Director, Behavioral Health Programs & Partnerships

SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Chief Impact Officer, the Director, Behavioral Health Programs & Partnerships serves as the single accountable owner of ETR's Behavioral Health portfolio and provides strategic, programmatic, operational, and relationship leadership across behavioral health and wellness initiatives, including tobacco/nicotine prevention, mental health, nutrition, and physical activity with an emphasis on oversight of ETR prevention programs supported by the California Department of Public Health, such as the Tobacco Prevention Program, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Native Health and Wellness, and Black Infant Health.

This role is responsible for shaping the vision, positioning, growth, sustainability, and impact of ETR's behavioral health while ensuring effective leadership, staffing, oversight, and performance across multiple content areas, programs, partnerships, grants, contracts, and large, complex multi-year initiatives. This Director serves as the primary leader responsible for integrating portfolio priorities, supporting successful program execution, maintaining key stakeholder relationships, and advancing organizational objectives.

This role represents ETR's highest implementation and integration leadership position for Behavioral Health Services and serves as the primary bridge between organizational strategy and successful portfolio growth and execution, sitting directly below the Leadership Team, which retains responsibility for organization-wide vision, strategy, and governance.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES Essential Functions

• Provide strategic leadership, oversight, and integration of the portfolio across program areas, establishing priorities, goals for growth and expansion, and performance expectations that align with ETR's mission, strategic plan, and organizational objectives.
• Direct the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of complex programs, projects, and initiatives to ensure quality, efficiency, compliance, and achievement of desired outcomes.
• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate managers and staff while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Develop and manage budgets, allocate resources effectively, monitor financial performance, and ensure responsible stewardship of organizational assets.
• Partner with leaders across departments to advance organizational priorities, strengthen alignment, and maximize organizational impact.
• Cultivate, manage, and strengthen strategic relationships with funders, clients, community partners, government agencies, Tribal organizations, and other stakeholders to support portfolio performance, organizational goals, and long-term impact.
• Contribute to business development activities, including identifying opportunities, supporting proposal development, cultivating partnerships, securing resources, and advancing portfolio sustainability and growth.
• Establish and monitor performance measures, evaluate outcomes, analyze data, and implement improvements that strengthen effectiveness, quality, accountability, and impact.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, funding, accreditation, and organizational requirements while proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating operational risks.
• Serve as a senior organizational leader, contributing to strategic planning, succession planning, change initiatives, decision-making, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvement efforts across ETR.
• Provide organizational leadership to support the development of ETR's training infrastructure, driving coordinated growth and strengthening of training services.

Additional Functions

• Serve as a strategic advisor and subject matter resource on behavioral health, wellness, prevention, and related public health initiatives.
• Act as an in-person representative of ETR on advisory groups, coalitions, conferences, professional associations, community partnerships, and other external engagements that support organizational priorities.
• Support the onboarding, development, and mentorship of staff, managers, project leaders, and emerging leaders within assigned portfolio areas.
• Lead or participate in special projects, organizational initiatives, pilot efforts, and continuous improvement activities that advance ETR's mission and strategic objectives.
• Contribute to thought leadership, dissemination, presentations, publications, and other activities that promote awareness, visibility, and impact of ETR's work.
• Maintain awareness of emerging trends, research, funding opportunities, policy developments, and best practices relevant to assigned portfolio areas.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of organizational priorities and business needs.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Lives, upholds, and models the values, organizational norms, and mission of ETR, including a strong commitment to community, belonging, and cultural responsiveness.
• Maintains accountability for the overall performance, effectiveness, quality, and impact of assigned Behavioral Health Services portfolio areas.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of assigned budgets, grants, contracts, partnerships, and organizational resources.
• Builds and maintains productive, collaborative, and trust-based relationships with staff, leadership, clients, funders, partners, Tribal organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Supports employee engagement, professional development, coaching, mentorship, succession planning, and leadership growth within assigned areas of responsibility.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, funding requirements, organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and applicable standards.
• Maintains high standards of professionalism, accountability, responsiveness, and quality in all aspects of work.
• Protect confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information in accordance with organizational policies and legal requirements.
• Supports the visibility, reputation, sustainability, and long-term success of ETR through effective leadership, sound judgment, and organizational stewardship.

AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE:

Behavioral health and wellness; public health and prevention; program and portfolio leadership; stakeholder and partnership management; grant and contract-funded initiatives; organizational leadership; strategic planning; business development; and cross-functional collaboration.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• TBD

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Location

• Must reside in California with a preference for Northern CA.

Education

• Master's degree in behavioral health, public health, health education, organizational leadership, education, social sciences, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of advanced education and relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience overseeing complex programs, projects, portfolios, teams, and organizational initiatives, including experience with strategic planning, execution, policy development, and operational oversight.
• Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and mentoring staff at multiple organizational levels, while assessing staffing needs, allocating resources effectively, and aligning talent with programmatic and organizational priorities.
• Strong experience managing Federal and State grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or research projects, including proposal development, budgeting, compliance, stakeholder engagement, and successful execution.
• Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and sustain productive relationships with clients, funders, community partners, government agencies, Tribal organizations, and other key stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of behavioral health, prevention, public health, wellness, or related content areas applicable to ETR's work.

Technical Skills

• Demonstrated ability to analyze information, solve complex problems, exercise sound judgment, and lead through change, ambiguity, and competing priorities.
• Exceptional written, verbal, facilitation, presentation, interpersonal, and relationship-management skills.
• Strong organizational, strategic thinking, decision-making, and project management capabilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and standard business collaboration tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with Native and Tribal communities and supporting culturally responsive partnerships is highly desirable.
• Existing relationships with CDPH staff and leadership will be highly valued.

REASONING ABILITY: The reasoning ability demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to analyze complex information, evaluate alternatives, and exercise sound judgment in situations involving multiple priorities, stakeholders, and competing interests. Ability to identify problems, assess risks and opportunities, develop practical solutions, and make informed decisions that support organizational objectives. Ability to interpret information presented in written, oral, financial, contractual, policy, technical, spreadsheet, and diagrammatic formats. Ability to think strategically, communicate effectively, and lead through ambiguity, change, and evolving organizational priorities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to communicate effectively; operate a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment; and remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time.

The employee frequently participates in virtual meetings, presentations, training activities, and collaborative discussions with internal and external stakeholders.

The employee may occasionally move throughout office, conference, training, community, or client locations and may occasionally lift, carry, or transport materials weighing up to 25 pounds in support of meetings, conferences, training activities, or other organizational events.

Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills of personnel classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the agency.