Associate Director, Office of Communication, Education and Engagement

About the role

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) includes a network of more than 1,100 public health professionals working together to improve health outcomes for the third most populous county in the United States. HCPH provides a multitude of services such as medical and dental services, community programming, and health education for the approximately 2.3 million people in unincorporated Harris County. Through its core values of innovation, engagement, and health equity, HCPH strives to bring meaningful solutions to public health issues while keeping Harris County healthy and vibrant.

Responsibilities

• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with community organizations, governmental agencies, healthcare partners, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to advance public health initiatives and objectives.
• Directs daily operations to ensure efficient delivery of communications, events, outreach, and engagement services.
• Establishes performance measures, monitors outcomes, and drives continuous improvement to achieve OCEE objectives.
• Oversees office budgets, contracts, staffing plans, procurement activities, and resource allocation.
• Led the development and implementation of comprehensive internal and external communication and engagement strategies that align with departmental strategic priorities and emergency response efforts.
• Ensures communications and outreach strategies are evidence-based, data-driven, culturally responsive, and incorporate public health practices, behavioral theory, and health literacy principles.
• Provides strategic leadership, management, and operational oversight for all OCEE sections, programs, and initiatives.
• Serves as acting Director in the Director's absence to ensure continuity of operations and strategic priorities.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in communication, marketing, public relations, public health, or closely related field.
• Experience: Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, public information, community engagement, public affairs, public health, or related field.
• Five (5) years of supervisory or executive leadership experience managing multiple large scale teams.
• Three (3) years of experience leading strategic communications initiatives within a governmental, healthcare, nonprofit, or public health organization.
• Five (5) years of experience managing budgets, contracts, personnel, and organizational operations.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of strategic communications, marketing, public information, media relations, health education, and community engagement.
• Strong understanding of public health principles and population health.
• Demonstrated executive leadership and organizational management skills.
• Ability to develop strategic initiatives and translate vision into operational execution.
• Strong project management, budgeting, and resource management skills.
• Experience developing organizational performance metrics and evaluating outcomes.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with executive leadership, elected officials, media, community organizations, and governmental agencies.
• Strong decision-making, conflict resolution, and organizational change management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, communications platforms, social media management systems, content management systems, and project management software.

Core Competencies

• Data Analytics and Assessment Skills: Ability to use data to analyze community health needs and support decisions that improve community health outcomes.
• Policy Development and Program Planning Skills: Focuses on developing, implementing, and improving policies, programs, and services that support effective public health strategies and improve community health outcomes.
• Communication Skills: Focuses on using clear and effective communication to engage audiences, address misinformation, and build trust, supporting informed decisions and stronger public health outcomes.
• Health Advancement Skills: Focuses on applying principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion to public health, addressing systemic barriers, and promoting fair access to resources for healthier communities.
• Community Partnership Skills: Focuses on collaborating with communities to address the systems and policies affecting health, fostering engagement, shared ownership, and sustainable improvements in well-being.
• Public Health Science Skills: Focuses on using public health science and evidence-based approaches to develop and improve policies and programs, ensuring effective delivery of the 10 Essential Public Health Services.
• Management and Finance Skills: Focuses on managing human and financial resources, promoting equity and collaboration, and optimizing organizational performance to support effective public health programs.
• Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills: Focuses on aligning stakeholders, fostering innovation, and managing change to implement effective public health initiatives that strengthen community health.

General Information

• Position Type, and Typical Hours of Work: Regular | Full-Time Position
• Monday – Friday | 8 am – 5 pm
• Occasional weekends, holidays, and overtime may be required based on the specific needs and demands of the department.
• This position may also require extended and/or irregular hours during public health incidents, infectious disease outbreaks, or other emergency response activities.
• Work Environment: This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
• Physical Demands: Individuals in these positions frequently lift, carry, push and pull objects weighing up to 10 lbs. They also occasionally move objects weighing up to 20 lbs., and sometimes, but rarely, up to 50 lbs.
• Work location: Harris County Public Health: Office of Communication, Education & Engagement – 1111 Fannin St. Houston, TX 77002
• Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.
• Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.