National Director, Program Development, Health Science
About The Position
The American Heart Association is hiring a National Director, Program Development, in Health Science. This full-time, benefits-eligible position is grant-funded, with current funding scheduled to expire on July 31, 2029, and the possibility of extension. The National Director supports the development, execution, and implementation of mission-aligned projects funded by corporate sources. The role leads teams implementing funded initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and accountability for deliverables, timelines, budgets, outcomes, and dissemination strategy. It provides strategic guidance and management to program consultants, managers, and project coordinators responsible for daily implementation activities, and owns or advises on strategy for multiple initiatives in the Healthcare Quality Solutions & Development portfolio. Working with the Senior Director, corporate relations, and the grant writing manager, the National Director contributes to concept development and proposal planning, translating mission-aligned priorities into actionable programs. The role also develops and maintains internal and external partner relationships to support successful implementation. The Association describes its work culture as focused on work-life harmonization and offers training and development resources, including Heart U.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Business Nonprofit Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- At least 3 years of experience in healthcare programs or project management.
- At least 3 years of direct people leadership experience.
- Experience in healthcare or a public health-related organization with clinical, quality improvement, program development, or systems improvement responsibilities.
- Ability to lead teams and manage complex, multi-site initiatives.
- Experience with quality improvement frameworks and outcome reporting.
- Strong communication and relationship leadership skills.
- Experience with grant proposal development and program design.
- Experience delivering presentations to funders and national audiences.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently with minimal direction.
- Ability to work in a team environment and collaborate with American Heart Association staff, volunteers, and the public at all levels.
- Comprehensive Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Ability to travel up to 25%, including local travel and overnight stays.
Nice To Haves
- Clinical knowledge of heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
Responsibilities
- Lead implementation of funded initiatives, including project planning, stakeholder recruitment, execution, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Lead program consultants, program managers, and project coordinators to support coordination, performance, milestones, and deliverables.
- Collaborate with the Senior Director and grant writing manager on proposal development, including program design, logic models, timelines, staffing plans, and budgets.
- Provide strategic guidance on project expenditures and track budget spending; supervise budgets and contracts.
- Apply quality improvement frameworks to drive measurable improvements across participating sites and projects.
- Coordinate communication among internal departments, external partners, and funders through updates, strategic meetings, and dissemination of results.
- Ensure timely reporting of outcomes, challenges, and key findings.
- Guide dissemination efforts with marketing, including presentations, abstract submissions, toolkits, webinars, and podcasts.
- Ensure project staff have the tools and resources needed to implement assigned programs; provide training and coaching on best practices and implementation strategies.
- Develop and maintain internal and external partner relationships to support successful project implementation.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
- Retirement program with employer match and automatic contribution.
- Employee assistance program, employee wellness program, telemedicine, and medical consultation.
- Professional development resources, including Employee Resource Groups, a professional mentoring program, and Heart U.
- Paid time off of at least 16 days per year for new employees, increasing with seniority.
- 12 paid holidays each year, including several days off at the end of the year.
- Tuition assistance for education related to current duties, responsibilities, or potential future positions.
- Performance and recognition through annual salary planning and incentive programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
