Social Research Director

State of North Carolina

2d•$84,471 - $164,720•Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as the Section Chief of the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics (SCHS), located within the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Division of Public Health (DPH). The Section Chief reports to the DPH Assistant Division Director for Data and Opportunity and serves as the policy, technical, and administrative leader of SCHS. This position oversees a team of over 150 individuals, including full-time employees, Public Health Fellows, interns, and periodic temporary staffing. The role includes direct supervision of 10 staff members comprising four section administrative personnel and six Branch Managers. In this role, the SCHS Section Chief will be responsible for the following: • Provide critical information to inform health policies, program initiatives, and evidence-based decision-making through modernized data systems. • Provides timely, accurate, and actionable information to inform health policy, program development, and resource allocation. • Assesses the health status of North Carolinians and monitors trends in health outcomes and determinants. • Evaluates the effectiveness and impact of public health programs and services aimed at improving population health, through improved data integration and governance frameworks. • Ensures the delivery of high-quality data services - including vital records, public health statistics, and public health intelligence products - to citizens, local health departments, and prevention partners, with a focus on accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, and strategic value. • Promote and support the responsible use and dissemination of health data by streamlining data request processes, fostering research collaborations, and upholding data governance standards. • Leads the strategic direction of SCHS, including execution of its strategic plan and advancement of data modernization, public health informatics, and system interoperability. • Oversee operations across SCHS branches, ensuring alignment of diverse data systems and funding sources with modernization and governance priorities. Planning, Directing, Promoting Public Health Data Systems & Programs • Lead efforts to modernize and enhance public health data systems, including evaluating and recommending statutory changes related to health data reporting in collaboration with DPH leadership and state government stakeholders. • Provide leadership within the state regarding health statistics and data analysis. • Coordinate statistical and registry activities to promote uniform health information, maximize data availability, and eliminate duplication. • Enhance the use of data in policy and program decision-making and improve timeliness and quality of health information. • Oversee all SCHS contract negotiations, Memoranda of Agreement and compliance, managing relationships and deliverables with universities, federal agencies (e.g., NCHS, CDC, SSA), state and local governments, and private partners, while ensuring timely receipt and expenditure of funds. • Provide statewide leadership on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of health statistics to inform public health policy, programs, and decision-making. • Direct statewide health surveys, including the NC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), ensuring methodological rigor and utility. • Responsible for timely and accurate release of recurring and ad hoc publications, including collaborative reports with other DPH units and special studies initiated by the State Health Director. • Guide the development of public health data projects and analytic products suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals and the SCHS Special Studies series. Health Data Stewardship, Analysis, and Dissemination • Serve as the chief statistical advisor to senior DHHS and DPH leadership on priorities for statistical systems and data-informed policy. • Promote and implement data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, security, and ethical use. • Lead modernization efforts to enhance data infrastructure, interoperability, and analytics capabilities. • Integrate informatics and data science approaches to support public health surveillance and decision-making. • Represent North Carolina on the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS), collaborating with state and federal partners to improve the national vital statistics system and maintain liaison with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). • Oversee the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP) in coordination with the State Registrar, ensuring SCHS meets all federal contract requirements. • Serve as chief statistical advisor to senior DHHS leadership, including the Assistant Secretary for Public Health, State Health Officer, and Public Health Director, guiding priorities for statistical systems and data-driven policy and program decisions. • Coordinate the issuance of vital certificates with the development of the vital statistics database to meet VSCP deliverables, including accuracy and timeliness standards set by NCHS. • Fulfill the agency’s legal obligation to support local health departments through the collection and reporting of clinical services data required for state and federal reporting. • Maintain active collaborations with universities and research agencies to promote cooperative initiatives in health statistics and data collection. • Ensure timely and accurate completion of regular and special publications such as SCHS Special Studies, publishing in professional journals and other data products. Strategic Leadership and Systems Modernization • Provide expert technical and policy consultation to state agencies on statistical functions, including data collection, quality control, research design, statistical methods, data analysis, and the use of data for public health policy and program management. • Provide executive leadership for the Business Systems and Intelligence Branch, ensuring the development and implementation of a modern, secure, and future-ready data and systems infrastructure. • Oversee modernization of legacy systems and promote adoption of technologies that enhance data interoperability, analytics, and informatics capacity. • Advance the integration of data science and informatics approaches to support public health surveillance, decision-making, and program evaluation. • Lead the execution of the SCHS Strategic Plan, aligning operational priorities with long-term goals for data modernization, workforce development, equity, and public health impact. • Foster cross-sector partnerships and secure funding to support innovation and strategic initiatives. • Ensure SCHS remains a national leader in health statistics, informatics, vital records modernization, and public health data systems. • Provide vision and leadership in the application of public health informatics to improve data collection, integration, analysis, and dissemination across SCHS programs. • Champion the use of interoperable systems and standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR, APIs) to enhance data exchange between SCHS, local health departments, and external partners. • Guide the development and implementation of informatics solutions that support real-time surveillance, predictive analytics, and decision support tools. • Collaborate with IT, data modernization, epidemiology, and program teams to align informatics strategies with public health priorities and emerging technologies. • Ensure informatics initiatives are grounded in principles of equity, privacy, and ethical data use. • Represent SCHS in national and state-level informatics workgroups and initiatives to influence policy and share best practices. • Oversee a multidisciplinary team organized into six branches, encompassing expertise in epidemiology, statistics, survey design, spatial analysis, programming, business analytics and project management, records management, tumor registration, vital records, customer service, and administrative support. • Foster collaboration across staff with diverse educational backgrounds from high school diplomas to PhDs to maintain a high level of technical and analytical capacity within SCHS, in service to DPH and other public health agencies. • Coordinate with the NC DPH Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) and local health departments in the investigation of atypical cancer incidence patterns and potential environmental exposures, providing expert support in the interpretation and dissemination of sensitive findings. Statistical Consultation • Provide technical and policy advice to other agencies on statistical functions, including data collection, quality control, research design, and statistical analysis. • Lead efforts to improve statistical systems and the application of health statistics for public health practice, research, and evaluation. • Serve as the official DPH representative on statistics-related projects, boards, and commissions. • Coordinate health statistics activities to promote uniformity, timeliness, and data quality improvement. • Ensure SCHS provides sound consultation to other agencies on health data and statistics. General Administration • Manage a budget of over $9 million and a staff of 150+ permanent and 30+ temporary/contract employees. Funding sources include state appropriations, service fees, internal transfers, grants, and contracts. • Assess and plan budgetary needs for ongoing operations and new initiatives in collaboration with SCHS, DPH sections, other state/federal agencies, and non-profit partners. • Promote workforce development by promoting training, continuing education, and participation in relevant professional conferences. • Oversee SCHS facility-related operations, ensuring staff safety, comfort, and continuity of operations during facility improvements or transitions. • Monitor staff performance through regular reviews and performance management processes.

