A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), with some 900 staff and a budget of $350 million, promotes and protects the health of all Philadelphians and provides a safety net for the most vulnerable. PDPH leads programs to: prevent communicable diseases (including HIV, other STDs, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases); prevent chronic diseases and injuries and promote healthy behaviors; prevent environmental health risks; investigate outbreaks of disease; respond to public health emergencies; and promote the health of women, children, and families. In addition, PDPH operates eight primary care clinics. Recently, PDPH has participated with other City agencies in responding to Philadelphia’s opioid crisis and to the COVID-19 pandemic. PDPH has been an innovator in public health, pursuing novel policies to prevent and mitigate disease and injury, and intends to continue that tradition with creative solutions to both long-standing urban health problems and new crises.

The Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention 

Within PDPH, the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (CDIP, aka “Get Healthy Philly”), works to make healthy living easy for residents. We recognize that health is shaped by structural factors including systemic racism and other social, economic, and political forces; thus, we work to change systems, policies, and environments to improve health, rather than focusing exclusively on health promoting behaviors. We take a data-driven approach to program and policy design, looking to evidence-based solutions when possible and contributing to building that evidence base with our own research.  Chronic disease focus areas include preventing disease related to tobacco, poor nutritional environments, lack of physical activity opportunities, and other known risk factors. Our injury prevention work focuses on the gun violence crisis in Philadelphia. We work collaboratively with partners across the City.

CDIP’s work focuses on identifying and addressing health disparities in the City and is guided by a commitment to health justice.

We believe:

• All people should live to their fullest potential in environments that allow them to grow and thrive. 
• Progress only happens when we treat all people, communities, partners, and staff with dignity, care, and respect.
• Good government works in full partnership with community.
• Knowledge comes in many forms and from many places in our society.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is seeking a highly qualified candidate to serve as Division Director of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention. The Division Director works with program managers and other staff of the division to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and policies to improve the health of the city, prevent chronic conditions, and address the epidemic of gun violence. We believe that well-designed public policy and programs can interrupt cycles of poverty, inequity, and disease to build a thriving, healthier Philadelphia. Help build that future with us. This position reports to the Health Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The Division Director works with partners inside and outside of government to promote transformational change in schools, communities, workplaces, health care settings, the media and policy environments with a focus on tobacco control, healthy eating, active living and the prevention of gun violence. The division’s goals are to reduce smoking, promote tobacco-free environments, improve access to and affordability of healthy foods, create opportunities for physical activity, decrease avoidable injuries including gun violence, and to prevent and manage chronic health conditions. The Division has approximately 38 staff and an annual budget of $6 million.

The Director is responsible for leading all aspects of the Division, including programmatic, policy, evaluation, fiscal, and administrative activities. The Director supervises seven managers who oversee tobacco control; healthy eating and active living; injury prevention; healthcare partnerships; community partnerships; research, data, and evaluation; and fiscal matters. S/he/they also works closely with a Senior Policy Advisor. 

Essential Functions

The Division Director’s key activities include the following:

• Shapes the vision of the Division and develops/modifies strategic plans and priorities for tobacco control, healthy eating, active living, and injury prevention. This may include expanding the scope of the Division to address other chronic conditions as appropriate.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates—via staff and partners—public health policies, prevention and disease management programs, and collaborative public health-clinical efforts to address chronic disease and injury prevention
• Supervises a management team directly responsible for programmatic, evaluation and fiscal issues
• Manages organizational change for the Division, including team building, strategic re-alignment, and human resources planning
• Ensures high quality research and evaluation of interventions and policies, resulting in quality improvement activities, resource re-allocation (as needed), peer-reviewed manuscripts, and national conference presentations
• Fosters collaborations with other City agencies, universities, businesses, non-profit entities, health systems, and health insurers through contractual agreements, coalitions, MOUs, and other arrangements
• Informs, assesses, and helps implement City legislation, regulation, and administrative actions to address chronic disease and injuries
• Serves as a content expert and liaison to the Mayor’s Legislative Office, the Board of Health, and City Council as directed by Director of Policy and Planning or Health Commissioner
• Develops successful applications for funding from local, state, and federal government agencies, along with foundations and non-traditional sources, and oversees administration of these funds
• Represents PDPH and the City at local, state, and national forums on chronic disease and injury prevention
• Works with other PDPH Division Directors and City of Philadelphia agency leaders to identify and execute program and policy interventions to improve health
• Briefs the Health Commissioner regularly on key policy, program, evaluation, and administrative issues
• Prepares testimony, talking points, press releases, and other documents enabling the Health Commissioner to engage with stakeholders

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to shape, implement, and evaluate a shared vision for the Division
• Ability to recruit, supervise, nurture, and assess the performance of a diverse staff
• Ability to manage internal organizational changes related to funding, staffing, and leadership agendas
• Ability to represent the interests of the Division and the Department of Public Health before diverse audiences, including the public, the media, public health stakeholders, advocates, academic institutions, policy makers, and funders
• Ability to build and sustain multi-sectoral coalitions to advance population health
• Ability to manage complex program, policy, and evaluation partnerships with governmental and non-governmental partners
• Knowledge of the health conditions related to tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and injuries along with the principles and practices of disease prevention and health promotion
• Knowledge of the social and environmental determinants of health at the individual, family, and community levels
• Knowledge of public health evaluation principles, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health services research
• Ability to synthesize the scientific literature on chronic disease prevention and integrate findings into program design and policy development
• Ability to design and implement evidence-based programs with well-articulated outcomes and well-conducted evaluation
• Ability to identify policy gaps and recommend policy and regulatory solutions
• Ability to analyze complex problems and proactively adopt an effective course of action
• Ability to express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, for lay, government, and scientific audiences
• Ability to develop large, complex proposals for funding from governmental, foundation, and private sector sources
• Ability to develop and manage budgets based on multiple sources of funding with various rules, expectations, and reporting requirements
• Familiarity with the rules and regulations of Federal and State funding of chronic disease prevention programs
• Commitment to public health principles, including health justice and poverty elimination
• Commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging in the work of the Division

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of an M.D. or Ph.D. in public health or a related field. Training in epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, public policy, public administration, and/or business administration is desired but not required
• Minimum of five years of experience successfully managing a complex initiative providing public health and/or health care services related to chronic disease

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. 

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

We are dedicated to building a staff that reflects the diversity of Philadelphia. We encourage applications from individuals who identify with one or more of the following groups:

a) People of color,

b) Individuals with disabilities,

c) LGBTQ+,

d) First-generation college students,

e) Individuals who speak English as a second language; and/or

f) Individuals from a family that has qualified for federal financial assistance.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670

 For more information, go to the Human Relations website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx