The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status. 

• Application Opening – March 14, 2025
• Application Deadline – Application filing will close on or after March 21, 2025.
• Salary – 0933 Manager V (Range A Salary between $176,878 and $225,758)
• Appointment Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Recruitment ID: PBT-0933-154171

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.

The Director of Strategic Initiatives provides leadership to the Population Behavioral Health section of Behavioral Health Services. Reviewing trends in behavioral health topics (including but not limited to drug overdoses, suicidal ideation and attempts, serious mental health, alcohol use), identifying opportunities to pursue programmatic or policy initiatives, establishing partnerships with community and governmental organizations, and developing strategic plans and specific projects aimed at improving outcomes, particularly among people experiencing homelessness and other at-risk populations. You will lead the Population Behavioral Health's intragovernmental work with leadership with the Departments of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Human Services Agency, and the Department of Emergency Management to promote person-centered, trauma-informed approaches to engaging vulnerable populations.

The 0933 Director of Strategic Initiatives (0933 Manager V) performs the following essential job functions:

1. Oversees development, implementation, and evaluation of mental health services provided by the Population Behavioral Health section, with an emphasis on addressing inequities to access and receipt of services through an anti-racist and equity lens
2. Develops, administers, and monitors division budget and provision of contracted services through approved city procedures in consult with DPH Business Office
3. Develops, evaluates, and ensures compliance with policies and procedures for the section to comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations
4. Collaborates with key City and Department leaders and stakeholders, establishing effective working relationships and advocating for initiatives in response to emerging new behavioral health issues
5. Engages with a variety of stakeholders through workgroups, committees, and community meetings to provide updates and guidance with respect to their division's responsibilities
6. Provides strategic leadership, staff supervision, and personnel decisions of the Population Behavioral Health section
7. Writes and submits reports related to divisional focus to governmental and grant authorities, commissions, and committees
8. Identifies and manages grants and other resources to support these programs and services

The Director of Strategic Initiatives (0933 Manager V) may perform other duties as assigned/required.

Required Minimum Qualifications (all applicants must verify that they meet both elements below):

Education: Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;

Experience: Five (5) years of professional experience in public health, behavioral health or human services program operations, which must include three (3) years supervising professionals.

Education Substitution: Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years). Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one (1) year.

Note: One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring:

• Leadership in public health settings
• Leading outreach teams delivering support services to individuals experiencing homelessness or substance use issues
• Strategic planning and program development
• Programmatic experience in substance use treatment and emergency mental health services
• Post-graduate education in public health, public administration, community health, health education, healthcare administration, or related fields

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.

Selection Procedures:

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following.

Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) Examination (Weight: 100%): Candidates who qualify will be invited to participate in a Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) Examination that is designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas which may include but not be limited to: Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances related to behavioral health and substance use, knowledge of the principles of program planning and evaluation, knowledge of practices to address racial and cultural disparities and principle of trauma-informed care in mental health, and ability to build consensus with officials, community-based organizations and the communities served.

The SQ will be emailed to the address listed on the candidate’s online application. Candidates will be required to respond to the SQ in the time frame indicated and must submit the completed questionnaire as directed in order to have it evaluated. Responses cannot be changed once submitted. Candidates will be evaluated based on their SQ responses.

Candidates must achieve a passing score in order to continue in the selection process. Candidates will be placed on the confidential eligible list/score report in rank order according to their final score.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Certification
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of the List.

Eligible List/Score Report:
Once you pass the exam, you will be placed onto an eligible list and given a score and a rank. For more information, visit https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

How to apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted online at careers.sf.gov.

Our e-mail communications may come from more than one department so please make sure your email is set to accept messages from all of us at this link.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

This is a Position Based Test (PBT) administered in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A.

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/. The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is ‘abuse of discretion’ or ‘no rational basis’ for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date. 

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco: 

• Information about the Hiring Process 

• Conviction History 

• Employee Benefits Overview 

• Equal Employment Opportunity 

• Disaster Service Workers

• Reasonable Accommodation

• Right to Work

• Copies of Application Documents

• Diversity Statement

• Veterans Preference

• Seniority Credit in Promotional Exams

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Steven Scoles at steven.scoles@sfdph.org or (628) 271-6828. 

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.