Senior Program Manager for Substance Misuse Technical Assistance Specialist

About WestEd

As a community of over 1,400 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact - asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.

Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Read more about WestEd's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Come and join us!

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION-Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience. The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.

Content Area or Department Brief Description:

The Justice & Prevention content area conducts research and evaluation and provides technical assistance and training to address a wide range of needs in areas such as community safety, violence prevention, juvenile and adult criminal justice, school safety, substance misuse prevention, and other public health and prevention and related areas. This team also operates the Justice and Prevention Research Center (jprc.wested.org).

Core Focus Areas:

This position is an opportunity to be part of a team committed to making positive contributions to practice and policy. The following are some of the responsibilities associated with this position:

• Help to build new work in substance misuse prevention, treatment, and harm reduction technical assistance by leading and contributing to federal government and other proposals. The Senior Justice Program Manager for Substance Misuse Technical Assistance Specialist will also lead efforts to build and cultivate partnerships with strategic persons in government agencies at all levels, non-profit organizations, research firms, universities, and other entities to support business development (partnership on proposals, etc.).
• Organize and facilitate internal and external partner meetings to coordinate information sharing and input in support of substance misuse prevention, treatment, and harm reduction projects.
• Consult evidence-based substance misuse prevention, treatment, and harm reduction resources and experts in the field to effectively address the complexities of implementing evidence-based strategies or programs.
• Develop resources to support the implementation of substance misuse prevention, treatment, and harm reduction strategies or programs, such as communication content, policies, procedure manuals, training materials, short informational videos, etc.
• Provide ongoing coaching and technical assistance to implementation partners.
• Assists on other technical assistance projects as they emerge. This includes engaging with clients, compiling data for project reports, and other dissemination activities.
• Actively contribute to the dissemination of work through presentations via webinars or conferences, publications in outlets as diverse as peer-reviewed journals and blog articles, and other mechanisms.
• Actively contribute to a healthy culture and climate within the Justice & Prevention Area and the larger WestEd community.

Position Overview:

The Justice and Prevention Area at WestEd is seeking a Senior Program Manager for its Drug Misuse Program to lead the development of new work and provide Technical Assistance aimed at creating systems change in relation to drug misuse and overdose prevention. This includes providing comprehensive support to state and local governments, organizations, communities, and stakeholders to address the complex factors contributing to drug misuse and promote effective prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. The successful candidate will join the Justice and Prevention Area, a growing team that spans community safety, juvenile justice, adult criminal justice, community violence prevention and intervention, and crime prevention.

A significant part of the responsibilities will be to assist WestEd in growing state and national training and technical assistance (TTA) services that focus on comprehensively implementing a systems thinking approach to addressing substance misuse-prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, relapse prevention, harm reduction, and policy. In addition to supporting high-profile TTA projects, this is an exciting opportunity for an innovative, out of the box thinking individual interested in shaping future work by leading and collaborating on proposals to a variety of funding agencies, conducting outreach to potential clients in the justice sector at the local, state, and federal level, and identifying gaps in the field that the team can work to fill.

We have a caring, committed, and passionate group of individuals who are committed to equity and want to make a difference in improving the lives of individuals. We do this through conducting rigorous studies, conducting training, providing technical assistance, authoring publications, and holding webinars and special events. We work hard, but we put family and health first, take care of our teammates, and have each other's backs.

What We're Looking For:

• A Master's Degree or higher in public health, criminal justice, or social science field (e.g., sociology, public policy).
• 7-10 years of experience in substance misuse prevention, treatment, and harm reduction technical assistance projects, including significant interaction with clients and recipients of services.
• Extensive knowledge of the substance misuse prevention, treatment, harm reduction field, and the technical assistance needs at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Proven record of accomplishment leading proposals and winning competitive contracts/grants from various funding organizations (e.g., federal, state, and local government; foundations).
• Direct experience in drug misuse prevention, treatment, harm reduction policies, strategies, and programs at the local/state level is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, CMS, and DOJ preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex contracts and budgets.
• Well-established positive reputation in the field of substance misuse, evidenced by frequent invitations to participate in panels, workgroups, and committees by state or national organizations.
• Experience increasing the visibility and dissemination of work through creative communication strategies and/or marketing.
• Must be authorized to work in the US (visa sponsorship is not available).
• Ability to travel.

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires. Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level 13, is $139,200 to $208,800, but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $139,200 to $174,000. The actual offer takes into account multiple factors, including but not limited to education, experience, internal equity, and other organizational needs.

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

* 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment

* Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts

* All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date

* PTO: 3 weeks' vacation (increases to 4 weeks beginning the 4th year of employment), paid holidays, and 12 days paid sick leave per year

* Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary

* Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

* Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more details about our benefits, go to: https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/benefits/

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resource groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few. We hope you'll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! WestEd is a Drug Free Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. #LI-Remote