Requirements

Master’s degree in relevant field from an appropriately accredited institution and five years of professional experience in government or business OR An equivalent combination of education and experience

Nice To Haves

Leadership & Management: Proven record of supervisory and management experience, including oversight of multidisciplinary teams, personnel management, project direction, and organizational leadership in a public health setting.
Public Health Data Expertise: Demonstrated experience to conduct and oversee research, analyze and interpret public health data, and effectively communicate findings to diverse audiences.
Statistical Knowledge: Experience in statistics, with proficiency in statistical programming, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative data.
Data Communication: Experience translating complex statistical findings into actionable insights through clear and accurate reporting, data visualization, and presentations.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement: Experience in developing and maintaining effective partnerships with internal teams, external stakeholders, researchers, and policy makers.

Responsibilities

Provide critical information to inform health policies, program initiatives, and evidence-based decision-making through modernized data systems.
Provides timely, accurate, and actionable information to inform health policy, program development, and resource allocation.
Assesses the health status of North Carolinians and monitors trends in health outcomes and determinants.
Evaluates the effectiveness and impact of public health programs and services aimed at improving population health, through improved data integration and governance frameworks.
Ensures the delivery of high-quality data services - including vital records, public health statistics, and public health intelligence products - to citizens, local health departments, and prevention partners, with a focus on accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, and strategic value.
Promote and support the responsible use and dissemination of health data by streamlining data request processes, fostering research collaborations, and upholding data governance standards.
Leads the strategic direction of SCHS, including execution of its strategic plan and advancement of data modernization, public health informatics, and system interoperability.
Oversee operations across SCHS branches, ensuring alignment of diverse data systems and funding sources with modernization and governance priorities.
Lead efforts to modernize and enhance public health data systems, including evaluating and recommending statutory changes related to health data reporting in collaboration with DPH leadership and state government stakeholders.
Provide leadership within the state regarding health statistics and data analysis.
Coordinate statistical and registry activities to promote uniform health information, maximize data availability, and eliminate duplication.
Enhance the use of data in policy and program decision-making and improve timeliness and quality of health information.
Oversee all SCHS contract negotiations, Memoranda of Agreement and compliance, managing relationships and deliverables with universities, federal agencies (e.g., NCHS, CDC, SSA), state and local governments, and private partners, while ensuring timely receipt and expenditure of funds.
Provide statewide leadership on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of health statistics to inform public health policy, programs, and decision-making.
Direct statewide health surveys, including the NC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), ensuring methodological rigor and utility.
Responsible for timely and accurate release of recurring and ad hoc publications, including collaborative reports with other DPH units and special studies initiated by the State Health Director.
Guide the development of public health data projects and analytic products suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals and the SCHS Special Studies series.
Serve as the chief statistical advisor to senior DHHS and DPH leadership on priorities for statistical systems and data-informed policy.
Promote and implement data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, security, and ethical use.
Lead modernization efforts to enhance data infrastructure, interoperability, and analytics capabilities.
Integrate informatics and data science approaches to support public health surveillance and decision-making.
Represent North Carolina on the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS), collaborating with state and federal partners to improve the national vital statistics system and maintain liaison with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Oversee the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program (VSCP) in coordination with the State Registrar, ensuring SCHS meets all federal contract requirements.
Serve as chief statistical advisor to senior DHHS leadership, including the Assistant Secretary for Public Health, State Health Officer, and Public Health Director, guiding priorities for statistical systems and data-driven policy and program decisions.
