Director, Office of Equity & Community Partnerships

Full Job Description

Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) is seeking a visionary and experienced Director for the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships (OECP) to provide executive leadership in advancing health equity, racial justice, and authentic community engagement across the department and throughout King County.

Reporting to the Department Director or their designee, this position serves as a senior member of the Department’s executive leadership team and is responsible for setting strategic direction, leading systems change, and building sustainable partnerships that address structural inequities and improve health outcomes for communities disproportionately impacted by health disparities.

The Director leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of equity-centered policies, programs, and partnerships and ensures that community voice, lived experience, and shared decision-making are embedded in public health practice.

Learn more about OECP here.

Public Health – Seattle & King County ("PHSKC", "Public Health", or "the department") is the Public Health Department for King County, Washington which includes 39 cities, including the City of Seattle, and unincorporated areas. Public Health is one of the largest metropolitan health departments in the United States with over 1,600 employees. With a biennial budget of nearly $1 billion, the department serves approximately 2.3 million people of King County who reside in urban, rural, shoreline, foothill, and mountain communities with distinct environments and unique public health needs. Weoperate primary care, dental, sexual and reproductive health, parent child health, and other health care-related services throughout King County across 40 sites and mobile clinics. King County is an international port of entry, welcoming nearly 40 million visitors annually. Over 100 languages are spoken by King County residents.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice
Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx.

Work Schedule
The typical work week is Monday through Friday, 8:00am–5:00 pm, 40 hours per week. This position is designated as exempt under the regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which means it is not overtime-eligible.
Work Location
Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, this position is currently considered hybrid and will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days per week beginning February 2, 2026.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Requirements

Strategic Leadership and Equity Integration

• Provide executive leadership to advance health equity, racial justice, and anti-racist practice across Public Health – Seattle & King County.
• Develop and implement department-wide equity strategies aligned with county priorities, community needs, and best practices in public health.
• Lead systems change initiatives that address structural racism and social determinants of health.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to department executive leadership, and governing bodies on equity and community partnership matters.

Community Partnerships and Engagement

• Build, strengthen, and sustain authentic, long-term partnerships with community-based organizations, tribes, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders.
• Promote power-sharing and community-driven decision-making in public health planning and implementation.
• Represent PHSKC in high-level community forums, coalitions, and cross-sector initiatives.
• Ensure community engagement practices are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and inclusive.

Policy, Systems, and Cross-Sector Collaboration

• Lead and influence public health policy development through an equity lens, including collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.
• Advance Health in All Policies and cross-sector approaches involving housing, education, transportation, behavioral health, environmental justice, and other systems.
• Support community-centered emergency preparedness and response efforts.

Management and Operations

• Provide executive-level leadership for staff, including hiring, mentoring, performance management, and succession planning.
• Oversee budgets, grants, contracts, and funding strategies that support equity and community partnership work.
• Ensure compliance with funding requirements and accountability standards.
• Develop metrics and evaluation frameworks to measure equity outcomes and community impact.

Communication and Public Accountability

• Communicate complex equity and public health issues clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, including community members, elected officials, boards, funders, and the media.
• Promote transparency, accountability, and trust between Public Health – Seattle & King County and the communities it serves.
• Support data equity practices, including the ethical use of disaggregated data and community-informed evaluation.

Qualifications

Minimum of ten years’ senior leadership experience in public health, health equity, community health, and/or social services with demonstrated responsibility for strategy, policy, and system change.

Master's degree or higher in Public Health (MPH), Public Administration (MPA), Social Work (MSW), Health Policy, Communications, Sociology, or a closely related field.

Or any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to successfully perform all job duties associated with this role.

Proven track record of building and sustaining authentic partnerships with community-based organizations (CBO’s), tribes, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups, and historically marginalized communities.

Demonstrated commitment to equity, racial justice, and community power-building.

Experience designing, leading, and evaluating equity-centered initiatives that address social determinants of health and structural inequities.

Leadership experience managing cross-sector collaborations (e.g., housing, education, behavioral health, criminal legal system, environmental justice)

Oversight of large-scale programs and budgets, including public funding, grants, and contracts.

Experience working in or with government agencies, including navigating political environments and public accountability.

Demonstrated success leading organizational change efforts focused on equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Experience engaging elected officials, boards, funders, and executive leadership.

Highly competitive candidates will possess one or more of the following qualifications:

• Lived experience and/or long-standing professional engagement with communities disproportionately impacted by health inequities.

• Advanced training or certification in health equity, racial justice, community-based participatory approaches, trauma-informed systems, or systems change.

• Experience with federal, state, and local public health funding streams (e.g., CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA).

• Fluency in languages commonly spoken in King County communities.

Additional Information

To ApplyIf you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives, life experience, and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Application Process

The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NEOGOV Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in your application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

ContactIf you have questions or would like more information about the application process, please contact Susan Eddy, Director of People Operations at susan.eddy@kingcounty.gov or via phone at 206-477-6003.

Union Membership This position is not represented. Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions as well as one or more interviews depending upon the competitiveness of the applicant pool. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.
• For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring. For tips on interviewing, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and-development/Interview_Tips.ashx?la=en.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Public Health – Seattle & King County relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health – Seattle & King County positions.

When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description.

This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.

• If you need a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement.