Senior Program Officer Jobs in Nebraska (NOW HIRING)

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) serves as the senior executive responsible for the
strategy, performance, compliance, financial stewardship, and development of East Central
District Health Department’s public health programs and services. Reporting to the Chief
Executive Officer and serving as a member of the executive leadership team, the CPHO translates
community health needs, statutory responsibilities, grant requirements, and organizational
priorities into measurable public health action.

The CPHO leads East Central’s public health workforce, oversees departmental and grant
performance, advances Public Health Accreditation Board standards, supports emergency
preparedness and response, and maintains strong relationships with counties, state agencies,
funders, healthcare providers, and community partners.

The CPHO also collaborates with Good Neighbor Community Health Center, East Central’s co-applicant
health center partner, to coordinate public health and clinical strategies where the
organizations’ missions intersect, while maintaining appropriate governance, financial, grant,
regulatory, and operational distinctions between the entities.

• Executive Leadership and Strategy
  
  
  
  • Serve as a member of the executive leadership team and participate in organizational strategy, budgeting, workforce planning, risk management, resource allocation, and operational decision-making.
  
  
  • Translate East Central’s strategic plan, Community Health Improvement Plans, statutory responsibilities, and grant commitments into measurable departmental priorities and accountable work plans.
  
  
  • Advise the CEO and governing boards on public health trends, community risks, program performance, funding changes, and strategic opportunities.
  
  
  
  


• Public Health Programs and Statutory Responsibilities
  
  
  
  • Provide executive oversight of East Central’s public health programs and ensure compliance with applicable statutory duties, grant conditions, contracts, reporting requirements, and program standards.
  
  
  • Evaluate and guide the development, implementation, improvement, expansion,
    transition, or closure of programs based on community need, performance,
    funding, and organizational capacity.
  
  
  • Ensure public health programs operate as a coordinated system and provide
    accessible, respectful, culturally responsive, and health-literate services.
  
  
  
  


• Supervisory
  
  
  
  • Directly supervise assigned directors, coordinators, managers, and other personnel
    in accordance with the approved organizational chart.
  
  
  • Provide leadership and accountability for the successful performance of all Public Health Division programs and staff, including teams and functions supervised
    through direct-report managers and supervisors.
  
  
  • As directed, provide functional leadership to cross-organizational workgroups
    without directly supervising every participating employee.
  
  
  
  


• East Central and Good Neighbor Collaboration
  
  
  
  • Identify and lead opportunities to align East Central public health programs with
    Good Neighbor services when coordination improves community health, access,
    outcomes, or organizational effectiveness.
  
  
  • Work with East Central / Good Neighbor leadership to develop coordinated
    strategies, referral pathways, outreach, education, and follow-up processes for
    shared community health priorities.
  
  
  • Ensure collaborative activities maintain appropriate governance, funding,
    compliance, and operational distinctions between East Central and Good
    Neighbor.
  
  
  
  


• Financial and Grant Stewardship
  
  
  
  • Develop and oversee departmental operating and grant budgets in collaboration
    with the CEO, finance leadership, and program leaders.
  
  
  • Monitor financial performance, grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, and
    funding requirements, and ensure timely corrective action when material variances
    or risks are identified.
  
  
  • Lead the evaluation and oversight of funding opportunities to ensure alignment
    with community needs, organizational priorities, operational capacity, and longterm
    sustainability.
  
  
  
  


• Performance, Quality, and Accreditation
  
  
  
  • Lead East Central’s Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation and
    reaccreditation efforts and maintain organizational readiness for applicable
    standards.
  
  
  • Establish meaningful departmental goals, scorecards, and performance measures
    that assess program outcomes, financial performance, preparedness, workforce
    stability, partnerships, and community impact.
  
  
  • Use performance data to identify risks, inequities, operational barriers, and
    opportunities for improvement, and report material findings to the CEO, boards,
    funders, and other stakeholders.
  
  
  • Ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate, accessible, and health-literate
    services, including completion of the biannual CLAS report.
  
