Director of Strategy and Innovation

Overview

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) Recovery Services Bureau (RSB) offers comprehensive programming and resources aimed at reducing harms associated with substance use, including treatment services, recovery supports, and youth prevention. RSB operates across the continuum of care, spanning outreach and engagement, drug user health, naloxone distribution, residential treatment, referral services, and more. RSB employs over 150 personnel across more than 10 programs.

Within RSB, the Strategic Partnerships Division manages activities interfacing with the public and external partners, such as communications, intergovernmental relations, community affairs, and policy development. The Division also oversees a portfolio of programs and initiatives reaching into the community, serving acute populations and extending upstream and outward to youth, families, and neighborhoods. Projects include the Boston Opioid Settlements Project, Overdose Data to Action, Nubian Square Task Force, multiple dayspaces and engagement teams, Cope Code Club prevention campaign, community technical assistance, harm reduction housing/low-threshold shelter oversight, and more.

The Division funds and manages multiple contracts with community providers and actively seeks grant and funding opportunities and initiatives in response to changing needs, evidence-based approaches, and policies. More broadly, the Division establishes and maintains partnerships to support RSB activities and coordinate across governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors.

The Director of Strategic Partnerships is a senior level role within RSB, responsible for leading and managing the Strategic Partnerships Division. The position will facilitate coordination across RSB services and with internal and external partners to address substance use and related issues, including unsheltered homelessness. They will shape and advance policies rooted in racial equity, reflecting scientific evidence and needs identified in Boston.

We are looking for a dynamic, strategic leader to oversee the Division, forge partnerships within BPHC and other City departments, and ensure programs are delivered with ongoing community input and data-driven approaches. The ideal candidate will be a creative, collaborative, and versatile leader. This role will work closely with BPHC senior leaders and collaborate with the City’s Coordinated Response Team on addressing unsheltered homelessness and substance use in the City.

It will also involve collaboration with other BPHC Bureaus and Offices to develop new initiatives to address substance use disorder and homelessness, including the Homeless Services Bureau, Boston Emergency Medical Services, Center for Public Health Science and Innovation, Office of Racial Equity and Community Engagement, Center for Behavioral Health & Wellness, and more. The Director of Strategic Partnerships will regularly represent BPHC in public settings or external meetings with the broader substance use prevention, treatment and harm reduction provider network across the City and State as we plan, pursue funding opportunities, and coordinate with partners.

DUTIES:

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Lead the Division's team, developing identity and activities in response to evolving science, local needs, challenges, and opportunities
• Manage the Division, overseeing and supporting project management by direct reports
• Serve as a member of the senior RSB leadership team and represent the Bureau as needed
• Provide supervision, professional development, coaching, performance reviews for direct reports, address personnel needs, approve timesheets, and provide HR support
• Promote a workplace culture that fosters staff wellness, reflective processes, and trauma-informed support for staff
• Work confidentially with the Recovery Services Bureau Director and BPHC Executive Office to address policy, program operations, and personnel matters
• Regularly seek and apply for funding opportunities to expand the Division's capacity

Strategic Partnerships and Coordination

• Build and maintain strong community partnerships with City, State, Federal, private, and non-profit…