Meeting planning and facilitation
• Liaison with relevant, local, state, and national stakeholders, grantees, and other organizations

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in health care administration, public health, or other field directly related to the duties of this position; a master’s degree is preferred
• Four-to-five years professional experience in a role requiring writing, analytics, project management and making presentations
• Demonstrated success in implementing and managing projects and a proven ability to deliver results
• Extensive knowledge of the public health and community health environments
• Familiar with key health policy issues, particularly as related to community, public and population health, health inequities and disparities
• Experience with issues prominent in multicultural health and underserved populations
• Experience in community health affairs, needs assessment and health program development
• Experience in data analysis tools and techniques for program monitoring and evaluation

Planning, problem solving, decision making and flexibility:

• Outstanding planning and project management skills with a demonstrated ability to develop and work within tight project timelines
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, including demonstrated ability to manage/prioritize multiple activities and responsiveness to requests
• Able to identify and solve project issues effectively
• Experience working to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• React to project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently
• Flexible during times of change

Communication skills:

• Positive interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work not only within a collaborative team environment but also with multiple external stakeholder organizations
• Excellent and highly effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to read communication styles of team members and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines
• Delivers targeted, culturally appropriate information to help individuals and groups understand health promotion and disease prevention information
• Uses appropriate methods for interacting effectively and professionally with persons of all ages and from diverse cultural socioeconomic, educational, racial, and ethnic, sexual orientations, lifestyles and physical abilities
• Positive interpersonal skills: Persuasive, encouraging, and motivating
• Ability to get along with diverse personalities; tactful, mature
• Comfortable and professional and high-stress situations
• Participative management style – advocates team concept

Other competencies and skills:

• Ability to build alliances and lead, demonstrates honesty, integrity, and follow-through on commitments, anticipates internal/external customer needs and meets expectations, strives for collaboration, supports others and team results, ability to manage different perspectives and find win-win solutions

1. Ability to establish credibility and be decisive
2. Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with diverse internal and external constituencies

• Skilled consultant, able to appropriately recommend solutions that meet objectives, while offering deep insights and strategic implications

1. High level of creativity

• Strong analytical skills
• Experience with foundations and fund development with a demonstrated ability to write grants and secure funding from external sources is preferred

1. Will be required to contribute to the development and preparation of proposals for funding from external resources for health promotion and disease prevention initiatives and programs

• Experience using word processing, spreadsheet, database, internet and e-mail and scheduling applications

Background checks or licensing requirements:

• SEMHA may conduct the following: criminal background checks; reference checks; education, experience, and salary verifications; and drug tests
• Applicants must have a valid driver’s license
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis

Additional requirements:

• SEMHA works in an inclusive, team-based environment and all personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time.

Salary: $70,000 yearly (Exempt)

Benefits:

• Health insurance, Dental insurance, and Vision insurance
• 401a & 403b
• Short & Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Benefits options
• Employee assistance program
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Hybrid Work Schedule

** Applicants must be presently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. E.O.E.**

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Mail or Fax resume and/or cover sheet to:

Southeastern Michigan Health Association

Attention: Lisa Braddix (Chief Health Equity Officer)
3011 West Grand Boulevard
200 Fisher Building
Detroit, MI 48202
Fax: (313) 873-6504

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

** This position is supported by a grant or private funding with the Southeastern Michigan Health Association and is renewed annually as funds are available. **