Western Region Director

At the Network for Public Health Law (networkforphl.org), with the support of its fiscal sponsor, TSNE (tsne.org), we believe in the power of public health law and policy to improve lives and make our communities safer, healthier, stronger and more equitable. We know that understanding, navigating, and using law and policy can transform our communities so we work to help public health leaders, policymakers, researchers, educators, advocates, and health care providers do just that.

We are seeking a Region Director to provide strategic and organizational leadership for the Network’s Western Region team. This role is responsible for overseeing the Region’s strategic and sustainability planning, day-to-day operations, legal technical assistance, outreach efforts, and product development activities. The Western Region Director undertakes these activities in close collaboration with the Executive team, and other Network teams. The Western Region Director reports to the Network Executive Director and supervises two or more attorneys, and one project coordinator. 

Strategic Planning and Sustainability

• Collaborate with the executive team, region and project teams, and as needed consultants and external partners, to identify public health law needs and to establish region-specific goals, processes, and procedures to prioritize and address identified needs consistent with the Network and Western Region strategic and sustainability plans.
• Provide thought leadership and expertise in key public health law and policy domains.
• Participate in organizational decision-making as a member of the Network leadership team.
• Identify funding opportunities and develop grant and contract proposals to support Western Region and Network-wide initiatives.

Western Region Operations

• Work to ensure effective collaboration and coordination within Western Region, as well as with the executive team, region and project teams, and external partners.
• Oversee Western Region staffing strategy, including consultation with the executive team, and other teams on Network hiring and recruitment strategies and practices.
• Supervise Western Region attorneys and administrative staff, which is a fully remote workforce.
• Work collaboratively with the executive team to manage budgets, grant agreements, and government contracts.
• Advance and reinforce the Network’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging values across Western Region and its work.

Legal Technical Assistance

• Oversee requests for legal technical assistance from states in the Western Region in all areas of public health law and requests for assistance from within the Network in Western Region expertise areas.
• Oversee completion of legal technical assistance requests by providing input and guidance to Western Region attorneys to ensure high quality and practical utility of technical assistance and referral to experts within and outside the Network when needed.

Outreach and Relationship-Building

• Oversee ongoing, affirmative outreach and relationship-building in the Western Region states and with national partners in areas of Western Region subject matter expertise.
• Support Western Region participation in state public health conferences in region states and other important regional and national gatherings related to public health and public health law, including submitting abstracts for presentations and attending invited presentations.
• Oversee development of opportunities for networking and peer assistance to Network key audiences.
• Participate or oversee participation in external national or other groups of interest to Western Region and the Network.

Product Development

• Oversee the development of high-quality Network-branded resources that will be of practical use to public health practitioners, public health attorneys, policy advocates, and other stakeholders.
• Lead efforts to develop practical or scholarly publications related to priority topics and identified public health law needs or region-specific goals.
• Develop and deliver new training and resources to public health practitioners and other stakeholders across the region.

Oversee the development of new areas of expertise based on known public health law needs and identified priorities.

Special requirements:

• Ability to travel nationally between 4 and 10 times/year.
• Ability to work atypical hours on occasion.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• M.P.H. and background and experience in administrative law, state and local law, mental health or health care law, poverty law, or civil rights law a plus.
• At least seven years’ experience practicing law, preference for positions of progressively increasing responsibility at a public interest law firm, government legal office or health department, or nonprofit engaged in providing practical legal assistance.
• Skills and experience in leadership, supervision, collaboration, fundraising, strategic planning, communications, and budget management.
• Unquestionable integrity and high ethical standards.
• Proven commitment to public health or related field.
• Ability to make independent judgement in evaluating options to make sound decisions.
• Strong project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong work ethic, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Support diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices.
• Must be comfortable relevant office technology.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Work is performed in an office environment and in close proximity to other workers.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Reach; traverse; sit (usually for longer periods of time); occasionally ascend/descend; and position self (to) move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate;
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Work will be primarily performed fully remote.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $130,000/yr. - $150,000/yr. and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): 12 paid holidays, 3 weeks vacation, 1 week personal holiday, and health leave time for full-time staff;
• 80% Employer-paid, offering some $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim along with several low-deductible plans;
• Low-cost MetLife Dental and Vision;
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care;
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance;
• Employer-paid Pension through TIAA;
• ...and more!

TSNE/NPHL strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/NPHL prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/NPHL celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/NPHL's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.