Tribal & Indigenous Communities Health Equity Strategist

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is seeking to hire a dynamic and self-motivated community engagement professional to join the Office of Health Equity as part of the Vaccine Equity Initiative Team. The incoming Tribal Communities Health Equity Strategist will provide strategic input and implementation support for population health initiatives meant to engage Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities through a racial and disability justice and intersectional lens. The Strategist will establish effective communication channels with regional stakeholders and community leaders within the priority population and coordinate initiatives that increase access to resources needed. They will seek solutions to barriers that prevent the priority population from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and meeting other health-related social needs. The incumbent will bring strong expertise in community-centered engagement with experience partnering with community members, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations to inform program design, implementation, and prioritization.

The (VEI) is committed to improving the quality of life for all Commonwealth residents while eliminating the inequities that threaten the lives of communities of color and other priority communities who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and its risk factors. The (OHE) works to address social determinants so everyone can attain their full health potential. We acknowledge the history of structural racism and its impact on health. All efforts are centered on dismantling ableist systems, ensuring equitable access, and supporting the needs of people with disabilities, in partnership with the OHE's Health and Disability Program. People with lived experience in these communities and/or in protected classes are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties and Responsibilities (These duties and responsibilities are not all inclusive):

The Tribal Communities Health Equity Strategist is an essential part of the Office of Health Equity and the Vaccine Equity Initiative, reporting to the Health Equity Integration Manager, Office of Health Equity. The Strategist will provide community-based technical assistance initiative addressing the needs of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities in the COVID response and other pressing health equity priorities alongside other community engagement staff.

Strategic Coordination

• Provide strategic thinking, lead, and support action on priority population health initiatives, with a high degree of emotional intelligence that explicitly addresses the complexity of anti-discrimination work.
• Conduct technical assistance for local and regional stakeholders, including community-based and faith-based groups, local boards of health, community health centers, etc., to support priority population's ability to strengthen community safety nets and advance community recovery
• Review and analyze data to evaluate progress, make recommendations, and facilitate more effective strategies for accomplishing initiative objectives and leveraging assets of each community.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a liaison for MDPH to Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities, and for these communities back to MDPH.
• Facilitate communication channels between stakeholders and efforts.
• Listen to residents to identify needs and levels of support to increase access for members of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities that may experience significant barriers to getting the COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 mitigation, and to meeting their health-related social needs and goals.
• Coordinate community engagement efforts with a state-wide scope, meeting the needs of members of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities wherever they work, play, and live in an accessible manner
• Build internal capacity for community engagement work across Department-wide initiatives.
• Inform Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities-specific engagement strategies and other community engagement approaches with OLRH and VEI leadership.

Health Equity

• Contribute actively to the work of MDPH and VEI's health and racial equity portfolio and proactively support incorporation of equity in team operations and processes.
• Lead with a health equity approach that considers the history, context and culture of populations being served, support racial, health, and disability justice reframing in stakeholder work and processes.
• Model transparent and open communication that centers discussions around the experience of residents; demonstrate relationship building skills and ability to listen to and take direction from Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with others.
• Talent for adjusting to varying or changing situations to meet emergency or changing program requirements.
• Capacity to exercise sound judgment, discretion and handle confidential information.
• Experience in supervision, including planning and assigning work according to the nature of the job to be accomplished, the capabilities of subordinates and available resources; controlling work through periodic reviews and/or evaluations; determining subordinates, training needs, and providing or attaining for such training; motivating subordinates to work effectively; determining the need for disciplinary action and either recommending or initiating disciplinary action.
• Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of data, to draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to apply and articulate a racial and health equity approach to their work, including the ability to identify interventions upstream, midstream, and downstream
• Knowledge of community resources, key stakeholders, and community-based efforts in Massachusetts with regard to Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities. Experience with coalition/partnership development and stakeholder and community engagement
• Minimum of 2 years' experience, knowledge and demonstrated ability, including lived experience, with organizations serving Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Communities in Massachusetts
• Demonstrated experience with cultural competence in a professional setting as well as experience in planning, organizing, and facilitating meetings
• Knowledge of community engagement theories and best practices and social determinants of health
• Proven ability to communicate and build relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, including health equity and community-based stakeholders, with a commitment to health equity, particularly racial equity; ability to listen to and take direction from the community
• Experience coordinating community engagement efforts in public health settings
• Ability to work collaboratively alongside diverse colleagues across race, gender, sexual orientation, and other dimensions of diversity
• Comfort in a relatively high-profile role with political context; ability to take ownership over tasks and actions with sound judgement
• Self-motivated and able to work independently as well as collaboratively with colleagues and external stakeholders
• Effective communication with a wide range of people, one-on-one and/or groups. Modes of communication may include written correspondence (emails, memos), phone and video calls, proposals, reports, and in-person presentations.
• Critical thinking skills, using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
• Ability to travel to various locations throughout the state.

Equipment Operated:

Computers, Microsoft Office suite, data analysis and management software, video-conferencing platforms, and other office equipment/programs; telephone (or equivalent) as needed.

Working Environment:

• The default office area is a shared workspace divided by cubicles, with some private office spaces available for pre-arranged times. Verbal communication can be heard from other staff in adjoining cubicles. If this setup creates barriers related to an employee's disability, we enthusiastically encourage accommodations requests to remove those barriers.

About the Department of Public Health:

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.

More information can be found at: th

Pre-Hire Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit

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 Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth's website.

If you would like to request an ADA or religious accommodation, please click on the link and complete the

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800- 510-4122 Ext. #2

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional, administrative or managerial experience in business administration, business management or public administration the major duties of which involved program management, program administration, program coordination, program planning and/or program analysis, and (B) of which at least one year must have been in a supervisory capacity, or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A Bachelor's degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience.*

II. A Graduate degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of three years of the required (A) experience.*

III. A Bachelor's or higher degree with a major other than in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience.*

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.

NOTE: No substitutions will be permitted for the required (B) experience.

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?

Executive Order #595: As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption.

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