District Health Director Full Time NEW

GA DPH District Health Directors Brochure 2025

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Who We Are. We protect lives. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency entrusted by the people of Georgia to proudly protect lives and promote healthy lifestyles in diverse communities statewide. We are committed to preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing the State of Georgia for responding to disasters.

Benefits

What We Offer. As a member of the DPH team, you will join a passionate group of individuals who are dedicated to making an impact. No matter your role, you will individually contribute to protecting the lives of all Georgians while receiving a wide range of benefits, so you can:

• Make a Professional Impact – Build your career where it matters and protect lives in the community where you live, work, and play
• Enjoy Workplace Flexibility – Experience flexibility in how you work so you can be your best self for you and Georgia Residents
• Work with a Dynamic and Diverse Team– Collaborative and inclusive way of working where employees share ideas and leverage collective strengths
• Achieve Career Longevity – Countless opportunities for continuous learning/development that support a long-term career
• Take Part in a Hands-on Working Culture – Unique culture of active engagement and problem-solving, no matter your role
• Feel Pride in Where you Work – Be part of making an impact in public health alongside dedicated people just like you

Enjoy a generous benefits package that includes an employee retirement plan, deferred compensation, 12 paid holidays, vacation & sick leave, dental, vision, long term care, and life insurance. (Generally, a Monday through Friday schedule)

We are seeking new talent to work as the District Health Director reporting to the Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner.

Four (4) positions are available for the following health districts:

LaGrange, GA – Lawrenceville, GA – Decatur, GA

As a District Health Director for the Georgia Department of Public Health, you will join a dedicated group of public health professionals that help support the overall mission of protecting the lives of Georgia’s residents and visitors in a variety of ways. The District Health Director position provides direction, supervision, and oversight of a public health district and serves as the chief executive of the county boards of health and their respective public health departments. The local board(s) of health serve in a largely advisory and advocacy role for each county health department. This is broad, highly stimulating, population health improvement work which ranges from policy development, environmental health regulations, to public education, contagious disease prevention and treatment, clinical preventive care, and more.

Job Responsibilities

Provides management and direction to County Health Departments

• Provides administrative oversight and management for the County Board of Health including financial, budget, personnel, planning, etc.
• Critically evaluates local health department programs. Oversees development of programs that are responsive to community health needs and that address measurable outcomes, within budget constraints.
• Assures that programs meet their goals and objectives.
• Attends Board of Health meetings and provides information, guidance and consultation to the board and its members as appropriate.
• Evaluate clinic management and performance in order to improve clinic efficiency and productivity.
• Supports staff in carrying out legally mandated responsibilities in a rigorous but customer friendly way.
• Provides medical consultation and oversight to all clinical staff (Non-Physician District Health Director must employ or contract with a licensed physician to serve as Chief Medical Officer)

Provides management and oversight to District programs and responsibilities

• Provide direction and administrative oversight to District-based programs so that programs are operated within expectations, operate in an efficient manner, are customer friendly and are administratively sound.
• Makes appropriate program changes in response to District, Division, and Department needs.
• Identifies program goals and objectives that are met or exceeded.
• Ensures appropriate internal controls are in place (maintains compliance with federal and state audit requirements; establishes a sound financial management system).
• In compliance with state and federal regulations, assures plans are in place to appropriately bill and collect for services rendered.

Leads strategic planning and community responsiveness agenda

• Oversees the development, implementation and evaluation of the District’s strategic plan.
• Engages in local health planning, within current budget constraints.
• Provides leadership in the broad local health care community.
• Actively participates in the Department of Public Health strategic planning activities and communicates decisions made at these meetings with administrative program staff, as appropriate.
• Seeks input from and develops constructive relationships with local community leaders.

Monitors health status of the District and responds to identified problems or measurable needs.

• Oversees appropriate response to disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
• Works with other health providers to establish cooperative approaches to meeting health needs of the community.
• Communicates with the residents of the District on health issues and health status.
• Attends and participates in department and unity meetings, as scheduled.

Oversees the appropriate development and administration of budgets

• Oversees the preparation of budgets according to established formats, guidelines, and due dates.
• Ensures that budgets are developed within allowed tolerances in budget categories.
• Works with district financial staff to ensure conformity to budget category. allowances and identify potential over-utilization of funds and underutilization to prevent any return of funds.
• Works with District Financial teams and Boards of Health to address deficits caused by local/state/federal budget cuts.

