Canton Public Health Harm Reduction Manager

Canton Public Health Harm Reduction Manager

Salary

$64,105.00 Annually

Location

420 Market Ave N., Canton, OH

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

M77-26

Department

Canton City Public Health

Opening Date

09/02/2026

Closing Date

9/16/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Wage Information

Starting Salary: $64,105 (+$10 - $15/hour in benefits)

Employment with the City of Canton comes with a full array of benefits. We offer comprehensive health insurance, paid vacations, paid holidays, a retirement plan, and sick time.

Interested in this position? Please submit your application through governmentjobs.com/careers/cantonohio by clicking the "Apply" button on the posting. Applicants MUST submit a copy of a valid drivers license or other photo ID along with their application and any other pertinent documentation.

This is an open examination. To be eligible for this position, applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or have a permanent resident card. Applicants must have Bachelors degree in public health, social work, community development, or a related field OR equivalent experiential background. Applicants must also have a minimum of 3 years of experience in harm reduction programming, substance use disorder treatment, or public health advocacy.

Job Description

Position Summary: We are seeking a passionate and experienced Harm Reduction Manager to lead and grow the Harm Reduction Programs at Canton City Public Health. Under general supervision, this person is dedicated to mitigating the harms associated with substance use by implementing evidence-based harm reduction strategies. The Harm Reduction Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of our Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program (OENDP) and needle exchange services, ensuring compliance with local regulations, best practices and grant deliverables. This role requires strong leadership, critical thinking, organizational skills, and a commitment to promoting health equity and reducing the adverse consequences of drug use in our community by embracing harm reduction as a public health strategy. This position is 100% grant funded.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Management:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate harm reduction programs, including the Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program (OENDP) and needle exchange services, in accordance with organizational goals and objectives, state law and grant deliverables.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of harm reduction principles, practices, and emerging trends and laws to inform program development and implementation.
• Monitor program outcomes and effectiveness, regularly assessing the impact of services on the target population.
• Develop workplans, strategic plans and data reports/briefs to disseminate program goals and outcomes, budget allocation and other program/facility metrics.
• Manage harm reduction facilities, including rent, utilities, support services for the site and operational activities.
• Secure and uphold contracts to meet the needs of all harm reduction programs. Hold all partners accountable to contract terms.
• Manage program budgeting activities, including securing quotes, requesting purchase orders and paying invoices.

Team Leadership:

• Recruit, train, and develop staff and volunteers involved in harm reduction activities, ensuring adherence to program protocols and ethical standards.
• Supervise direct report staff and volunteers: assign duties; approve work schedules, timecards and time accounting; complete employee evaluations, career development and disciplinary actions (as necessary); oversee work product accuracy and completeness, etc.
• Provide ongoing support, guidance, and professional development opportunities to team members to enhance program delivery and efficacy.

Community Engagement:

• Foster positive relationships with community stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, community and religious organizations, and people who use drugs, to promote collaboration and support for harm reduction initiatives.
• Represent the organization on community workgroups and at community meetings, events, and forums to advocate for harm reduction policies and educate the public about the importance of these services.

Quality Assurance:

• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations governing harm reduction services, including but not limited to drug distribution laws, confidentiality requirements, and safe needle disposal protocols.
• Implement quality assurance measures to maintain the safety, effectiveness, and integrity of harm reduction programs, including regular audits, risk assessments, and process improvements.

Education and Outreach:

• Develop and deliver educational materials, workshops, and training sessions on harm reduction principles, overdose prevention, safer drug use practices, and related topics for diverse audiences.
• Conduct outreach activities to engage underserved communities and marginalized populations, particularly those disproportionately affected by substance use-related harms.
• Serve as Naloxone Trainer for all of Stark County.

Grant Writing & Management:

• Research funding opportunities from government agencies, foundations, and private donors to support harm reduction initiatives.
• Prepare grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and fundraising appeals in collaboration with relevant staff members, ensuring alignment with programmatic goals and funder requirements.
• Manage grant application processes from start to finish, including budget development, narrative writing, submission, and post-award reporting.
• Manage the grant portfolio of CCPH's harm reduction programming. Ensure grant funding is secure by meeting and reporting grant deliverables in a timely and complete manner.
• Cultivate relationships with potential funders and stakeholders, providing regular updates on program activities and outcomes to demonstrate impact and promote continued investment in harm reduction efforts.

Other Duties:

• Participate in staff committees and workgroups.
• Provide support functions in response to public health emergencies as directed by the Health Commissioner.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Minimum Qualifications and credentials:

• Bachelors degree in public health, social work, community development, or a related field OR equivalent experiential background.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in harm reduction programming, substance use disorder treatment, or public health advocacy.
• Minimum of one year of leadership experience
• Demonstrated leadership experiences such as spearheading community outreach programs, leading advocacy campaigns, or organization support groups to effectively engage with diverse populations and drive positive change.
• Experience implementing harm reduction principles, strategies, and best practices, with a commitment to health equity, social justice, and harm reduction philosophy.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse populations and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal regulations and standards governing harm reduction services, including but not limited to naloxone distribution laws and syringe exchange regulations.
• Experience in program development, evaluation, and quality assurance, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize workload, and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and data management software.

