Public Health Program Director

Title: Public Health Program Director
Location: Nashville, TN (Hybrid)
Duration: 8+ Months
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST
Work Week: 37.5 hours per week
Overtime: Not eligible

Position Overview
The Client is seeking a Public Health Program Director to provide statewide leadership for adolescent health initiatives that improve the health and well-being of Tennessee's youth.
Under general supervision, this position will lead the planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of adolescent health programs through collaboration with state and local partners, schools, healthcare providers, youth-serving organizations, and adolescents.
The Public Health Program Director will serve as a subject-matter expert in adolescent health and positive youth development, ensuring that youth perspectives inform public health strategies and programs. The position will lead the development and implementation of Tennessee's Adolescent Health Strategic Plan, provide leadership for statewide initiatives, develop partnerships, manage grants and projects, provide technical assistance, and support data-informed decision-making to improve adolescent health outcomes across Tennessee.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of Tennessee's Adolescent Health Strategic Plan, ensuring alignment with state and federal priorities and advancing coordinated adolescent health efforts across Tennessee.
• Provide statewide leadership for adolescent health initiatives that promote healthy youth development and improve health outcomes for adolescents across Tennessee.
• Develop, implement, manage, and evaluate adolescent health programs and initiatives.
• Lead coordination of the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program in Tennessee by collaborating with implementing schools, community organizations, and local and national trainers to ensure the program is implemented with fidelity.
• Lead the statewide implementation of Screenagers: Under the Influence, including project planning, coordination, partner engagement, implementation, evaluation, technical assistance, and reporting to TDH leadership and funding agencies.
• Lead support of Tennessee Generations (TNGen) by facilitating meetings, developing youth leadership opportunities, maintaining communication with members, coordinating youth-led initiatives, and supporting federal reporting requirements.
• Coordinate adolescent engagement strategies, including advisory groups, focus groups, and other opportunities that ensure youth perspectives are incorporated into program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Serve as the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (MCHBG) Social Emotional Well-Being Priority Lead and coordinate activities in collaboration with the Domain Lead.
• Build and sustain partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, community organizations, youth-serving agencies, and other partners to advance adolescent health priorities.
• Identify emerging adolescent health needs and implement effective strategies related to positive youth development, healthy relationships, sexual health education, pregnancy prevention, dating violence prevention, nutrition, physical activity, and other factors influencing adolescent health and well-being.
• Provide technical assistance, consultation, and training to internal and external partners on adolescent health best practices.
• Monitor program performance, evaluate outcomes, analyze data, and use findings to support continuous program improvement.
• Develop grant applications, progress reports, presentations, and other required state and federal reports.
• Represent the Tennessee Department of Health on statewide and national committees, workgroups, conferences, and collaborative initiatives related to adolescent health.

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge of adolescent development, positive youth development, and effective public health practices.
• Experience developing, implementing, managing, and evaluating public health programs or initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic plans and translate priorities into measurable actions.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and collaborate with diverse partners.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, facilitation, and technical writing.
• Experience providing technical assistance, training, and consultation.
• Knowledge of grant management, program evaluation, and performance measurement.
• Strong organizational, analytical, critical-thinking, and project-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently while working collaboratively across teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Health Education, Social Work, Behavioral Science, Education, or a related field is required.
• Master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of three years of experience in adolescent health, public health, program management, strategic planning, or a related field.
• Experience leading statewide initiatives, grants, or community-based public health programs is preferred.
• Experience working with adolescents, schools, healthcare providers, or youth-serving organizations is preferred.
• Experience with grant writing, grant management, program planning, and evaluation is preferred.
• State government experience is a plus.

Work Environment and Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must reside in the State of Tennessee at the time of hire and maintain Tennessee residency as a condition of employment.
• This is a hybrid position with periodic in-person meetings in Nashville.
• In-person attendance in Nashville is required for the first day of employment for laptop deployment and onboarding.
• Ability to travel throughout the State of Tennessee for meetings, trainings, site visits, and partner engagement activities, as needed.
• Ability to travel out of state approximately four times per year for conferences, federal meetings, and professional development opportunities.
• Travel to the Nashville office is not reimbursed.
• Must successfully complete a background check.