Assistant director and youth special health

The Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking an energetic, dynamic and self-motivated individual to serve as the Assistant Director of the Division for Children and Youth with Special Health Needs (DCYSHN) within the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition (BFHN). The incumbent will work under the general direction of the DCYSHN Director and will be responsible for the Division’s internal needs, including handling the oversight of operations, activities and support for the following clinically-oriented programs: Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, Hearing Aid Program for Children, MASSTART, Medical Review Team, Pediatric Palliative Care Network and Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Direct, coordinate and provide oversight to approximately 15 staff including the direct supervision of their five program managers/specialists including conducting performance evaluation and promote compliance with personnel policies and procedures.
• Serve on Division’s leadership team and participate in DCYSHN management decisions, including resource allocation and budget planning, grant writing, coordination and collaboration linkages, review of service utilization and strategies for provision of high quality services by the Division’s programs.
• Raise awareness of DCYSHN programs and services internally by ensuring linkage and coordination of CYSHN services and collaboration with BFHN Maternal and Child Health programs and other DPH programs.
• Oversee internal communications; organize DCYSHN advisory boards, including youth and family advisors.
• Set direction, provide guidance for, and oversee contract management for several programs ensuring that they align with and address top DCYSHN, Title V and CLAS priorities.
• Assure compliance with state and federal regulations, procedures and standards, and division goals and objectives.
• Provide clinical technical assistance for DCYSHN programs and vendors on the needs of children with medical complexity. Participate in Division policy development.
• Monitor Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant priorities and related activities for the Division.
• Participate in the implementation and progress monitoring of the five-year DCYSHN Strategic Plan, in particular (1) leading activities that address our role and impact in serving CYSHN and their families; (2) integrating systems so that services are seamless and accessible; and (3) assisting to build internal awareness of the DCYSHN across DPH programs such as web and social media campaigns, and participation in communication, branding, and marketing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD.
• Experience working on issues related to systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs, particularly children with medical complexity and life limiting conditions, strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with varied components of the human services and healthcare delivery system.
• Ability to learn federal and state laws, policies and procedures relevant to the Division’s target populations.
• Knowledge of program planning needs assessment, quality improvement, surveillance processes, policy development, project management and program evaluation.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques used in the collection and analysis of data.
• Ability to coordinate numerous projects simultaneously to successful completion.
• Capacity to work proactively and independently with attention to detail and the ability to prioritize inquires and tasks appropriately.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a wide variety of staff demonstrating personal initiative as well as the ability to work well in a team.
• Talent for communicating effectively in both writing and oral presentations.
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite of Tools.
• Proven experience in meditating conflicts, coordinating competing interests, and working under time constraints.
• Skilled in problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, and team building.
• Ability to adjust to changing program expectations as required.
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours, as needed.

Agency Mission:


The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

Pre-Hire Process:

A tax & background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Human Resources Division prior to the candidate being hired.


Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division's Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Record Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the ADA Reasonable Accommodation Request Form .

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800- 510-4122 Ext. #4

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

Salary placement is determined by a combination of factors, including the candidate’s years of directly related experience and education, and alignment with our internal compensation structure as set forth by the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines. For all bargaining unit positions (non-management), compensation is subject to the salary provisions outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement and will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Official Title : Program Manager VI

Primary Location : United States-Massachusetts-Boston-250 Washington Street

Job : Administrative Services

Agency : Department of Public Health

Schedule : Full-time

Shift : Day

Job Posting : Oct 24, 2025, 8:08:02 AM

Number of Openings : 1

Salary : 92,644.84 - 142,610.92 Yearly

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator : Sandra Semedo/[email protected] - 6173524250

Bargaining Unit : M99-Managers (EXE)

Confidential : No

Potentially Eligible for a Hybrid Work Schedule : Yes