Public Health Program Director

One of our clients in the government domain is seeking a Public Health Program Director responsible for assisting TennCare with overseeing a new component of the five perinatal centers’ grants funded through Tennessee’s Rural Health Transformation Fund Plan (RHTF). This position will also assist with the implementation of perinatal telehealth projects, which are competitively bid by the State. This position provides programmatic oversight for grants focused on expanding access to care in rural areas of the state and improving perinatal outcomes through investments in workforce and training of first responders and emergency staff in non-delivering hospitals. This role supports implementation of statewide strategies aligned with the Tennessee Maternal Health Strategic Plan and the Rural Health Transformation Plan, ensuring Regional Perinatal Centers’ projects demonstrate measurable impact, sustainability, and compliance with federal and state requirements.

Public Health Program Director

Hybrid

710 James Robertson Parkway 7th Floor Andrew Johnson Tower Nashville, Tennessee 37243

12 Months

Distinguishing Features

An employee in this class provides oversight of complex grant programs serving rural and underserved communities. The position works collaboratively with multiple grantees, internal TDH teams, and external partners to support system-level transformation rather than direct service delivery. Typical working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM CST to 4:30 PM CST, totaling 37.5 hours per week. This position is not eligible for overtime.

Key Responsibilities

Provide programmatic oversight and technical assistance to the five Regional Perinatal Centers on their implementation of the work funded by the Rural Health Transformation Fund. Monitor grantee performance, milestones, and outcome measures to ensure alignment with Rural Health Transformation goals, including improved access in rural communities and strengthened rural perinatal systems. Review and approve grantee work plans, progress reports, and performance data; identify trends and recommend system improvements. Provide technical assistance to grantees related to program implementation, sustainability, and performance measurement. Collaborate with internal TDH and TennCare partners, including fiscal, contracts, administration, epidemiology, and legal teams, to ensure compliance with federal and state grant requirements. Participate in site visits, learning collaboratives, and cross-program coordination activities as needed. Contribute to evaluation, reporting, and continuous quality improvement efforts for the perinatal centers’ funding under the RHTF.

Minimum Requirements

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree; a master’s degree in public health, health administration, or a related field is preferred. Experience in public health program management, grant oversight, or maternal and child health systems is preferred. Experience working with rural communities, healthcare providers, or competitive grant programs is strongly preferred.

In-Office Requirements

New hires will be required to report in person for onboarding and laptop deployment in Nashville. This position will operate in a hybrid work environment with periodic in-person meetings in Davidson County and travel within assigned rural regions, as needed. Travel to the Nashville office will not be reimbursed.