Coordinate the issuance of vital certificates with the development of the vital statistics database to meet VSCP deliverables, including accuracy and timeliness standards set by NCHS.
Fulfill the agency’s legal obligation to support local health departments through the collection and reporting of clinical services data required for state and federal reporting.
Maintain active collaborations with universities and research agencies to promote cooperative initiatives in health statistics and data collection.
Ensure timely and accurate completion of regular and special publications such as SCHS Special Studies, publishing in professional journals and other data products.
Provide expert technical and policy consultation to state agencies on statistical functions, including data collection, quality control, research design, statistical methods, data analysis, and the use of data for public health policy and program management.
Provide executive leadership for the Business Systems and Intelligence Branch, ensuring the development and implementation of a modern, secure, and future-ready data and systems infrastructure.
Oversee modernization of legacy systems and promote adoption of technologies that enhance data interoperability, analytics, and informatics capacity.
Advance the integration of data science and informatics approaches to support public health surveillance, decision-making, and program evaluation.
Lead the execution of the SCHS Strategic Plan, aligning operational priorities with long-term goals for data modernization, workforce development, equity, and public health impact.
Foster cross-sector partnerships and secure funding to support innovation and strategic initiatives.
Ensure SCHS remains a national leader in health statistics, informatics, vital records modernization, and public health data systems.
Provide vision and leadership in the application of public health informatics to improve data collection, integration, analysis, and dissemination across SCHS programs.
Champion the use of interoperable systems and standards (e.g., HL7, FHIR, APIs) to enhance data exchange between SCHS, local health departments, and external partners.
Guide the development and implementation of informatics solutions that support real-time surveillance, predictive analytics, and decision support tools.
Collaborate with IT, data modernization, epidemiology, and program teams to align informatics strategies with public health priorities and emerging technologies.
Ensure informatics initiatives are grounded in principles of equity, privacy, and ethical data use.
Represent SCHS in national and state-level informatics workgroups and initiatives to influence policy and share best practices.
Oversee a multidisciplinary team organized into six branches, encompassing expertise in epidemiology, statistics, survey design, spatial analysis, programming, business analytics and project management, records management, tumor registration, vital records, customer service, and administrative support.
Foster collaboration across staff with diverse educational backgrounds from high school diplomas to PhDs to maintain a high level of technical and analytical capacity within SCHS, in service to DPH and other public health agencies.
Coordinate with the NC DPH Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) and local health departments in the investigation of atypical cancer incidence patterns and potential environmental exposures, providing expert support in the interpretation and dissemination of sensitive findings.
Provide technical and policy advice to other agencies on statistical functions, including data collection, quality control, research design, and statistical analysis.
Lead efforts to improve statistical systems and the application of health statistics for public health practice, research, and evaluation.
Serve as the official DPH representative on statistics-related projects, boards, and commissions.
Coordinate health statistics activities to promote uniformity, timeliness, and data quality improvement.
Ensure SCHS provides sound consultation to other agencies on health data and statistics.
Manage a budget of over $9 million and a staff of 150+ permanent and 30+ temporary/contract employees. Funding sources include state appropriations, service fees, internal transfers, grants, and contracts.
Assess and plan budgetary needs for ongoing operations and new initiatives in collaboration with SCHS, DPH sections, other state/federal agencies, and non-profit partners.
Promote workforce development by promoting training, continuing education, and participation in relevant professional conferences.
Oversee SCHS facility-related operations, ensuring staff safety, comfort, and continuity of operations during facility improvements or transitions.
Monitor staff performance through regular reviews and performance management processes.

Benefits

The State of North Carolina offers excellent comprehensive benefits.
Employees can participate in health insurance options, standard and supplemental retirement plans, and the NCFlex program (numerous high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis).
Employees also receive paid vacation, sick, and community service leave.
In addition, paid parental leave is available to eligible employees.
Visit website for State Benefits.

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