Program Specialist IV

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Harlingen, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

DSHS is committed to hiring skilled and dedicated individuals who share a passion for public health to pursue our vision of A Healthy Texas. If you are looking to make an impact and tackle new challenges, we encourage you to consider a career with us.

Employee Benefits:
DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). To learn more about all the benefits available to you as a DSHS employee and other DSHS opportunities for early career pathways, visit the DSHS Careers Page.
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Under the direct supervision of the Community Health Improvement Manager, manages the implementation of Title V and Community Health Improvement (CHI) projects in Region 11, focusing on maternal, infant, and child health outcomes. Oversee the full project life cycle—including strategic planning, budget management, and performance evaluation—to meet state and national measures. Drives stakeholder engagement with community partners and elected officials while supporting staff productivity and training. Uses data-driven analysis to improve program effectiveness and ensures strict adherence to regulatory guidelines through comprehensive reporting.

Requirements

• Knowledge of public administration and management techniques.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis processes.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing in English and Spanish.
• Ability to analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems.
• Ability to market programs.
• Ability to establish goals and objectives and prepare reports.
• Ability to facilitate meetings and projects and work effectively with teams.
• Ability to analyze issues, draw appropriate conclusions, and initiate necessary actions to solve problems.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups.
• Ability streamline and prioritize multiple projects to meet strict deadline while ensuring high-quality output.
• Knowledge of: Knowledge of budget processes and inventory, research techniques; training and marketing techniques, program management processes and techniques.
• Skill in: Skilled in managing projects, prioritizing and program evaluations, coordinating activities, in the use of computers, and in critical thinking, using the Internet, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Qualtrics and Word, and preparing/editing high level written reports and correspondence.
• Ability to: Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing in English and Spanish, analyze facts; to devise solutions to problems, market programs, establish goals and objectives and prepare reports, facilitate meetings and projects and work effectively with teams, analyze issues, draw appropriate conclusions, and initiate necessary actions to solve problems, work effectively with diverse groups and streamline and prioritize multiple projects to meet strict deadlines while ensuring high-quality output.
• Must possess a valid Class C Texas driver’s license, or equivalent license from another state.
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social services, public health, or a related field, experience and education may be substituted for one another.

Nice To Haves

• National certification as a Child Passenger Safety Technician through Safe Kids worldwide is preferred; Certification shall be achieved as a technician within 12 months of hire.
• National certification as a Child Passenger Safety Technician Proxy through Safe Kids worldwide is preferred; certification shall be achieved as a proxy within 24-48 months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Directs the implementation of Title V Population Services and Community Health Improvement projects, ensuring alignment with national and state MCH safety goals.
• Develops, monitors, and manages project work plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables to ensure financial accountability and adherence to budget guidelines.
• Analyzes program impact using metrics such as Quartics, pre/post-tests, and participant data to refine initiatives and meet Title V performance measures.
• Identifies areas needing improvement, makes recommendations, and participates in regional strategic planning as requested by Central Office or Executive Leadership.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute all CHI events, ensuring they meet organizational goals, timelines, and staff needs.
• Maintain a centralized master calendar, organizing and scheduling all upcoming CHI events and meetings.
• Collaborate with administration to coordinate logistics, ensuring all staff requirements and resources are met for events and inventory is up to date.
• Leads community outreach and partnerships focused on maternal health, mental health, and nutrition with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assures stakeholder engagement of CHI projects related to maternal and child health and safety, childhood obesity, mental health, suicide prevention, nutrition, and adolescent health, by communicating with program participants, community partners, and internal stakeholders for example, county stakeholders, elected officials, and community.
• Assesses program impact and makes recommendations for adjustments to keep community engagement, create buy-in, and form new partnerships.
• Manages partnerships with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including officials and community members, to ensure program adoption, build buy-in, and assess impact for continuous improvement.
• Assist in the development of survey tools, collect survey data, and maintain up-to-date resource guides and stakeholder listings for accurate program outreach and information dissemination.
• Prepares complex reports and action plans for Executive Leadership regarding program progress and regional initiatives.
• Collects, organizes, and prepares materials in response to requests for CHI program information, reports, and implementation of services.
• Collects and evaluates pre and post-tests during project presentations for example Becoming a Mom presentations, to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Analyze the application of variations within CHI programs to develop action plans for improving or initiating new programs.
• Prepares regular reports on program progress and key metrics to the manager.
• Monitor and document event progress, creating detailed monthly reports and post-event evaluations to analyze success and identify areas for improvement.
• Responsible for submitting timely program reports to document activities related to the Title V work plan and any other reports.
• Is the Lead for the DSHS Safe riders distribution program, coordinating car seat distribution, submitting Safe Riders Reports, Title V car seat Qualtrics reports and keeping inventory of car seats.
• Direct staff productivity and quality by providing targeted training on best practices and updated procedures to ensure 100% regulatory compliance.
• Conduct thorough local public health system assessments to ensure strict adherence to state mandates, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Use Qualtrics reporting and work plans to monitor team output, recommending and implementing data-driven changes to optimize program implementation.
• Develop and distribute educational materials aimed at increasing awareness of infant health, safe sleep practices, and injury prevention (e.g., drowning prevention).
• Performs related work as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned including special regional initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation which may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.
• Safe operation of either a state-owned vehicle or personal vehicle is required to conduct state business, and an acceptable driving record must be maintained in accordance with DSHS Policy OS-3901, Fleet Operations and Management & Procedures, and standards developed by the TDPS.

Benefits

• DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees