Health Director, Orange County

Developmental Associates • Hillsborough, NC

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Orange County, North Carolina is seeking a visionary, decisive, and empathetic leader to serve as its next Health Director. This executive leadership role offers a dynamic opportunity to guide a progressive public health department through an evolving healthcare landscape, serving a diverse community with an emphasis on health for all, data-informed innovation, and collaborative service delivery. The department is dedicated to promoting and protecting health, enhancing quality of life, and preserving a safe and healthy environment for everyone in Orange County. The annual department budget is $14.1 Million, with a multi-disciplinary workforce of 100 permanent employees, 7 temporary staff, and 7 direct reports, including a Deputy Director. The position is in-person in the Hillsborough/Chapel Hill, NC region and reports to an 11-member Board of Health while working closely with the County Leadership and the Board of County Commissioners. Orange County is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, between Research Triangle Park and the Triad, offering a blend of historical heritage and a progressive spirit. It is home to over 150,000 residents and features four municipalities: Hillsborough, Chapel Hill (home to UNC), Carrboro, and parts of Mebane. The Triangle region is known for its universities and research organizations. Orange County combines an energetic urban vibe with scenic farmland, driven by education, healthcare, and strong local business and agricultural sectors. UNC-Chapel Hill is a central institution, with top-tier schools in health and medicine. The county is strategically positioned along the Eastern Seaboard, with easy access to major metropolitan areas and transportation routes.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in public health or public administration with an emphasis on public health is highly preferred. Any combination of closely related or equivalent education and experience will be considered.
• Requires a minimum of three (3) years of manager-level experience as a Director or Division Director overseeing public health programming and multi-million-dollar budgets.
• Extensive knowledge of North Carolina public health law and regulatory frameworks preferred.
• Strong command of quantitative skills.
• Program evaluation.
• Public health data analysis capabilities.
• Proven personnel management skills.
• Emergency response leadership experience.

Nice To Haves

• Five (5) years of public health administration experience within a similarly sized or larger urban/rural mixed jurisdiction is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide compassionate, visible servant leadership to establish trust, enhance morale, foster cross-functional collaboration and relationship building following recent organizational shifts.
• Navigate an evolving funding environment by making data-informed decisions regarding clinical, environmental, and preventive health programming, optimizing payor mixes, and securing competitive grant opportunities.
• Recruit, retain, and develop key leadership roles, including filling the newly created Deputy Health Director position to establish a resilient, high-performing executive team.
• Stand firm on core public health values and state and federal regulations, while navigating complex, high-level relationships across the University of North Carolina Health system, corporate partners, county departments, and community members.
• Advance the 2025–2027 Strategic Plan by addressing health disparities, access to care, behavioral health needs, and supporting the strategic implementation of key initiatives like the Family Success Alliance and the new Crisis Diversion Facility.
• Respond to public health emergencies 24/7.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and life insurance
• Bi-annual leave accrual, sick leave, and 11 paid holidays
• Participation in the N.C. Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System and supplemental retirement plans
• Tuition reimbursement
• Longevity pay

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director