State Dental Director

State of North Carolina•Durham, NC

13d•$147,932 - $295,863•Hybrid

About The Position

The Dental Director provides professional administrative and consultative leadership for organizing, implementing, coordinating, and directing a statewide dental public health program. This position oversees all dental services within the program and is responsible for developing, administering, and maintaining comprehensive oral health initiatives that support prevention, education, and clinical functions. The role monitors program effectiveness to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, develops and manages the dental program budget, and leads studies that assess progress toward established goals. The Dental Director supervises and trains professional and non‑professional staff and collaborates with internal and external partners to advance evidence‑based dental public health practices statewide. Work is performed under general supervision of agency leadership and supports mission‑driven oral health improvements for populations across North Carolina.

Requirements

Licensed to practice dentistry in the state of North Carolina
Five years in the practice of dentistry, at least one of which must include experience in administration and supervision.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated leadership of public health or clinical teams, including directing multidisciplinary staff toward statewide or multi‑county program objectives.
Expert-level experience planning, implementing, and evaluating population-level oral health or public health initiatives, with a record of leading statewide or multi‑jurisdictional programs.
Proven success managing grants or funded projects, including serving as principal investigator or leading all phases of grant development, implementation, and reporting.
Documented collaboration with diverse partner groups—such as academic institutions and community organizations—resulting in effective, coordinated public health initiatives.
Applied expertise in policy development and quality improvement processes within dental or public health environments, demonstrating measurable impact on program performance.

Responsibilities

Develop and administer a comprehensive statewide dental health program aligned with public health goals and statutory requirements.
Coordinate, direct, and evaluate all dental services to ensure effective program operations and service delivery.
Monitor the effectiveness of dental policies and procedures to ensure cost‑effectiveness and compliance with federal and state regulations.
Lead the development, oversight, and management of the program budget, including resource planning and financial accountability.
Initiate and oversee studies and assessments to determine progress toward program goals and to inform data‑driven improvements.
Recruit, supervise, and train professional and non‑professional dental staff to ensure high‑quality service delivery and operational efficiency.
Guide a multidisciplinary team in implementing statewide dental public health initiatives, including community‑based prevention efforts.
Serve as a statewide dental public health expert and liaison, collaborating with providers, universities, community partners, and other agencies.
Lead policy development, public health research, and grant‑related activities to support oral health program innovation and sustainability.
Coordinate and support activities that expand access to preventive and clinical dental services for children, adults, and vulnerable populations across North Carolina.