The following must be acquired and maintained. These credentials are not required upon initial hire but must be acquired after hiring and within 6 months. Training will be provided for all of these credentials.

• Certification in National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command Systems (ICS) levels 100 & 700.

Work environment: The work environment includes a general office setting to prepare program materials, which may include sitting for long periods of time, using a computer with keyboard and other office equipment. Program clinic operations and client interactions may entail regular exposure to psychologically or emotionally challenging information, necessitating resilience and a supportive team atmosphere to maintain well-being of self and staff and effectively address the needs of individuals served. This position is located at an off-site location, which may present limited amounts of direct supervision at times. The position requires some availability on nights and weekends to attend community outreach events. Outreach events may require occasional lifting up to 25lbs, transporting outreach equipment and occasionally being exposed to outdoor weather conditions. Reasonable accommodation in accordance with ADA Compliance will be made available to those who need it to achieve the above descriptions.

Benefits: This position takes part in a pension plan from the Ohio Public Employment Retirement System. Eligible for insurance (medical, dental, vision, life), paid sick leave, paid vacation, and paid holidays.

Testing Information

SHOULD TEN OR FEWER QUALIFIED APPLICATION BE RECEIVED, AN EXAMINATION MAY NOT BE REQUIRED UNLESS TESTING IN NEEDED TO MERGE APPLICANTS ONTO AN EXISTING LIST. NAMES WILL BE PLACED ON AN ELIGIBILITY LIST IN ACCORADANCE WITH THEIR APPLICATION FILING DATE. SHOULD MORE THAN TEN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS REGISTER FOR THIS EXAMINATION THOSE APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE FORMAT, LOCATION, DATE, AND TIME OF THE EXAMINATION.

RATING

Your name will be placed on a list of eligible candidates upon receiving a passing score. Once the list has been established, your name will remain on the list for a period of one (1) year.

REPEATING AN EXAM

Per OAC Rule 123: 1-9-01, an applicant who has competed in a civil service examination cannot repeat that examination or take an examination for the same classification within FOUR MONTHS from the date of original examination, unless an alternative form of examination is given, or unless other standards are specified in the examination announcement.

Additional Information

• DISCLAIMER*

All applicants should receive an email from noreply@governmentjobs.com confirming that their application was received. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact Civil Service at jobs@cantonohio.gov to confirm that your application went through.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VETERANS

As provided in ORC 124.23C, any person who has completed service in the uniformed services, who have been honorably discharged from the uniformed services or transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service, and who is an Ohio resident and any member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the Ohio National Guard, who has completed more than 180 days of active duty service pursuant to an executive order of the President of the United States or an act of Congress of the United States may file with the director a certificate of service or honorable discharge (DD-214 - Long version), and upon this filing, the person shall receive an additional credit of twenty percent (20%) of the person's total grade given in the examination in which the person receives a passing grade.

A member in good standing of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the Ohio National Guard, who successfully completes the member's initial entry-level training shall receive a credit of fifteen percent (15%) of the person's total grade given in the examination in which the person receives a passing grade.

NOTICE OF DRUG TESTING REQUIREMENT

Pursuant to Civil Service Rules applicants are hereby advised that the position of employment being examined for MAY be subject to a drug test. The results of the drug test may affect the hiring status of any candidate in consideration.

NOTICE OF BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Be advised that candidates MAY be subjected to a confidential background investigation, including, but not limited to, a criminal record check and driving record check.

ADA COMPLIANCE

Reasonable accommodation in accordance with ADA Compliance will be made available upon request to those qualified applicants in need of it, in order to achieve the essential job functions as described above.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for appointment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, political affiliation, age, type of disability, or any other non-merit factor.

BY ORDER OF THE CANTON CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

Rachel A. Forchione, Director

Anna M. Moeglin, Assistant Director

City of Canton permanent, full-time employees (working 30 hours per week or more) and their eligible dependents become eligible for comprehensive health benefits on the first day of the month following 60 days of employment. Health benefits include hospitalization, outpatient services, prescription coverage, dental and vision coverage, and group life insurance.

Time off benefits may include paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick leave.

Full-time employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. To learn more about the program and how to qualify, visit https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

All Safety Forces (Police and Fire) become members of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension (OP & F). All other employees become members of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).

For additional information regarding benefits, contact the Human Resources Department at 330.438.4136. Click here to access the benefits flyers.

01

Are you a U. S. Citizen, or do you have a valid permanent resident card? (Must attach valid permanent resident card when completing application to qualify).

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have at least one year of leadership experience?

• Yes
• No

03

Have you tested for this position with the City of Canton in the last 4 months?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have a Bachelors degree in public health, social work, community development, or a related field OR equivalent experiential background?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have a minimum of 3 years of experience in harm reduction programming, substance use disorder treatment, or public health advocacy?

• Yes
• No

06

Do you have experience implementing harm reduction principles, strategies, and best practices, with a commitment to health equity, social justice, and harm reduction philosophy?

• Yes
• No

07

Do you have experience in program development, evaluation, and quality assurance, including data collection, analysis, and reporting?

• Yes
• No

08

Do you have experience spearheading community outreach programs, leading advocacy campaigns, or organizing support groups?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Canton

Department Canton City Public Health Address 420 Market Ave N

1st Floor

Canton, Ohio, 44702