  
  
  


• Workforce Leadership
  
  
  
  • Recruit, supervise, coach, evaluate, and develop assigned leaders and employees in
    partnership with Human Resources and consistent with organizational policy.
  
  
  • Build an accountable public health leadership structure with clear roles, decision making authority, communication expectations, and performance standards.
  
  
  • Align staffing structures and workforce capacity with program needs, funding,
    workload, statutory responsibilities, and community demand.
  
  
  
  


• Emergency Preparedness and Response
  
  
  
  • Provide executive oversight of public health emergency preparedness, response,
    recovery, and continuity-of-operations activities.
  
  
  • Ensure emergency preparedness requirements, exercises, training, corrective
    actions, and grant deliverables are completed and documented.
  
  
  • Integrate relevant safety, infection prevention, facility readiness, supply
    preparedness, and environment-of-care findings into emergency planning and
    improvement efforts.
  
  
  • Community, County, and Government Relations
  
  
  • Maintain productive relationships with county boards, elected officials, state
    agencies, healthcare organizations, schools, businesses, nonprofits, coalitions, and
    other community partners.
  
  
  • Prepare and present county-specific reports at least twice annually, or more
    frequently as requested, addressing community needs, public health activities,
    outcomes, financial stewardship, resource needs, and emerging risks.
  
  
  • Lead or participate in community health assessments, improvement planning,
    MAPP or successor processes, and other collaborative efforts that advance district
    priorities.
  
  
  
  


• Compliance, Risk, and Organizational Accountability
  
  
  
  • Ensure programs under the CPHO’s authority comply with applicable laws,
    regulations, grant conditions, accreditation standards, contracts, policies,
    professional requirements, and internal controls.
  
  
  • Identify, report, and respond to significant compliance concerns, control
    weaknesses, safety issues, and other material risks.
  
  
  • Lead corrective actions within the public health division and support audits,
    monitoring visits, accreditation reviews, and investigations.
  
  
  
  


• Communications and Public Representation
  
  
  
  • Serve as an authorized public health subject-matter spokesperson when designated
    by the CEO.
  
  
  • Coordinate public information, risk communication, health education, and joint
    messaging with the CEO, communications personnel, and Good Neighbor
    leadership when appropriate.
  
  
  • Ensure public communications are accurate, timely, understandable, culturally
    responsive, and consistent with organizational policy.
  
  
  
  


• Other Responsibilities
  
  
  
  • Attend board, community, department, state, training, and professional
    development meetings as required.
  
  
  • Perform all other duties as assigned.
  
  
  
  

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health or related field required.

Master’s Degree in Public Health or related field preferred.

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in public health, healthcare, government, nonprofit, or community-based programming.


• Three or more years of formal leadership responsibility involving personnel, budgets, grants, or complex programs.


• Executive judgment and the ability to make sound decisions involving competing priorities, incomplete information, public accountability, and organizational risk.


• Commitment to the philosophy and mission of ECDHD


• Ability to lead through influence, build trust, resolve conflict, and maintain accountability across departments and organizations.


• Ability to organize complex work, meet deadlines, maintain documentation, and follow through on commitments.


• Demonstrated experience with grant administration, performance management, community partnerships, regulatory compliance, and financial oversight.


• Demonstrated ability to interpret data and translate findings into operational decisions and measurable action.


• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.


• Ability to work well with individuals of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.


• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet organizational requirements for operating a personal or organization-owned vehicle.

• Experience in a local, district, or state health department.


• Experience with PHAB accreditation, emergency preparedness, governmental relations, community health assessments, and federally or state-funded programs.


• Experience coordinating public health and healthcare delivery systems.


• Bilingual English and Spanish capability.


• Thorough knowledge of the 10 Essential Services of Public Health.

This position primarily performs administrative and leadership work in an office, community, and
public-health setting. The employee must be able to communicate effectively, use standard office
technology, review written and electronic information, travel within the service area, and participate
in meetings and emergency-response activities. The position may occasionally require moving
materials or supplies weighing up to 35 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to
enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.