Health Equity Strategist - Planner Principal State

Location: St. Paul
Telework: Up to 50% for applicants within Minnesota or bordering states within 50 miles of the work location
Full-time, temporary position anticipated to last through November 30, 2027

About the Role

Join the Health Equity Bureau at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as a Health Equity Strategist. This role supports division leadership in integrating, implementing, and tracking progress on strategic health equity goals, with a focus on building capacity in the public health system and community organizations. The position is temporary and may end at any time before November 30, 2027.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic equity direction, input, and information to the Division and program-level leadership.
• Support and guide division-level equity strategic plans and implementation of public health programs through an intersectional, disability justice, environmental justice, and racial justice lens to ensure robust population health initiatives with impactful community outcomes.
• Provide focused content expertise, insight, and capacity for target populations to assigned divisions, ensuring priority communities most impacted by inequities across Minnesota are centered in MDH divisions’ public health interventions. Priority communities include Black/African American, Latino, Asian American & Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, Immigrant and Refugee, people with disabilities, and Tribal communities.
• Provide training, coaching, and tools to center racial equity and economic equity lenses.
• Travel up to 25% of the time.

Requirements

• Three (3) years of experience working to advance health equity for communities most impacted by health inequities (including but not limited to populations of color, refugee/immigrant, American Indian, LGBTQIA+, Persons Living with Disabilities, and the intersection of metro/rural communities). Experience must include:
  • Facilitating meetings, committees, and/or trainings.
  • Project management, including tracking progress, assigning tasks, and providing feedback.
  • Communicating and working with various stakeholders, government agencies, community organizations, health systems, local public health, and/or colleagues.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, sufficient to translate technical information into plain language for a variety of audiences.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment while maintaining strong listening, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Understanding of historical trauma and its impact on othering and belonging, and narrative change work.
• Successful completion of a criminal background check and employment reference checks.
• Travel is required; the candidate is responsible for meeting travel demands.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. MDH does not sponsor work visas.

Qualifications

Degree equivalencies may substitute for experience as follows:

• A related doctorate degree may count for two (2) years of experience.
• A related master’s degree may count for eighteen (18) months of experience.
• A related bachelor’s degree may count for one (1) year of experience.
• A related associate’s degree may count for six (6) months of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lived experience as a member of a focus community.
• Experience working at the intersections of race/ethnicity, faith traditions, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability justice, social justice, and/or other related areas of equity and social justice.
• Experience in systems-level work relating to advancing health equity and racial equity.
• Experience effectively working or organizing in a diverse, multicultural, and multilingual environment.
• Experience with multiple geographic regions and communities, including urban, rural, and Tribal communities.

Pay

$32.97 - $48.60 hourly; $68,841 - $101,476 annually

Schedule

Day shift: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• 12 paid holidays each year.
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans.
• Fertility care, including IVF, and diabetes care.
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children.
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children.
• Pension plan providing income after retirement (after working at least three years).
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care.
• Resources supporting physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being.
• Training, classes, and professional development opportunities.
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility (for qualifying positions).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support, including mental health, relationship challenges, grief and loss, finances, and legal issues.
• Daily living/convenience services, such as chore services, home repair, trip planning, and child/elder care.

Benefits eligibility varies based on employment type, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service.