Description:

The Environmental Public Health Division Director (EPHDD) is a senior leader responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the Environmental Public Health Division (EPH Division) at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB). The EPHDD ensures that the EPH Division works in service to the 43 federally recognized tribes Idaho, Oregon, and Washington by meeting Division goals in alignment with NPAIHB’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, by ensuring operational efficiency and fiscal compliance, and by fostering a positive and productive work environment. The EPHDD serves as leader and central resource for tribal environmental public health technical assistance, training, management, and quality assurance, along with leading the supervision of all NPAIHB’s EPH Division programs, projects, and services. Key responsibilities include team leadership, program development and implementation, critical communication, strategic planning, financial management, and performance oversight.

Essential Functions

Environmental Public Health Division Excellence and Success

• Ensures that NPAIHB’s Environmental Public Health programs are developed with input and direction from Northwest Tribes
• Ensures EPH Division achieves performance deliverables and objectives set forth in contracts with Tribes and funding partners and in the NPAIHB 2025-2030 Strategic Plan
• Works with Indian Health Service (IHS), federal, and state agencies to monitor and protect tribal public health systems including built and natural environments
• Oversees the EPH Division’s planning, implementation, and evaluation of a set of comprehensive tribal environmental public health programs. Programs may include a focus on safe water, solid and hazardous waste management, food protection, pool safety, healthy homes, occupational health and safety, safe childcare environments, vector control, community injury prevention, institutional health, and tribally-based traditional ecological knowledge
• Oversees the EPH Division’s delivery of direct environmental health services to 27 Northwest Tribes in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington including comprehensive surveys of all Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal facilities including schools, day care centers, gaming facilities, health facilities, and tribal businesses, etc.
• Monitors and reports on EPH Division accomplishments, workload trends and needs, and unmet needs
• Supports tribes in workforce development in a variety of areas supporting Environmental Public Health.
• Serves as a technical advisor to Northwest Tribes, as requested, on environmental health hazard identification, response, and mitigation
• Serves as Principal Investigator on research grant proposals, as applicable
• Formulates and interprets environmental health policy, data, and systems to enhance health outcomes
• Supports tribes in attainment of licensure AAAHC and JCAHO.
• Strengthens the field of tribal environmental public health in partnership with Northwest Tribes
• Establishes and maintains relationships with federal and state partners and Northwest Tribal Nations

• Serves as a Member of the NPAIHB Management Team*

  • Provides organizational leadership, problem-solving, planning, advocacy, teamwork, and critical communications to NPAIHB staff
  • Creates and maintains a culture of professional excellence, integrity, and rigor
  • Builds, in partnership with the Management Team, organizational strategies and policies to make efficient use of all human and financial resources, integrate programs services, and uphold the fiduciary responsibility of NPAIHB
  • Provides updates to the Executive Director and/or Board of Directors and its Committees as requested by the Executive Director or the Director of Programs and Development
  • Represents the NPAIHB and its Environmental Public Health Division at tribal, state, and national meetings, conferences, events, and workgroups
  • Assists with special projects as assigned by the Executive Director or designee.
  • *Upon completion of Probationary period (see "Qualifications")

   

   

  Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Supervises nine Environmental Public Health Division staff
  • Leads Division-level quality improvement initiatives to strengthen programs and services, maximize performance, and meet the needs and priorities of Member Tribes and NPAIHB Delegates/Board of Directors.
  • Promotes collaboration and learning between all NPAIHB Division projects, partners, and funding agencies to meet grant and organizational goals and objectives
  • Evaluates staff performance and ensures that individual employee development plans result in an EPH Division which is equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to accomplish their jobs and meet NPAIHB’s strategic goals
  • Ensures that EPH Division staff comply with organizational policies and applicable laws, rules, regulations, and standards
  • Provides direction, consultation, and support to EPH Division staff regarding issues related to the implementation of programs, policies, and procedures, priorities, and/or personnel concerns
  • Receives, resolves, and reports to Director of Programs and Development any concerns or complaints related to EPH Division services or staff
  • Ensures quality assurance and quality control over the collection, tracking, and analysis of Tribal data
  • Upholds the principles of Tribal Data Sovereignty
  • Ensures human subjects protections and Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance meets or exceeds standards for clinical-based research, surveillance, and evaluation
  • Promotes manuscript publication among NPAIHB staff and in collaboration with Northwest Tribes
  • Works in collaboration Director of Programs and Development and Human Resources on staff hiring and staff disciplinary procedures, as needed.

   

   

  Administrative and Reporting Functions

  • Oversees all EPH Division budgets
  • Oversees the EPH Division’s preparation and submission of all grant, project or activity reports and/or updates
  • Drafts and/or reviews project-related external contracts

Skills/Eligibility:

Qualifications

Education

Minimum education required:

• PhD (or other Doctoral degree) in Environmental Public Health, public health, or related field
• Master’s degree in environmental public health, public health, or related field AND 15 years or more of experience
• Professional licensure/credentialing as Registered Environmental Health Specialist and/or Registered Sanitarian by a state or national licensing board

Additional education preferred:

• Certification in Infection Control (CIC)

Experience

Minimum experience required:

• Ten (10) or more years of experience with executive and project management
• At least five (5) years of experience as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and/or Registered Sanitarian
• At least five (5) years of professional experience working with Tribes, Tribal Organizations, or the Indian Health system
• Working knowledge of the laws, rules, and regulations relating to environmental public health at local, state and federal level, including legislative processes

Additional experience preferred:

• Direct experience working with Northwest Tribes
• Experience in the planning, organization, implementation, and follow-up of public health-related coalitions
• Experience with disaster and/or emergency management
• Experience with ServSafe Training