Manager, Capacity Building Assistance

Health Resources in Action (HRiA) is a non-profit, public health consulting organization with a mission to help people live healthier lives and create healthy communities through prevention, health promotion, policy, and research.  With an emphasis on community engagement and commitment to racial and healthy equity, HRiA has earned a national reputation as a leader in the fields of public health and social change. We work with diverse clients who share our vision of healthier communities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state and local health departments, hospitals, and private/corporate philanthropic entities.     Since its founding in 1957, HRiA has been at the forefront of public health, leading the way to promote healthier and more vibrant communities. Our work recognizes how structural racism and social and economic factors impact health outcomes. Our health equity framework centers racial equity and guides our work with communities, partners, and clients as well as our internal policies and processes. HRiA is also a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes with over 40 affiliates across the US.       HRiA’s core services comprise three clusters: (1) capacity building assistance, (2) grantmaking for biomedical research and community health initiatives, and (3) research and evaluation, including community health improvement services. HRiA’s capacity building assistance (CBA) services include training, technical assistance, technical support, and communications.   Opportunity   We are seeking a  full-time Manager to work in HRiA’s Policy and Practice Department. At present, the Manager will be joining the MA COVID-19 Community Grants Program Team. This is an exciting opportunity to help build the capacity of community- and faith-based and organizations in MA to improve public health and advance health and racial equity. Over time, the Manager will have the potential to contribute to a range of public health project at HRiA.

• COVID-19 Community Grants Program. In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), HRiA is providing grant funding and capacity building assistance to community- and faith-based organizations serving Black, Latinx, and other people of color in Massachusetts cities hardest hit by COVID-19. Funded grantees are providing education, training, and messaging in their communities about vaccines and strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including physical distancing, mask wearing, and other harm-reduction practices. HRiA is supporting grantees efforts through training, communication support, and other technical assistance to enhance organizational and community capacity.

We are seeking an individual with experience working in and with community-based organizations, developing and providing capacity building assistance, and with expertise in community engagement, health communications, behavioral health, and/or training.

The Manager will work collaboratively with a cross-disciplinary team to develop and deliver coordinated, comprehensive capacity building services and technical assistance to community- and faith-based organizations, and/or to leverage other community resources to meet identified needs. The Manager will be the designated liaison for a cohort of organizations and will work closely with them to identify and address capacity needs, and ensure their programs, interventions, and messages are effective, tailored and appropriate for the communities they serve, and in alignment with state and federal guidance and best practices. The Manager will also support grant management, evaluation, training and other administrative activities, and leverage other staff expertise as needed. The Manager will report to a Director within HRiA’s Policy and Practice Department.

This is an exempt, full-time position with a salary range in the low-to-mid $60k’s, based on skills and experience.  Ideally, the Manager will work, at least part of the time, out of our Boston office after in reopens later in 2021. It is important to note that all Boston-based HRiA employees will have the option to work a hybrid model.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Management

• Engage regularly staff and leaders of community-and faith-based or public health organizations, the Department of Public Health/funders and/or other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively, efficiently, and appropriately with team members and team leads, and the HRiA supervisor.
• Supervise, mentor, and support the professional development of junior staff, as appropriate and as needed.
• Coordinate and participate in team meetings, in collaboration with project leads.

 

Project Work

• Serve as a trusted liaison to a cohort of community-based, faith-based, or other public health and health care organizations to assess needs and opportunities for capacity building support.
• Develop workplans and/or capacity building plans in collaboration with organizational leads to guide activities and ensure progress.
• Work with team, other staff, consultants, and subcontractors to develop, lead, and/or support training and other group-level technical assistance.
• Meet and communicate regularly with organizational leads and provide individualized consultation and support.
• Solicit organizational and community-level input, feedback, and challenges to share with the team and funders (as appropriate) to guide ongoing and future program implementation.
• Gather qualitative and quantitative data from organizations to monitor progress and facilitate program evaluation.
• Monitor funding expenditures for grantees to ensure effective and efficient utilization of resources.
• Contribute technical skills and/or content expertise to other related HRiA projects and the organization, as appropriate or needed.

 

Thought Leadership

• Maintain and advance skills in project management, supervision, training and facilitation, health communication, health and racial equity, and related content areas.
• Contribute to blogs, website content, and other communications efforts to share and promote organizational approaches, expertise, and learning.
• Present at conferences and events with senior staff, as appropriate.
• Suggest ideas/improvements in project and/or organizational processes and systems through participation in teams and committees.

 

New Business Development

• Assist with proposal writing and other new business development activities, such as helping develop scopes of work and budgets for contract extensions or preparing content for proposal for rebids or other new opportunities.

 

Typical work hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with occasional exceptions to accommodate the needs of the team, funders, or partner organizations. This description is intended to indicate the kinds of work duties that will be required in this position. It is not intended to limit, or in any way modify, the rights of any supervisor to assign, direct, and contract work of staff under his/her supervision. The use of a particular illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties, not mentioned, that are of a similar level or difficulty.

 

Candidate Qualifications:

•  Bachelor’s degree and at least three years of professional experience working with community- or faith-based organizations or other public health or health care organizations. (In absence of Bachelor’s degree, five or more years of similar professional experience.)
• Fluency in a language other than English (e.g., Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or Mandarin, among others) strongly preferred. • Demonstrated experience in community engagement, health communications and/or behavioral health.
• Commitment to and understanding of health and racial equity and strong understanding of the root causes of inequities and how racism is a public health crisis                                                                                                                                 
• Ability to encourage, inspire, and mobilize others toward collective and strategic actions.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and providing capacity building  services, including but not limited to training, education, communications, and/or technical assistance and consultation.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, and ability to juggle multiple tasks at once.
• Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills, including communicating by video conference, phone, and/or in person (when needed) and ability to adjust style and messaging depending on the audience and medium.
• Ability to work with people across a diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives.
• Ability to work as part of a team, but also to work independently and take personal initiative to complete tasks.
• Keen attention to detail and a strong commitment to high-quality products, customer/client service, and team interactions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams).
• Proficiency in or capability of learning new software (e.g., Zoom, Google Suite –Slides, Docs, etc.).
• Ability to work virtually with a strong and stable internet connection during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Flexibility and a sense of humor
• Massachusetts residency strongly preferred, given the focus on local community organizations

 

How to Apply:

HRiA is actively seeking to build a diverse and experienced staff. The organization encourages multiple perspectives and experiences, supports a multicultural environment, and strives to hire and retain a diverse work force that reflects the populations we work with and the communities where we work. Diversity is a core value of HRiA resulting in culturally competent services, materials, resources, and programs. Our hiring and business practices appreciate the strengths offered through different backgrounds.

HRiA is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

HRiA offers an attractive benefits package including medical, dental and life insurance, retirement plan, tax-deferred annuity, and generous vacation at four weeks.