Program Director, East

The Program Director, East develops and leads a range of initiatives and resources that enable healthcare and community stakeholders to improve community health by addressing essential resource needs required to support health equity throughout the East Coast. The Director brings and applies a deep understanding of health inequities driven by systemic racism and other structural determinants, and is skilled in co-designing solutions with cross-sector partners while centering the expertise and priorities of impacted communities. They are skilled at operationalizing health equity to drive systemic change across institutions, policies, and partnerships.

Health Leads is a national organization advancing both place-based and national initiatives. This role will lead our place-based efforts in New York while also contributing to cross-regional and national work, helping to foster bi-directional learning and collaboration across communities and geographies. You will partner with program team members in East and West Regions, as well as Program and Learning, and the Health Equity Community Collaborative.  This position is part of a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary team environment, where innovation and adaptability are essential. Directors are expected to bring an entrepreneurial spirit, lead with humility, and be willing to contribute at both strategic and hands-on levels as project needs evolve.

The Program Director, East oversees Health Leads projects & initiatives to define and demonstrate practices for community-led health, with a specific focus on community-based workforces.  The Program Director is also responsible for aligning their programs with Health Leads’ desired strategic impact, and for codifying and sharing associated learning and implementation guidance that ultimately supports stronger health and equity in communities.  Initially, the Director will lead a portfolio of maternal health initiatives across the state of New York, but must demonstrate the ability to support a range of health equity priorities as identified by community needs and direction.

The Program Director, East reports to the Executive Director (ED) of the East Region and manages staff allocated to their prioritized initiatives.

who we are and what we believe: 
 

Health Leads is an innovation hub that seeks to unearth and address the deep societal roots of racial inequity that impact our health.  We partner with local and national communities and health systems to address systemic causes of inequity and disease. We do this by removing barriers that keep people from identifying, accessing, and choosing the resources everyone needs to be healthy. Health Leads is fueled by a vision of health, dignity, and well-being for every person in every community.

The Program Director will play a role in ensuring that every person has the agency to achieve health with dignity. Learn more at www.healthleadsusa.org.

Health Leads is dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. We recognize that diversity, equity, and inclusion are inseparable from our core values and key to inspirational leadership, effective teamwork, mutual learning, and an environment in which we celebrate each other’s differences. To learn more about our mission and vision, and approach to the work read on: https://healthleadsusa.org/about-us/vision/

what you’ll do: 
 

Lead the design, development and delivery of programs that enable partners to identify, test, and implement practices that address their community’s essential resource needs in service of improved health equity. 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

who should apply: 

Those from underrepresented groups often only apply to jobs if they meet all of the qualifications. However, nobody ever meets 100% of the qualifications - if many of them describe you, we encourage you to apply!  Health Leads is committed to helping our staff gain the skills and experience that they desire and need to grow as professionals – we offer an annual stipend to each of our team members to spend on their professional development and cultivate excellent people managers so they can effectively help our staff grow as well.  This might be the right next role for you if you have the following qualifications and behavioral competencies:

Qualifications (Experience, Knowledge & Technical Skills)

• 10+ years of relevant experience, i.e., a similar role with comparable scope and responsibilities
   
   
• Experience in program design, implementation/development, and management in non-profit, public-health, or community-based settings using a health-equity framework
   
   
• Experience leading consulting or learning programs (collaboratives, networks, or other large-scale change engagements)
   
   
• Experience working with a community-based workforce or as a community organizer
   
   
• Basic knowledge of program measurement
   
   
• Managerial capabilities with team-building and supervisory experience (plus a sense of humor)
   
   
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills - able to create presentations, speak publicly, and engage audiences ranging from community members to executives
   
   
• Strong project-management skills for scoping work, aligning priorities, and meeting deadlines
   
   
• Understanding of, and experience with, community-health approaches and primary-care delivery models, and how they can be integrated to advance health equity
   
   
• Preference for proficiency in a second language

Behavioral Competencies (Mindsets, Soft Skills & Values)

working conditions:
 

• Operates remotely in a professional office environment with travel to local offices, community partners, and events as needed.
• Must be able to work within the continental US business hours and travel
• Health Leads offers a competitive salary and a forward-thinking and comprehensive array of benefits, support services, and policies that embody our values and recognize the importance of our employees in the achievement of our mission. Benefits include but are not limited to: 

• Sustainable Vacation Time (SVT). Our SVT Policy provides employees with flexible paid time off from work that may be used for such needs as vacation, short-term personal or family illness, doctor appointment, school, volunteerism, and other activities that nurture our employees’ whole selves.   
• Alternate Fridays Off. Health Leads is closed every other Friday in order for our staff to have the time they need to rest, recharge, and care for themselves and their families.  
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with wide in-network coverage, low co-pays and modest deductibles. 
• Retirement - 401k plan
   
   

when:

 Start date: Summer 2025

how much: 

Salary Range: $105,000 - $140,000

At Health Leads, we strive to offer competitive salaries.  The posted salary range is based on the market value for similar positions at similarly sized organizations, as well as our salary band for the position level. When determining salary offers, we take into consideration relevant years of experience, total years of work experience and internal benchmarking to maintain internal equity. We define relevant years of work experience as experience in an equivalent role with similar levels of responsibility and work

interested?

Application Deadline: June 13, 2025 

equal opportunity statement:
 Health Leads is an equal opportunity employer and we encourage candidates of color, women, LGBTQ, low-income, and non-college degree holders to apply. Health Leads prohibits the unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity or any other basis prohibited by law.

Additionally, Health Leads adheres to the Americans with Disability Act requirements and reasonable accommodations, upon request and approval, will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.