Director, Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice

Job Locations

US-AR-Bentonville

Director, Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice
Position Description

Summary

The program director will lead Heartland Forward's Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice, supporting Heartland Forward's broader Health & Wellness impact area.

The director will report to the president & COO and will work closely with the center's founder - Cara Osborne, senior fellow and the Heartland Forward team to establish the agenda for innovative approaches to maternal health, leading Heartland Forward's Center, aligning with Heartland Forward's 3-year strategy and beyond.

This position will play an integral role in helping turn our research into action by increasing brand awareness, creating new partnerships, positioning Heartland Forward as a leader and a resource to help strengthen Heartland communities. The director will assist Heartland Forward and its leadership team to engage the Heartland Health Caucus members, thought leaders, investors, education institutions and our broader heartland network at the state, local and national level.

The director must be extremely effective in developing, communicating and pitching a strategy to create opportunities for Heartland Forward to be a resource for communities on effective programs and practices consistent with our research and our overall mission/vision.

Responsibilities
- Design a strategy that develops and promotes maternal and child whole health.
- Develop long-term solutions that align with Heartland Forward's strategy and impact area teams.
- Develop, clearly communicate and execute on KPIs/metrics for the Center.
- Responsible for working with development and the Heartland Forward leadership team to provide board materials and effectively communicate to founding funders and beyond the impact of the center.
- Research and execute best practices on ways to transform maternal and child whole health - working to be a resource for states and communities.
- Establish partnerships to meet your individual goals and objectives and to grow the Heartland Forward brand.
- In coordination with Heartland Forward's communication, program and research teams - develop and manage presentations, one-pagers/white papers, collateral and written/digital communication to support focus area.
- Identify speaking engagements for Heartland Forward and its leadership that align with the Center's goals.
- Build and maintain relationships with philanthropy, community leaders and key stakeholders at a local, state, regional and national level.
- Ensure cohesive coordination/collaboration between programs, research, impact area workstreams, content of the Heartland Summit, board of directors, advisory council and Heartland Forward's broader network.
- Effectively communicate with leadership and Heartland team by providing ongoing updates and relevant content to ensure full alignment among the Heartland Forward team. Deliver presentations that incorporate findings of research team in conjunction with programmatic and policy interpretations.
Who we are looking for:

Basic qualifications required for the role:
- Bachelor's degree.
- 5-7 years of experience in policy, government affairs and/or economic development related field.
- Maternal Health, entrepreneurial and/or start-up and development policy awareness.
- Exposure to regional economic and demographic data.
- Demonstrated experience in a "think tank", corporate, academic, consulting or government setting.
- Experience in developing PowerPoint presentations and competency in working with Excel spreadsheets.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
- Must be able to translate complex economic and policy issues for internal and external audiences.
Additional preferred qualifications and helpful experience includes:
- Master's degree and/or doctoral degree in related field.
- Experience working in a small to medium sized company or a start-up environment.
- Demonstrated record of working and implementing initiatives by running a successful business, political, issue advocacy, electoral and/or legislative campaigns.
- Familiarity of maternal health issues in heartland states.
Characteristics that support success:
- Unquestionable ethics and integrity.
- Must be a self-starter who takes initiative.
- Ability to meet deadlines, prioritize assignments, and juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Effective independently and in a semi-remote environment.
- Demonstrated ability to protect privacy and maintain discretion in dealing with highly confidential information.
- Strong interpersonal skills, professional demeanor, and ability to maintain grace under pressure when adapting to a rapidly changing environment, including reprioritization or reassignment of responsibilities.
- Team-player, solution-oriented, intellectual agility and the ability to analyze and think critically.
- Remain accessible and responsive beyond business hours.
About Heartland Forward

Heartland Forward is a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank that turns ideas into action for states and local communities. Our mission is to accelerate economic growth, change the narrative about the middle of the country and generate $500 million of economic impact to the heartland by 2030. We do this through applied research, community-driven programs, policy and convenings- focusing on regional competitiveness, talent pipeline and health and wellness.

Heartland Forward is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status of protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability.