Company: Sunflower Foundation
Job Title: Director of Health Systems
Job Classification: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Normal business hours as well as the ability to work some mornings, evenings and weekends as required by event necessity.
Compensation: Compensation based on experience
Location: Topeka, KS
Reporting Relationship: President and CEO

Primary Accountabilities:

The Director of Health Systems is a key member of the Foundation’s staff, working with the President/CEO, program team and other Foundation staff, and members of the Board of Trustees to successfully develop, manage, and drive strategic projects and initiatives to support the Foundation’s mission and vision. Specifically, this position will oversee development and implementation of grantmaking strategies to optimize state and local health and health care delivery systems (public health, mental health, behavioral health, and primary care) through a collection of curated programmatic priorities and effectively designed evaluation plans. Responsibilities include researching and developing written funding recommendations for Board review, reviewing grant applications, conducting site visits; providing technical assistance to applicants and grantees; designing group learning events, managing internal grantmaking processes, procedures and systems; and developing strong relationships with local not-for-profit organizations, community leaders, relevant state agency staffs, public health, mental and behavioral health, health care professionals and their professional organizations, advocates and other funders.

Major Duties:

• Partners with the President/CEO, staff, and consultants to evolve the work of the health systems area through implementation of evidence based and promising practices, innovation and novel ideas, developing and managing the needed activities, infrastructure, deliverables, and resources to produce short term (1-3 years) and longer term (3+ years) impact.
• Works proactively to engage communities and local organizations, providers, advocates, and patients in a collaborative way by traveling, meeting, and speaking in venues across the state.
• Monitors national and state policy that specifically impacts health systems changes relevant to public health and the delivery of healthcare (especially to vulnerable Kansans) using a variety of resources (e.g., consultants/experts, web-based listservs, attendance at national meetings).
• Collaborates with applicants to design responsive proposals and present for staff discussion and recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
• Designs and implements requests for proposals (RFP) as directed by the Board of Trustees, including oversight for the grant review process.
• Designs and executes program monitoring process for grants and special projects; assure that all pre-grant and open grant management requirements are met, including review of progress and expenditure reports, as needed.
• Arranges for technical assistance for grants and oversees any related contract work.
• Conceptualizes and, with input from the president/CEO, staff and consultants, plans “Learning Collaboratives” for grantees and other stakeholders.
• Partners with grantees and Foundation staff to ensure that a meaningful evaluation plan is in place for funded projects and coordinate alignment with the foundation’s strategic plan.
• Partners with the president/CEO, staff, and consultants, to develop and coordinate, as needed, a policy advocacy plan to support key changes/improvements to the state’s health and healthcare systems with a specific focus on vulnerable Kansans.
• Provides story ideas, share news of grantee successes, and collaborate with staff to promote strategic communications of the work of the foundation.
• Pursues opportunities to promote Sunflower’s mission and strategic initiatives through such methods as policy development, convening, and collaborating with other key organizations.
• Keeps current on health issues of importance to the Foundation by literature review, contact with social and professional communities and participating in relevant meetings/conferences.
• Provides topic-specific reports as requested by the President/CEO concerning current and/or proposed program areas.
• Conducts site visits with grantees to enhance communication, project understanding and the ability to assess outcomes.
• Assumes a share of office functions which require “all hands-on deck,” including meeting planning, set-up, logistics, and communications.
• Assists, as needed, with the communication of information to policymakers, target communities, professional and lay providers of health care services, other funders, and the general community.
• Represents the Foundation locally and nationally with philanthropic and other professional organizations.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required. A master’s degree is preferred.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience working in a health care delivery system, public health, mental health, behavioral health, community health, a nonprofit organization or a grantmaking organization is required.
• Excellence in communication, both orally and written, is required.
• Good judgment, common sense, and maturity, with an ability to identify and address organizational needs, make decisions, develop and justify recommendations, resolve conflicts and be responsive is required.
• An interest in health innovation and systems works and the evolving literature of these topics is preferred.
• Smart, high-energy, self-motivating and self-confident person, who thinks strategically and has wide-ranging curiosity about and a deep interest in current health and health care issues.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of individuals and organizations from across the state, region, and nation.
• Ability to work as a team member in a small group, collegial environment where differing viewpoints and give and take are expected and encouraged.
• The ability to think creatively and strategically about the broad goals of the Foundation while remaining focused on the detail-oriented work and follow-through required by this position.
• The ability to play an effective leadership role in health system topics in Kansas and in the national foundation community as well.
• Dress, personal hygiene, demeanor and language must be impeccable.
• Ability to work creatively with grant applicants and recipients, and with colleagues in the community, state and nationally.
• A sense of humor and a constructive, positive outlook.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to read mail and talk on the phone.
• Must be able to speak and listen effectively.
• Ability to work on the computer for hours at a time and concentrate on detailed information.
• Vision abilities for close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
• Sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time.
• Bend, kneel and reach items with use of hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Unpack, lift, and move items up to fifty (50) pounds.

Work Environment:

• Professional and deadline-oriented environment in an office setting.
• Interaction with staff and customers.

Additional Duties:

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added to this job description at any time. The job description does not state or imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee(s) holding this position. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related responsibilities as requested by their supervisor.