Program Specialist Jobs in Connecticut (NOW HIRING)

The CDC Foundation is seeking a Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to support the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). One position will report to the Deputy Director of Projects, and the other to the Deputy Director of Operations within the Division of Rural Health Transformation in the DSS Commissioner's Office.

Each Program Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will support either Department-led RHTP projects or sister-agency-led RHTP projects. Responsibilities include conducting data collection, analysis, and reporting to ensure projects are evidence-based and aligned with RHTP goals. In addition, the Specialists will serve as liaisons to the broader evaluation team, coordinating communication and contributing to cross-project evaluation activities.

This position is currently a hybrid position. This role may require statewide travel.

• Master degree in Public Health (MPH), Program Evaluation, Health Informatics, Public Policy, Social Work, or a related field.
• 4–6 years of direct experience with designing, managing, and executing program evaluations, quality improvement initiatives, evaluation strategies, and/or applied research projects.
• Knowledge of program/project monitoring, evaluation frameworks, mixed-methods research design, survey development, and community-engaged or health equity frameworks.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Hands-on experience building interactive performance dashboards and visual reports using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or advanced Excel (including pivot tables and macros).
• Certified in Project Management (PMP) credential.
• Prior experience managing evaluation metrics and reporting compliance for large federal (e.g., CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA) or state-funded grant initiatives.
• Experience in multi-site evaluations or community-based research.
• Experience querying large enterprise health systems, administrative databases, or electronic health record (EHR) systems.

• Develop and implement evaluation plans, logic models, and performance frameworks.
• Lead project/program monitoring efforts.
• Support the development of quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments, surveys, and evaluation protocols to measure program outputs, health/social outcomes, and long-term impacts.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess program performance.
• Prepare briefings and evaluation reports for leadership.
• Lead quality improvement discussions to support data-driven decisions.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary project managers, clinical advisors, community health partners, and federal/state grant officers to ensure data collection methods respect participant context and meet stakeholder reporting standards.
• Ensure adherence with data governance standards, privacy requirements, and grant-funded evaluation deliverables.

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and the Connecticut Department of Social Services in order to best support the state of Connecticut in their public health programming.

This position is currently a hybrid position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.

The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment. Relocation expenses are not included.