Provides oversight and direction to staff responsible for managing Human Resources and Employee Relations functions

• Ensures that approved Human Resources policies and procedures are in place and observed.
• Confers with District/County Leadership Team to ensure that staffing needs are evaluated and addressed within existing budget constraints.
• Provides guidance and recommendations to District/County Leadership Team relating to Personnel issues, disciplinary actions and grievances.

With budgetary constraints, maintains knowledge of current trends and developments in the field by reading appropriate books, journals and other literature and attending related seminars/conference. Applies pertinent new knowledge to performance of other job responsibilities. Plays key role in Public Health advocacy and health development.

• Attends internal and external educational programs and professional meetings as available for continuing professional education.
• Attends and participates in department and unit meetings, as scheduled, and communicates decisions made at these meetings with administrative and program staff, as appropriate.
• Participates in activities, organization, committees, etc. that are involved in state health policy making or that provide advocacy for public health at the level, state, or national level.
• Keeps abreast of and applies current leadership and communication principles to practice.

Develops and maintains the capacity and capability of the district health office and county health department to detect, investigate, and manage emergency Public Health events

• Establishes and maintains relationships with key community partners, including hospitals and local EMA, and provides leadership in health district and external assessment, planning, and response efforts.
• Assures district-wide epidemiologic capacity for surveillance and investigation.
• Work with the State Office to implement approaches and solutions related to information technology, communication, and training.

Performance Management Responsibility: Creates and maintains a high performance environment characterized by positive leadership and a strong team orientation

• Defines goals and/or required results at beginning of performance period and gains acceptance of ideas by creating a shared vision.
• Communicates regularly with staff on progress toward defined goals and/or required results, providing specific feedback and initiating corrective action with defined goals and/or required results are not met.
• Communicates effectively with staff, colleagues and partners.
• Confers regularly with staff to review employee relations climate, specific problem areas, and actions necessary for improvement.
• Evaluates employees at scheduled intervals, obtains and considers all relevant information in evaluations, and supports staff by giving praise and constructive criticism.
• Recognizes contributions and celebrates accomplishments.
• Motivates staff to improve quantity and quality of work performed and provides training and development opportunities as appropriate.
• Oversees workforce development plan with an emphasis on core public health competencies and competencies in relation to financial management.

Competencies

• Ensures the application of the ethical principles in the collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of date and information.
• Identifies the resources to meet community health needs.
• Communication the role of public health within the overall health system (e.g., federal, state, county, local government).
• Ensures the public health organization’s cultural competence.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of community engagement strategies on public health policies, programs, and resources.
• Applies the basic public health sciences (including but not limited to biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health services administration, and social and behavioral health sciences to public health policies and programs.
• Critiques strategies for determining budget priorities.
• Ensures organizational practices are in concert with changes in the public health system, and the larger social, political, and economic environment.

Minimum Qualifications

Non-Physician: Must possess a master’s degree in public health or related field or a higher-level degree (DrPH, PhD) in a related public health field from an accredited College or University AND two years of professional management level experience in public health or the healthcare sector.

OR

Physician: Must possess a medical degree from an accredited school of medicine and a valid license from the Georgia Composite Medical Board or eligible to obtain licensure in Georgia AND two years of professional experience in public health, preventive medicine, or private medicine.

Preference will be given to applicants who in addition to meeting the entry qualifications have:

• Master of Public Health and 3 – 5 years of senior level management experience.
• Knowledge of the core functions of public health.
• Experience in the development, management and/or the administration of budgets, contracts or grants.
• Experience in Strategic Planning (ie. mission identification, goals planning and evaluation) & health planning.
• Experience in human resources/personnel management.
• Knowledge in emergency preparedness and response planning.

Additional Information

The DPH Commissioner and leaders encourage all employees to engage in regular wellness activities and to make lifestyle choices that promote health and well-being.

The use of physical activity breaks during the workday is authorized to support this philosophy and assist employees in meeting their wellness goals. A maximum of 30 minutes of physical activity can be allocated per workday, typically in the form of two 15-minute breaks or one 30-minute break.

Employment Information

Current State employees are subject to State Personnel Board rules regarding salary.

DPH accepts educational credentials recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the US Department of Education (DOE) as valid. DPH will contact educational institutions to verify degrees, diplomas, licensures, and other relevant credentials.

The candidate selected for this position may be subject to pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check.

Relocation assistance will not be provided.

As an employee of DPH, in the event of an identified emergency you may be required, as a term and condition of employment, to assist in meeting the emergency responsibilities of the department.

ADA Statement

DPH is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), email a request by the closing date of this announcement to: DPH-ADA@dph.ga.gov.

DPH is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. DPH will contact selected applicants to proceed with the next steps in the selection process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification.

This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.