Director of Health Promotion

Director of Health Promotion

The University of Chicago (UChicago) is seeking a Director of Health Promotion to lead a dynamic team at an exciting time for the organization. Located in a beautiful new Student Wellness Center, which opened in 2020, UChicago Student Wellness is in the process of defining a collaborative care model that better integrates primary care, mental health, and health promotion programs and services. The new Director of Health Promotion will be part of the leadership team advancing these efforts and will also be a champion of prevention and outreach efforts across campus to help in fostering an environment that promotes holistic student wellness, empowers students to improve their quality of life and reach their highest potential.

This is a distinctive opportunity for a talented, creative, and collaborative public health and wellness leader to oversee and impact the trajectory of a robust and evolving health and wellness program that seeks to be a preeminent model. The Director will possess the vision and motivation to enhance campus engagement, education, prevention efforts; develop inclusive and innovative programs and support modalities that serve a diverse student population; and engage in forward-thinking research and assessment activities to further advance these goals.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Counseling and Health Promotion, the Director serves as an essential member of the Student Wellness leadership team, working collaboratively across functions and providing consultation and guidance to campus partners across the institution. UChicago Student Wellness provides primary care, counseling, psychiatry, and health promotion services that support students' academic, personal, and professional success. The Director will help to actualize UChicago Student Wellness' vision of providing exceptional, integrated care and wellness services in a safe and welcoming environment, guided by their iCARE values – inclusion, collaboration, agility, respect, and excellence.

About the University of Chicago

Founded in 1892 by John D. Rockefeller, the University of Chicago is one of the world's preeminent universities, with a history of world-renowned research and education. More than 90 Nobel laureates are associated with the University, including six current faculty members. The University of Chicago is known for its excellent faculty, increasingly diverse student body, distinctive urban campus with strong community connections, and a robust global presence. US News and World Report ranked the University 3rd in its latest annual survey of the best universities. The University enrolls more than 18,000 students, more than half of which are enrolled in graduate and professional programs.

The University of Chicago operates a major medical center, the nation's largest academic press, two national laboratories, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the renowned N-12 Laboratory Schools that have led many innovations in education, and four charter school campuses on the South Side of Chicago.

The University of Chicago is located in a dynamic, thriving city, where opportunities abound to learn from, contribute to, and engage with the surrounding community. In the heart of Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, a racially and economically diverse residential community of 43,000 people on the shores of Lake Michigan and about fifteen minutes south of downtown Chicago, the University of Chicago features traditional English Gothic and modern buildings designed by world-class architects, and opportunities abound for students to learn from, contribute to, and engage with their urban environment.

About Campus and Student Life

Campus and Student Life (CSL) is dedicated to helping students, faculty, and staff experience University life at its fullest. CSL has a profound commitment to the diversity of the UChicago community and is focused on creating an environment where students can thrive. Through a wide array of programs and services, CSL provides opportunities and experiences that build community, help students grow personally and professionally, and create a place that students can call home. A core mission and priority for CSL is to support the overall health and wellness of all UChicago students. UChicago Student Wellness, a department within Campus and Student Life, provides students with comprehensive health, counseling, and wellness services to support their academic, personal, and professional success.

Position Summary

The Director will provide a public health approach to campus wellness tailored to the needs of University of Chicago students. This position seeks to identify ways to collaborate with campus partners and serves as lead facilitator for the development of a wellness culture that supports students' health and well-being as they pursue academic success. The Director leads the development and implementation of population-level initiatives including prevention activities that meet the needs of a diverse student body, health and wellness assessments, engagement and cultivation of partnerships to address student wellness needs, and application of relevant models that address individual and community health. This position provides leadership and direction to health promotion staff and serves as a member of the Student Wellness leadership team. The Director also serves as a health promotion and wellness advisor to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Departmental Leadership:
• Leads and develops a team of health and wellness educators and provides strategic direction as well as administrative support for implementation of public health initiatives and associated programs.
• Develops and maintains a vision of wellness culture at the University of Chicago that is evidence-based, incorporates cultural competence and inclusiveness in working with populations of diverse cultures and identities.
• Oversees program operations, including the program budget and supervision of staff.
• Leads efforts to gain support for the program, including engaging in fund raising efforts.

Assessment:
• Directs the development, implementation, and analysis of student health assessment strategies, provides baseline and follow-up health data, identifies departmental needs and priorities, and evaluates effectiveness of interventions and measure learning outcomes.
• Plans and conducts research and prepares operational reports and analysis that identify student trends and recommends appropriate programs and solutions.

Health and Wellness Programming:
• Oversees strategies for fostering student engagement in wellness programming and general health promotion and outreach efforts.
• Directs the development, implementation of evidence-based outreach initiatives and programming.
• Provides outreach and advocacy to under-served student communities (for example, students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, first generation and low-income students, students with disabilities, etc.)
• Directs education outreach programs and related community relations strategies.

Marketing and Outreach:
• Leads planning and implementation of comprehensive wellness communications strategy including development of effective promotional materials, messaging campaigns and use of social media as well as digital tools.

Community Collaboration:
• Proactively reaches out to form relationships with key campus stakeholders and serves as the public health liaison for Student Wellness with campus partners (e.g., the Center for Identity+Inclusion, Athletics, Housing and Residence Life).
• Maintains an active professional network with peer institutions; monitors best practices at these other institutions and integrates best practices at UChicago.
• Promotes Student Wellness services to the broader University of Chicago community, identifying barriers to communicating the need for seeking help, creating avenues for increased awareness and utilization, and advising campus leaders on population health-related issues.

Collaboration and Advisory Role with Student Groups:
• Recruits and advises student members for the Student Health Advisory Board. Advises health and wellness student groups like Peer Health Advocates, Wellness Czars and others on their initiatives; supports peer-to-peer advocacy and facilitates training activities, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health, health promotion, health policy, health education, social work or related field with several years of relevant experience.
• Minimum 5 years of full-time supervisory experience of professional staff and a demonstrated record of leading professional development for staff.
• Leadership and expertise in the use of evidence-based health promotion programs/initiatives to analyze health promotion needs of emerging adults, especially college students.
• Experience conducting literature reviews, needs assessments, program evaluations, and creating plans to strategically guide programmatic and budget decisions.
• Knowledge and application of health promotion, behavior change, population-based theories and models, and experience using environmental management strategies.
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external constituencies, demonstrate commitment to diversity, social justice, and cultural competence. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and the ability to foster cultural, racial, gender equity on a personnel and programmatic level.
• Excellent writing, interpersonal communication and organizational skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends and to adjust work assignments according to programmatic and divisional needs.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines required.

• Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Certified in Public Health (CPH), or other relevant professional designations or willingness to pursue.

Application Process

UChicago has partnered with Keeling & Associates in this search process. Applications should include a cover letter and resume and must be sent, preferably in PDF format, to recruiting@KeelingAssociates.com. The subject line of the email should read "UChicago – Director of Health Promotion."Confidential inquiries and nominations should be addressed to Gordon Winsor, Consultant and Director of Executive Search, at gwinsor@KeelingAssociates.com. All materials received by May 31, 2022, will receive full consideration. The process will continue until the position is filled.

EEO Statement
We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University's Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity/spanspan style="" ">https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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