Chief Health Officer

Rhia Ventures is a women-led social investment organization that seeks to create a vibrant, equitable market for women’s sexual, reproductive, and maternal health. In the US, women of color are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women and are more likely to experience unintended pregnancy. A growing market, built for equity from the start, is needed to reduce these inequalities and achieve Rhia’s vision: equitable maternal and reproductive health outcomes for all women and youth in the US.

Following the recent addition of Erika Seth Davies as CEO, Rhia Ventures is entering an exciting time in the organization’s evolution. Rhia Ventures is looking for a Chief Health Officer (CHO) with deep expertise in reproductive health, maternal health, health care delivery systems, and translate the needs of the women most affected by systemic inequity into programming that fosters equitable reproductive health products and services. The CHO will be a maternal and reproductive health systems leader who will provide strategic direction to Rhia Ventures’ programming and serve as the organization’s reproductive and maternal health expert.

Rhia Ventures fosters market development through four complementary areas of work: direct investment through its for-profit investment fund; programs to support early stage companies in commercializing and scaling innovations for health equity; programs to change corporate and social narratives around maternal and reproductive healthcare, to drive demand for innovations that redress systemic inequity; and market and systems-level analysis, to identify the greatest opportunities to enhance racial equity in the reproductive and maternal health market. Rhia recognizes that its success will require participation from diverse stakeholders. As such, it is increasing its efforts to engage new investors, reproductive and racial justice activists, and maternal and reproductive health actors—with an emphasis on people and organizations that are deeply versed in the challenges facing women and birthing people of color.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER

Program Leadership

In partnership with the Rhia board and its dynamic new CEO, the CHO will translate the organization’s strategic vision into programmatic priorities, including designing and refining Rhia’s Health Accelerator program and technical assistance centered on creating an equitable market for maternal and reproductive health. The CHO will ensure that Rhia’s work balances clinical rigor, a systems-level perspective, and a focus on equity.

Partnership with CEO

As the lead healthcare expert at Rhia, the CHO will be a technical advisor to the CEO, ensuring that external messaging (speaking engagements, presentations, thought pieces) are medically grounded, accessible to all audiences, and speak to the health systems barriers women are forced to navigate. The CHO will partner with the CEO to further develop and refine the organization’s strategy and build programming that leverages capital in the reproductive health market. The CHO will support the CEO in fundraising outreach and provide technical leadership as funding opportunities arise.

Operations and Team Building

The CHO will oversee a small but highly effective program team. S/He/They will promote an environment that encourages collaboration, inspires innovation, and stimulates learning. The CHO will build systems that support current programming but are agile enough to flex as the current organization grows. S/He/They will understand how to leverage Rhia’s internal strengths and balance its growth edges. The CHO will develop, mentor, and support a growing team of staff and consultants (external collaborators) and maintain a climate that attracts and retains a diverse staff who are mission driven. The CHO will coordinate efforts with the CEO and Operations Manager to support racial equity trainings and learning agenda and implement strategies to advance equity in Rhia’s policies and practices.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Strong candidates will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Passion for and commitment to quality reproductive and maternal health.
• A strong clinical and public health experience. Deep understanding of the reproductive healthcare system and barriers to access and delivery.
• Deep understanding of broader healthcare delivery, insurance, policy, and individual payer systems.
• An organizational builder and entrepreneur with leadership experience, ideally in the private sector.
• Capacity to thrive in a startup environment.
• Success translating mission to strategy and action steps and measuring progress against ambitious goals.
• Experience leading a small team toward a set of objectives to drive momentum.
• Orientation toward development and mentoring of staff with experience coaching and supporting professional growth.
• Deep strategic acumen and ability to think at a systems level.
• Lived experiences and perspectives that connect to Rhia’s mission; meaningful connection and ability to reflect the experiences, backgrounds, and cultures of those impacted by poverty and injustice and bring that understanding to the work.

For the full position description and to apply, please visit: https://npag.com/additional-searches/rhia-cho

TO APPLY

More information about Rhia Ventures may be found at: rhiaventures.org

This search is being led by Allison Kupfer Poteet and Catherine Seneviratne of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s website.

Rhia Ventures is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other status protected law. Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color, and LGBTQ+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.