PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR 2 -81512

Executive Service

PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR 2

Department of Health

Family Health and Wellness

Nashville, TN

Closing Date: 10/19/2026

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who We Are and What We Do:

TDH incorporates our values into the work we do each day to achieve our mission, live our vision and address our two strategic priorities of prevention and access.

How You Make a Difference in This Role:

Under direction, is responsible for professional public health program development and administrative work of considerable difficulty and may supervise work of average difficulty or have statewide responsibility for a large public health grant or program; and performs related work as required. An employee in this class provides central office program management and major technical consultation to field services staff for a large statewide public health program. An incumbent may supervise or provide oversite of central office professional staff and other technical and administrative staff who participate in directing specific components of a major program or have statewide responsibility for a large grant or program. This class differs from that of Public Health Program Director 1 in that an incumbent of the latter performs work of lesser scope and responsibility. This class differs from that of Public Health Program Director 3 in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for directing all functions of a public health program as a whole.

Job Overview:

The Tennessee Department of Health's (TDH) Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW) is hiring a Public Health Program Director 2 to serve as the Injury Prevention Manager with the Adolescent Health and Injury Prevention Section. This position provides programmatic leadership and day-to-day management for statewide injury prevention activities, including implementation of the CDC Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP), injury prevention coalition and partner engagement, contract and fiscal oversight, technical assistance, data-informed planning, communication activities, and quality improvement. The Injury Prevention Manager also provides supervisory oversight for a Health Educator 2 and a Public Health Program Director 2. This position reports to the Adolescent Health and Injury Prevention Section Chief.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and coordination for Tennessee's statewide injury prevention infrastructure and activities, including implementation of CDC Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP) strategies; transportation safety (including teen motor vehicle safety); traumatic brain injury; older adult falls; drowning prevention; sports and recreation safety; and other emerging injury prevention priorities.
• Manage assigned grants, contracts, budgets, work plans, performance measures, fiscal reports, applications, progress reports, and required state or federal reporting.
• Monitor program expenditures, contract performance, invoices, accrued liabilities, and fiscal reports to ensure appropriate use of funds and compliance with state and federal requirements.
• Provide supervision, coaching, performance management, and professional development support for assigned staff, including a Health Educator 2 and the Public Health Program Director 2 for the TBI Program.
• Support direct reports in meeting program deliverables, completing required reports, strengthening partner engagement, and addressing barriers to implementation.
• Provide oversight and support for statewide Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) activities, including the ACL State Partnership Program, TBI Advisory Council, TBI Registry, service coordination network, quality improvement activities, data-informed planning, and the annual legislative report.
• Plan, facilitate, and strengthen the Tennessee Injury Prevention Coalition through quarterly meetings (including at least one in-person meeting annually), partner engagement, strategic planning, follow-up communication, and documentation.
• Build leadership and coordination for Tennessee's statewide injury prevention infrastructure and activities, including implementation of CDC Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP) strategies; transportation safety (including teen motor vehicle safety); traumatic brain injury; older adult falls; drowning prevention; sports and recreation safety; and other emerging injury prevention priorities.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and consultation to grantees, contractors, partners, and internal staff related to program implementation, budgets, work plans, evaluation activities, contracts, and grant requirements.
• Use injury surveillance data, program data, evaluation findings, partner feedback, and community input to identify trends, guide prevention strategies, and support continuous quality improvement.
• Collaborate with epidemiology and program staff to ensure required data products, reports, fact sheets, infographics, social media toolkits, dashboards, or other communication products are completed accurately and on time.
• Support the implementation, promotion, and evaluation of evidence-based injury prevention initiatives and trainings, including Checkpoints TN, Safe Stars, Safe Stars First Aid, CALM, Better Workplaces TN, and other approved injury prevention activities.
• Represent the Department at statewide, regional, and national meetings, advisory groups, learning collaboratives, and partner convenings related to injury prevention, TBI, public health, or program management.
• Identify opportunities to improve program efficiency, strengthen coordination across injury prevention and TBI activities, and expand the reach and sustainability of prevention efforts.
• Lead strategic planning activities that strengthen Tennessee's injury prevention infrastructure, identify emerging priorities, pursue funding opportunities, and promote sustainable statewide injury prevention efforts.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience differ for this executive service classification based on the needs of the department. This might include a Bachelor's degree in a health or science field, a Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Health Administration or Health Planning, experience with statewide leadership or directing all functions of a health program as a whole.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.