DEPT OF HEALTH SERVICES

Address: 150 N 18th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Salary: $64,800

Grade: 22

This position serves as the program manager for maternal and fetal health initiatives under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), advancing strategies to improve health outcomes in rural and Tribal communities across Arizona. The role is responsible for leading the implementation of evidence-based and public health interventions that strengthen maternal and fetal health systems, expand workforce capacity, and improve access to quality care.
The position drives alignment with RHTP goals and performance metrics by advancing key initiatives such as Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) bundles, obstetric simulation training, the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line (APAL), and perinatal mental health workforce development.
This role serves as a subject matter expert and strategic partner, working collaboratively with community partners to build sustainable, high-impact maternal and fetal health systems. The position leverages data, continuous quality improvement (CQI), and cross-sector partnerships to inform program direction, strengthen implementation, and drive measurable improvements in maternal and infant health outcomes.

This position is grant-funded for a five-year period.

Arizona’s Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of a financial assistance award totaling $166,988,955.92, with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor endorsement by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Responsibilities include:
• Program Leadership & Strategy Implementation - The position serves as the program manager for the implementation of statewide maternal and fetal health strategies aligned with the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and ADHS priorities. Advance evidence-based initiatives, including: AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) bundle implementation, Obstetric simulation, Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line, and perinatal mental health training. Ensure alignment with RHTP goals and performance metrics.
• Technical Assistance & Capacity Building - Provide technical assistance to healthcare systems, tribal partners, community partners, and public health entities to support implementation of evidence-based maternal and fetal health practices. Support workforce development efforts, including provider education and training in maternal and perinatal care. Facilitate knowledge sharing and dissemination of best practices across partners.
• Community Partnership Development - Build and maintain partnerships with hospitals, providers, Tribal health entities, county health departments, and community organizations. Serve as a subject matter expert and liaison for maternal and fetal health initiatives. Support coordination of multidisciplinary stakeholders, including participation in statewide maternal health task forces and advisory groups.
• Data-Informed Program Improvement - Drive data Informed Program Improvement Collaborate with epidemiology and evaluation teams to interpret maternal and fetal health data. Use data to inform program direction, identify trends, and support continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts. Contribute to performance monitoring and outcome tracking aligned with program metrics.
• Subject Matter Expertise & Representation - Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in maternal and fetal health. Represent ADHS in statewide and national discussions, meetings, and initiatives. Stay current on emerging trends, research, and best practices in maternal and fetal health.
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position.

Knowledge of:
• Barriers and challenges in rural maternal health including prevention and intervention practices that support women before, during, and after pregnancy; common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in rural settings.
• Conceptual understanding of evaluation methods and data analysis.
• Grant development and management, and report writing especially related to federal rules and regulations.
• Concepts of program planning, design and management, and budget management.
• State, county and local health systems and agencies.
• Knowledge of Performance Management (PM), and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Lean methodologies.

Skilled in:
• Collaborative partnership building and community engagement with diverse organizations in public and private sectors.
• Oral and written skills to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally;
• Creating effective, visually engaging presentations within organizational brand standards.
• Leadership skills including mentoring, teaching, decision- making, problem solving, and listening and handling emergency situations.
• Project management and effective organizational practices including time management, analytical thought process, task completion, and priority setting.
• Analytical and decision-making skills and the ability to problem solve.
• Writing grants, work plans, logic models and providing information in a clear and concise way; providing information across modalities to adapt to various audiences.
• Technical skills including data entry, word processing, typing, computer usage, including applying computer techniques to access and process new and existing information, mathematics, and accountancy.
• Use of technology for program efficiency and improvement purposes.
• Use of Google and Microsoft Suites.

Ability to:
• Work well in a team environment and independently to develop plans, set goals and carry out plans to reach identified goals whether in a remote or in-office environment.
• Communicate effectively and maintain positive working relationships with program contractors, stakeholders, internal staff, and federal project officers.
• Exercise sound judgment and make timely decisions.
• Develop and maintain relationships needed to monitor contracts, organize and maintain projects.
• Identify problems and formulate effective solutions; research appropriate sources to obtain required information; analyze and interpret program data; critical thinking required.
• Interpret and apply program policies and procedures, prioritize and organize work assignments and responsibilities to provide efficient, timely and quality outcomes within a demanding workload.
• Evaluate program performance.
• Utilize data to inform action.
• Represent the program and ADHS effectively, professionally and positively to others.
• Speak in front of a large group of people.
• Travel in and out-of-state.
• Be flexible, adapt to change, and respond effectively to competing priorities.
• Develop plans for executing projects that include and establish a sense of urgency to garner commitment from team members to complete tasks within set deadlines.

• Bachelor's degree in public health or a related field and professional experience related to health programs appropriate to the assignment. Master's degree in public health may substitute for 2 years’ experience.

• Driver’s License

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package including:
• Affordable medical and dental insurance plans
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Wellness program and plans
• Life insurance
• Short/long-term disability insurance
• Defined retirement plan
• Award winning infant at work program
• Credit union membership
• Transit subsidy
• ADHS Student Assistance Pilot Program

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

To help you build a financially secure future, the State makes monthly contributions to finance your retirement benefit. The State will contribute to the ASRS in an amount equal to your contribution. In other words, you and the State will each pay 50% of total cost of the benefit. New State employees have a 27-week wait period for contributions to begin.

The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/ Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by emailing steven.santiago@azdhs.gov. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation. DHS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All newly hired employees will be subject to E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification.