Washington Dental

 

Program Officer - Posted 6/13/08

Position Description:

Program Officer/ Community Development Specialist

Washington Dental Service Foundation

 

Summary:
The successful candidate will take responsibility for executing strategies for improving oral health for older adults in Washington State. Identify opportunities to implement the strategy; work with communities, creating vision and commitment to action; work as a member of the Foundation’s team of professional staff. This position is part planner, part activist, requiring the ability to ask, listen and act.

 

Skills:

• Ability to identify factors in the environment or community context that either help or hinder healthy decisions by individuals.
• Ability to see what would be required to alter or create a context that would predispose individuals to make healthy decisions.
• Willingness to influence those with the power to make change, to engage them in the oral health issue, to support them in taking leadership.
• Ability to analyze professional documents, to access and synthesize research on oral health issues so as to make it useful to decision makers.
• Conduct oneself in external settings in a way that reflects positively on WDS Foundation as an organization of competent, confident and sensitive people.
• Ability to seek direction, approval from management on essential matters and discern parameters so as to maximize independence and consistent support from management.
• Ability to juggle multiple topics/tasks and to balance the need for planning and relationship building with the need for results.
• Basic financial analysis skills: ability to understand how an initiative might be financed, what the cost benefit relationships are, opportunity for financial sustainability.
• Ability to see how one’s work intersects with that of other Foundation activities - manage in a mutually supportive manner. Make appropriate use of knowledge/ expertise/ connections of other Foundation Staff.

 

Responsibilities:

• Work to implement the strategy by identifying geographic areas or individuals where change is deemed to be possible. Work to influence those capable of making the desired change - creating vision and commitment to improving oral health.
• Develop an understanding of the assigned strategy (one or more), what the underlying theory of change is; be sufficiently knowledgeable so as to be able to speak credibly about it with external parties.
• Determine by trial and error whether execution efforts are feasible. Balance patience and the need to “cut bait” i.e. abandon and try elsewhere.
• Seek out/ build strong relationships with others who are key to WDSF’s success.
• Evaluate grant proposals; work with grantees to ensure best possible results.
• Scan for opportunities to improve oral health within the priority targets identified by the Foundation.
• Provide staff support to Foundation Committees, individual Trustees as well as Foundation President.
• Represent the Foundation in external audiences; prepare and deliver presentations as needed.

 

Education/Experience:

 

Experience having performed many of the above skills and responsibilities in a subject area that may or may not involve oral health.

Academic background in public health, social work, public interest law, public affairs, community development, public policy analysis and implementation.

  

Interested applicants may send cover letter and resume to:

 

Please submit cover letter and resume to: Diane Oakes, Washington Dental Service Foundation, P.O. Box 75983, Seattle, WA 98175-0983. doakes@deltadentalwa.com

(206) 528-2373