PHID Director

Job Description:
Performs highly advanced (senior-level) managerial work providing direction and guidance in strategic operations and planning. This position serves in a leadership capacity as a public health informatics and data analytics subject matter expert and provides high-level advice, counsel, and training to all DSHS divisions. Evaluates current data systems and prioritizes recommendations to facilitate integration of datasets. Ensures data information systems users’ needs are accounted for during technology development and improvement. Ensures that data collection and analysis activities throughout DSHS are coordinated and responsive to public health program’s and policymakers’ needs. Effectively works in a complex environment with national, state, and local professionals in public health, epidemiology, evaluation, and information technology. Leads agency-wide workgroups. Manages the work of others. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Essential Job Functions:
(45%): Leads DSHS’s public health informatics and data exchange program-specific electronic laboratory reports, electronic case reporting, and data exchange for epidemiology and surveillance activities; strengthens the state public health laboratory reporting systems through partnerships between DSHS and local health departments; and expands policies and procedures throughout the DSHS for statistics and health information technology transfers. Provides leadership and guidance to agency leadership on strategies necessary to communicate and maximize the agency’s position on electronic data exchange and interoperability across programs. Provides leadership in the formulation and communication of DSHS 's public health informatics and data exchange. Represents the agency with other departments, and national health officials. Oversees recruitment and staffing, employee development, staff assignments, and communications. Sets annual long-range work plans and schedules for the work; determines goals and objectives that need additional emphasis; determines long-range staffing needs; and interacts closely with high level program officials in the development of overall goals and objectives for the office. Provides leadership and direction to staff responsible for coordinating multi-year planning activities.

(35%) Sets shared vision and goals for, and leads implementation of, an agency strategy/roadmap (goals and objectives) for informatics and public health data exchange across DSHS programs. Lead an agency-wide informatics/data strategy team. Works with DSHS IT liaisons, data stewards, state epidemiologist, and other areas participating in data exchange to understand current and future information needs. Works directly with HHSC/IT leaders to align IT strategic planning with future DSHS business capability needs and expectations. Develop organizational capacity to evaluate and improve data quality and integrity. Oversees informatics activities, including development of use cases, user stories, business cases, visualization, and workflow analysis. Convenes external stakeholders to understand their needs. Works with enterprise agencies to understand the state's data ecosystem. Makes connections across datasets and data systems to comprehensively view of public health issues.

(15%) Provides strategic assistance to DSHS to assure that data information systems, National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) ecosystem, support DSHS and statewide public health programs. Collaborate with IT liaisons and data stewards to evaluate current data systems to support data sharing, integration, and collaboration. Facilitate collaboration across divisions to ensure diverse data system and users’ needs are understood to inform system development and improvement. Collaborate with the HHSC/IT Governance staff as needed.

(5%) Other duties as assigned may include actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or COOP activation. Such participation may include an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.
Knowledge Skills Abilities:
Knowledge of health, healthcare and public health data, programs and practice
Knowledge of strategic planning, and project management
Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations relevant to department programs
Knowledge of principles and methods related to research, reporting requirements, analytics, data management and data governance
Knowledge of information technology systems for data collection, management, analysis and reporting
Knowledge of principles of leadership and how to lead diverse teams

Skill in clear and concise written and oral communication, including strong ability to make executive level presentations
Strong skills in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders
Skill in identifying problems, evaluating alternatives, and negotiating and implementing cost effective solutions
Skill in managing multiple and competing priorities
Skill in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects
Skill in establishing plans and setting objectives and goals that support informatics, data governance, information technology, and business strategy

Ability to build and maintain successful working relationships with staff at all levels of DSHS and other agencies, providers, and diverse customers
Ability to apply best practices and methods to continually improve data governance policy and procedures
Ability to gather, assemble, correlate and analyze facts to identify problems, and develop workable solutions
Ability to analyze complex information and exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions or recommendations
Ability to plan, assign and supervise the work of others
Ability to direct and organize informatics and data governance activities and business functions

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