Rooted in Health (RIH) Workforce Specialist

Position Title:

Rooted in Health (RIH) Workforce Specialist
Salary: $80,000 - $90,000, depending on experience (plus benefits)
Position End Date: 6/30/2028

Location:

Kentucky Department for Public Health (hybrid)

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission.

Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $740 million. The CDC Foundation managed over 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year.

The CDC Foundation is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Rooted in Health (RIH) Workforce Specialist to support the Kentucky Department for Public Health in the RIH initiative. The RIH Workforce Specialist will oversee dental workforce development and training investments as part of an oral health initiative focused on expanding workforce capacity and access to care in rural communities. RIH is one of the five new initiatives launching under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a statewide effort to strengthen rural health access and outcomes.

This role will help translate RHTP’s broader vision into effective, on the ground implementation for RIH’s oral health focus.

The RIH Workforce Specialist is a member of the A3 Transformation Team (Aspire → Activate → Attain), which functions as RHTP’s central “nerve center” for disciplined execution across all five initiatives. The current work environment is primarily hybrid (2-3 days a week in office). This role may require statewide travel.

$80,000 - $90,000 a year

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, dental hygiene, health informatics, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in healthcare workforce operations, oral health program management, or program oversight
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, multi-stakeholder initiatives, including facilitating alignment across non-profit partners and dental providers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, presentations, and stakeholder communications
• Strong data management and reporting skills, including compiling performance metrics and supporting compliance requirements

• Advanced degree in public health, health administration, health informatics, or related field
• Familiarity with dental workforce roles (DH, DA, EDDA)
• Experience with clinical training or continuing education programs
• Knowledge of rural health workforce challenges
• Familiarity with Kentucky’s public health ecosystem and rural community needs

Workforce Program Oversight

• Oversee all RIH-funded workforce development initiatives, including dental hygiene (DH), dental assistant (DA), and Expanded Duties Dental Assistant (EDDA) training programs
• Ensure alignment with goals to expand workforce capacity and delivery of definitive care
• Monitor progress for RIH milestones, deliverables, and program commitments

Subrecipient Management & Liaison Function

• Serve as the primary point contact for training providers and workforce partners
• Act as a liaison for high-level questions, challenges, and escalations
• Ensure alignment and consistency across multiple workforce programs
• Support adherence to training commitments and timelines

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Track workforce metrics including enrollment, completion, certification, and placement
• Monitor participation and outcomes of dental extraction training for rural dentists
• Evaluate impact on broader workforce capacity and rural access to care
• Ensure compliance with program reporting requirements

Program Coordination & Improvement

• Align workforce efforts with broader RIH initiatives (mobile dentistry, teledental, PHDH)
• Identify gaps in…