Job Description
The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) is seeking an energetic and well-organized Program Associate to join our Alliance for Health Equity team. The Program Associate will work with staff and partners to provide planning and administration support for projects led by the Center for Community Capacity Development (CCCD) with a primary focus on supporting the Alliance for Health Equity, including the work on social and structural determinants of health, mental health, and community health needs assessment. Project work may include coordinating workgroups; writing and editing reports; qualitative data analysis; supporting stakeholder-engaged assessments and work plans; training content development; meeting and event coordination; database management; grant writing; and communications initiatives. The Program Associate position is full-time exempt and reports to the Program Director for the Alliance for Health Equity. IPHI’s standard work week is 37.5 hours.
Application Instructions: please visit our website, link here, to apply. Complete applications must include a resume, cover letter, writing sample and completion of an online questionnaire. Unfortunately, incomplete applications cannot be reviewed. The cover letter should compare your qualifications, experiences and interests to the duties, responsibilities and qualifications for the position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls please.
About IPHI and the Alliance for Health Equity
The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) mobilizes stakeholders, catalyzes partnerships, and leads action to improve public health systems to maximize health, health equity, and quality of life for people and communities. IPHI has three program centers: the Center for Community Capacity Development (CCCD), the Center for Health Information Sharing and Innovation (CHISI), and the Center for Policy and Partnership Initiatives (CPPI).
The Center for Community Capacity Development provides training, consultation, and strategic planning services to public health systems partners that support activities including assessment, action planning, strategic planning, performance management, quality improvement, and implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies, policies and systems change.
The Alliance for Health Equity is a collaboration across hospitals, government, and community partners working to improve health equity, wellness, and quality of life across Cook County from the neighborhoods of Chicago to the municipalities of the suburbs. In 2015, IPHI partnered with non-profit hospitals and the Chicago and Cook County Departments of Public Health to launch this collaboration of 30+ hospitals collaborating with community partners. Since then, the Alliance has produced two collaborative community health needs assessments (CHNAs) and fostered partnerships and policy and systems change initiatives related to social and structural determinants of health and mental health and substance use disorders.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project Management and Program Development
- Coordinate and support the work of program activities such as in-person and online meetings and engagement events to accomplish project goals. This includes scheduling meetings, organizing and managing logistics, communicating with participants, coordinating presenters and facilitators, producing meeting agendas and related materials, and documenting meeting content and action steps.
- Support coordination of community health needs assessment and program planning activities with the Alliance for Health Equity team and partners from healthcare and community-based organizations.
- Support and monitor workplan activities and timelines for assigned projects, including support with meeting follow-up actions to implement program goals, strategies, and tasks.
- Maintain records and information on project-related stakeholders, participants, and other contacts through IPHI’s Salesforce system and other project-specific records.
- Develop working knowledge of relevant project grants, budgets, workplans, deliverables, reporting requirements and associated timelines. Support program manager and/or program director with grants and contracts management.
- Contribute to the development, design and execution of program deliverables such as meeting schedules, summary notes, presentations and reports.
- Support quantitative and qualitative data analysis, report writing, and data visualization.
- Research best practices, policies, and innovation in scholarly literature, practice organizations and national/state policy organizations.
- Identify and respond to partner needs, providing insights, information and solutions.
Relationship Management and Communication
- Manage relationships, communication and documentation with assigned committees and external partners, including the Alliance for Health Equity committees.
- Manage logistical communications to achieve program deliverables.
- Assist with facilitation of group discussion with community members, partners and other stakeholders.
- Participate in community/ stakeholder meetings and take notes.
- Prepare visual and narrative summaries of qualitative and quantitative data for partners and other internal/external stakeholders.
- Contribute to publications such as blog posts, case studies, and success stories. Collaborate with communications staff to develop content for newsletters, website and/or social media.
Resource Development
- Provide support to IPHI resource development activities including participating in drafting grant proposals.
Continuous Improvement and Evaluation
- Assist in updating process evaluation tracking tools and collecting program evaluation data; support distribution of online surveys
- Identify and recommend opportunities to improve execution of tasks, including but not limited to improving administrative, operational and research systems and/or improved budget management.
