Principal - Population Health

Health Management Associates

About The Position

The Principal is responsible for providing expertise and advice to help organizations improve their business performance in terms of operations, profitability, management, structure, and strategy; develops and maintains client relationships; and is responsible for achieving firm expectations for effective client services (i.e., project direction, project management, and work product quality). The Principal also mentors junior staff, contributes to HMA’s strategic objectives, meets internal administrative expectations, accepts accountability, and contributes to HMA’s culture. Practice‑Specific Responsibilities Serve as a senior leader responsible for national business development and market strategy. Focus on social determinants of health and systems impacting historically underserved populations. Translate policy, financing, delivery‑system, and community‑infrastructure dynamics into executable growth opportunities. Cultivate and drive national strategy and strategic partnerships across human services, housing, healthcare, and public‑sector eco systems. Develop and advance partnerships that improve outcomes at scale and strengthen the organization’s market position. Inform organizational direction and expand reach through strategic insights, market intelligence, and relationship building. Operate as a seasoned strategist and relationship builder with demonstrated success shaping markets, influencing decision makers, and positioning organizations for long‑term impact. Preferred or Required Expertise and Knowledge 15+ years of experience across population health, public health, human services, healthcare delivery, managed care, housing/homelessness, or related sectors. Exceptional national network spanning: Human services Public health Healthcare payers and providers Government agencies Philanthropy Community‑based organizations Broad strategic orientation rather than a narrow technical or academic focus. Proven ability to: Shape market opportunities Influence senior decision makers Build and sustain high‑impact partnerships Strong relationship builder with a track record of advancing cross-sector, multi-system solutions. Performance Emphasis Business Development & Growth Expansion of the client base and strategic partnerships. Business development outcomes tied to new contracts, engagements, and long‑term revenue growth. Leadership & Collaboration Effective collaboration and integration across service lines. Demonstrated leadership, innovation, and ability to elevate organizational visibility and influence. Execution & Initiative Delivery of high‑quality project work independently and in team‑based environments. Initiative to develop new ideas, offerings, and strategic opportunities. Flexibility and creativity in applying expertise across diverse subject areas and client needs.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of progressively increasing prior leadership or management experience in work involving publicly funded healthcare including, but not limited to policy, administration, operations, compliance, research, consulting, and/or evaluation.
Strong project management skills.
Solid time management skills.
Excellent internal and excellent professional networking skills.
Excellent attention to detail.
Excellent critical thinking skills.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
Superior interpersonal skills, including leadership, contribution to culture, and acceptance of accountability
Ability to multi-task and adhere to strict deadlines.
Capable of handling confidential information in a discrete manner.
Ability to work extended hours when deadlines are approaching.
Demonstrated thought leadership and deep expertise in more than one critical healthcare area.
Maintains approach to stay current in trends in areas of subject matter expertise.
Identifies resource gaps and escalates needs appropriately. Optimizes team resources to support delivery and budget adherence. Anticipates long-term resource needs and aligns allocation with business growth.
Tracks team progress and follows through on key deliverables. Holds team accountable for achieving defined goals and quality standards. Leads teams to exceed performance expectations through continuous improvement and accountability
Translates strategic direction into clear team objectives. Aligns functional initiatives with organizational strategy and ensures timely execution. Drives strategic priorities through cross-functional leadership and accountability

Nice To Haves

15+ years of experience across population health, public health, human services, healthcare delivery, managed care, housing/homelessness, or related sectors.
Exceptional national network spanning:
Human services
Public health
Healthcare payers and providers
Government agencies
Philanthropy
Community‑based organizations
Broad strategic orientation rather than a narrow technical or academic focus.
Proven ability to:
Shape market opportunities
Influence senior decision makers
Build and sustain high‑impact partnerships
Strong relationship builder with a track record of advancing cross-sector, multi-system solutions.
Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in health policy, business management, public health, or a related discipline is required. Equivalent work experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, although not desired, may be determined as acceptable. A Master’s degree in a related discipline is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Performs business development activities to expand funded work from existing clients or new clients.
Develops and maintains a pipeline of future work that demonstrates a likelihood of achieving business development requirements in future periods.
Both lead and participate in proposal development and submission.
Meets with client to understand requirements.
Gathers and organizes information about the issue to be solved or the procedure to be improved.
Analyzes data to identify and understand issues to be addressed.
Presents findings to clients.
Provides advice, implementation plans, and/or suggestions for improvement according to project objectives.
Evaluates the client’s needs as warranted and adjusts as appropriate.
Ensures that all deliverables are high quality.
Serves as subject matter expert on projects.
Undertakes internal and external short-term or long-term projects to address identified issues and needs.
Develop and document tools, analysis, frameworks, tracking tools, road maps, dashboards, and other approaches to manage a variety of large and small projects
Leads and manages teams, provides feedback and development, and advances internal initiatives.
Serves as a mentor for other staff members, as requested.
Ensures performance meets or exceeds HMA expectations in the following areas:
Business development
Billable hour target attainment
Manages to budget/project caps established at the outset or assists in negotiating additional fees
Meets quality and operational standards
Completes and submits timesheets, expense reports, revenue forecasts, and other internal reports when due
Participates in and completes all HMA training and development requirements in a timely manner
Participates in internal activities related to business strategies, forecasts, adoption of new technologies/platforms/approaches, and other process improvements.
All other duties as assigned.