Data Modernization Director

City of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

This leadership position will be responsible for assessment, management, and improvement of PDPH’s systems and processes for data acquisition, data storage, and data governance. The Director ensures that the use of public health informatics supports population health assessments and improvements, including the use of data/information to monitor strategic objectives.

Requirements

Experience with data integration, governance, interoperability, and visualization.
Experience in information technology, including database management, database administration, data system design, and data warehouse development and use.
Proficiency in software applications and OS platforms, including analytic and programmatic applications (R, SAS, ArcGIS), SQL Server, SFTP, VPN, and Windows Server.
Proficiency with AWS security services including IAM, GuardDuty, Security Hub, Config, CloudTrail, and AWS Well-Architected Framework for comprehensive risk management and continuous monitoring capabilities
Experience with Terraform for Infrastructure as Code deployments and security-compliant infrastructure automation, with expertise in cloud security governance encompassing data encryption and network security
Familiarity with interoperability standards, including HL7, FHIR, and others.
Knowledge of public health data formats and coding standards.
Experience managing sensitive health data, including HIPAA-covered applications.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated experience supervising staff and managing team performance.
Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication capabilities.
Exceptional problem-solving skills.
A master’s degree in computer science, data science, informatics or a related field.
At least four years of experience in applied public health or social science practice or research.
OR
Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Department of Public Health with a Bachelor’s degree as an educational minimum.

Responsibilities

Create and maintain systems that efficiently gather, store, integrate, and manage public health data.
Assess and recommend improvements in data acquisition maturity and governance to advance modernization efforts, including developing and implementing improvement plans.
Assess information technology infrastructure to identify and recommend strategic improvements in collaboration with PDPH's IT division.
Researches and recommends new technologies, approaches, and training resources to improve data integration, quality, timeliness, and accessibility. Develop a maintain a multi-year data modernization roadmap aligned with public health priorities and organizational goals.
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of data modernization initiatives.
Coordinate with PDPH’s Information Technology division to support requirements definition, solution identification, acquisition, change management, and implementation.
Integrate data workflows and strengthen system interoperability across data systems.
Develop and oversee data access policies, including privacy policies, that are in accordance with relevant regulations, policies, and standards.
Mentor and build informatics capacity among data application specialists, data systems managers, and other key stakeholders.
Work closely with the Chief Epidemiologist, informaticians and analysts to create dashboards and other visualizations to report on public health outcomes and performance metrics.
Support development, maintenance, and auditing of data pipelines to ensure complete reporting. Coordinate regular audits of databases, data warehouses and data systems to verify data integrity, accuracy, and compliance
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to identify and address data needs. Manage a team of 3-5 direct reports
Provides input and guidance on budgets, work plans and grant progress reports as required.
Develop and update data inventories with appropriate descriptive information about the datasets, including metadata, data dictionaries, and usage documentation
Create and maintain data flow diagrams, system architecture visualizations, and data lineage maps to document how data moves through organizational systems
Participate in other Department projects and initiatives as requested/needed.

Benefits

City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program.
Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Generous retirement savings options are available
As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships.
Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!