- Support implementation of improvement projects, as appropriate
- Monitor partner activity and achievement of milestones and outcomes.
- Work with the program staff to identify and solve problems, address barriers, and conduct quality assurance and quality improvement activities.
Compensation: $48,000 – $53,000 annual salary. IPHI offers competitive benefits that include health, dental and disability insurance; sick and vacation time; a paid parental leave benefit and a retirement plan with employer matching contributions.
Location: The position is located in Chicago. IPHI operates a hybrid office work model where staff work in the office two days per week, and individuals may work in the office or remotely the other three days per week. Ongoing COVID safety protocols are in place, including wearing of KN95 masks in common spaces/when working with others.
Travel: The position requires travel in Chicago and suburban Cook County. While business travel is currently suspended at IPHI, there may be occasional travel within Illinois and out of state for trainings and meetings.
Starting Date: Immediate.
IPHI is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and is actively seeking and encouraging applications from women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and/or people who are LGBTQ+.
The Illinois Public Health Institute is dedicated to the principles of equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other personal characteristic not relevant to the posted position.
A Note to Potential Candidates:
Studies have shown that women, BIPOC, and other people from marginalized groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all the qualifications described in the job description. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse work experiences and backgrounds. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in this position and what you hope to bring to this role.
Visit www.iphionline.org for more information about IPHI
Visit www.allhealthequity.org for more information about the Alliance for Health Equity
Qualifications
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
- A minimum of one year experience in community development, public health, social work, public administration, or a related field, and a master's degree or equivalent experience. IPHI values multiple pathways towards attaining professional experience and education. Candidates are encouraged to describe equivalent experiences in lieu of educational attainment, including demonstrated leadership successes, progressive leadership roles, content expertise and thought leadership, as well as relevant experiential learning.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, be comfortable in a fast-paced environment, and be able to adapt to change and growth.
- Strong interpersonal, writing and communication skills.
- Critical thinking, identifying and solving problems, and the ability to assess and incorporate feedback.
- Strong data analysis skills, including qualitative and quantitative data.
- Knowledge about working across sectors and in partnership with communities to address social and structural determinants of health and advance health equity.
- Knowledge about developing strategic communications across multiple platforms.
- Experience working with diverse populations in a variety of community and organizational settings.
- Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), online meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Google Docs and managing organizational contacts with CRM software is required. Experience with Salesforce, Alchemer survey, social media platforms, and/or GIS is desirable but not required.
- Existing relationships and experience working and living in communities impacted by health inequities in Chicago and/or Cook County is highly valued for this position.
IPHI is a collegial workplace whose mission is to partner to improve health more effectively. Staff must be able to work well in a team and collaboratively with external partners.
Job Requirements
- Must be able to sit at and operate a computer and other office equipment for a significant portion of the workday.
- Must be able to move about the office and at offsite events to access files, supplies, and assist with event set up.
- The position requires occasional work on evenings or weekends and must be able to travel for one or more nights from time to time.
- The position requires frequent communication with internal and external customers about program activities. Attention to detail in these communications is a key aspect of the job.
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Salary Information
Mission
IPHI mobilizes stakeholders, catalyzes partnerships and leads action to improve public health systems to maximize health, health equity and quality of life for people in communities.
Vision
Optimal physical, mental and social well-being for all people in Illinois through a high-functioning public health system comprised of active public, private and voluntary partners.
Values
- Optimal health and quality of life are basic to the attainment of human potential and a strong society, and society must therefore foster the optimal health of its members.
- Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
- Health disparities resulting from social inequities are unjust and must be corrected.
- Preventing disease and disability and promoting well-being is a more effective and efficient route to having a healthy population than treating disease and disability after it occurs.
- Broad stakeholder participation that reflects cultural competency, diversity and inclusiveness must be an integral component of efforts to improve systems.
- Public health system improvements and innovations should be based on and supported by qualitative and quantitative data, evidence-based approaches, best practices and continuous quality improvement.
- Recognizing that many people face barriers to making responsible, healthy choices, IPHI works to create the conditions where people have the ability to be actively engaged in their health.
- IPHI staff and board organize and conduct our work, implement projects and execute our mission in accordance with our values.