Chief of Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation

Chief of Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation

The Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation (APDE) section within the Health Sciences division of Public Health | Seattle & King County is searching for a visionary and mission-driven Chief of Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation to foster a culture of collaboration, teamwork, community engagement, and scientific rigor. This role provides leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the department's community health assessments and evaluations of public health initiatives in King County. This includes assessing, identifying, determining, carrying out public health priorities and acting on behalf of PHSKC for regional public health issues.

This position reports to the Health Sciences Division Director and supervises the APDE leadership team. Working with the Division Director and the APDE leadership team, this position will provide oversight of the functions of APDE and assure the work is guided by data, community voice, and racial equity and social justice principles.

The Health Sciences division provides robust assessment and evaluation work and population health strategies to influence public health with a focus on community conditions through data, evidence, and emerging best practices in partnership with the community. Within Health Sciences, the Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation (APDE) section's primary work is assessment and evaluation of population-based data and interventions, integrating qualitative analysis and policy development. Staff include a multidisciplinary team of epidemiologists, social research scientists / evaluators, data scientists, data engineers, and project / program managers who use state-of-the-art techniques and participatory approaches to data collection, analyses, visualizations, and other data products. APDE regularly collaborates with other Public Health Seattle & King County divisions, King County agencies, local communities, and state and national organizations. Together, APDE provides leadership and technical assistance for population-level health assessment, data-driven program planning, program evaluation, and policy development.

Commitment to equity and social justice : Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

Work schedule : This position typically works 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week anytime between 8 : 00 am and 5 : 00 pm. This position is subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime exempt.

Work location : The APDE team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is at the Chinook Building located at 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Job duties :

• Direct the development and execution of APDE section's strategic direction, prioritization, planning, assessment, implementation, and evaluation of public health initiatives in the region.
• Direct the work to identify and analyze data regarding programs / initiatives to improve health equity, community priorities and resources, and translate findings to support or make recommendations to the department leadership on regional policy and / or program issues.
• Direct the work to engage / collaborate with cross-sector partners serving populations experiencing racial and health inequities on assessment and evaluation activities that identify and address root causes of health disparities and improve population health outcomes.
• Direct the work to identify and develop new sources of funding to build out assessment and evaluation of public health initiatives.
• Supervise the work of assigned staff and provide strategic and technical direction as well as opportunities for professional development.
• Work with the Division Director and APDE leadership team to oversee the functions of APDE and to ensure the work is guided by data, community voice, and racial equity and social justice principles.
• Represent PHSKC in local, state, and national committees and workgroups for public health assessment and evaluation.
• Liaise with external community organizations, health care providers, and the public on regional health issues and / or services.

Experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills :

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (minimum) :

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (desired) :