Executive Director, Community Relations & Equity

Overview

The Executive Director of Community Relations and Equity sits at the center of the Department of Health’s commitment to advancing health justice within an evolving and increasingly complex public health landscape. This role provides strategic leadership to embed equity, antiracism, and community voice across agencywide policy development, legislative engagement, planning, and decision-making.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Director leads and influences policy, strategy, and organizational initiatives that strengthen accountability to communities, how the agency builds and sustains authentic and impactful relationships and helps drive our work in a way that delivers equitable health outcomes statewide.

This is a senior leadership role for someone who can navigate complexity, build meaningful relationships, and translate equity principles into action at scale.

As the Executive Director, you will provide strategic leadership for community relations and equity across the Department of Health. Core responsibilities include:

 

Strategic Leadership and Agencywide Influence

Provide strategic leadership for community relations and equity across the Department of Health.
Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, shaping agencywide approaches to trust-building, equity, and community influence.
Serve as a senior advisor and connector on systemwide initiatives impacting underserved communities.
Represent the agency at the executive level, including participation on the Health Disparities Council.
Coordinate with the State Office of Equity and seek cross-agency collaboration to strengthen collective impact.

 

Community Partnerships and Community Voice

Lead and sustain strategic partnerships with community leaders and community-based organizations to ensure meaningful community influence in agency work.
Identify, develop, and strengthen pathways for community participation in policy, planning, and implementation.
Provide guidance and consultation to agency leaders and staff on strategic partnership and relationship issues.
Identify areas where community voices are absent or could be strengthened and guide efforts to address those gaps.

 

Health Equity Strategy, Policy, and Systems Integration

Guide agencywide health equity strategy, including policies, initiatives, and practices that address health disparities and avoid unintended inequities.
Lead efforts to embed health justice and equity principles across policy, legislative, and government relations activities.
Guide and implement health equity impact reviews to assess the equity implications of legislation, policies, and initiatives.
Advise and lead efforts related to Community Compensation and Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards.
Assist in the development of internal and external communication strategies related to health equity.

 

Facilitation, Learning, and Capacity Building

Facilitate and lead courageous, healthy conversations on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality that promote learning, trust, and progress.
Create and support communities of practice that strengthen agencywide understanding and application of health equity principles.
Provide guidance, tools, and training to staff and partners on applying equity frameworks in public health decision-making.
Identify areas of growth and learning for self and others to strengthen shared equity understanding across the agency.

 

People Leadership and Team Development

Supervise and lead a team of over 20 Community Relations and Equity staff.
Set strategic goals, support program evaluation, and establish clear outcomes to bring structure and transparency to the work.
Support staff development and ensure the resources needed for effective engagement and communication are in place.