Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Director (0942 Manager VII)

The Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) division promotes equitable health outcomes through coordinated public health interventions, data-driven strategies, accountable administration, and community partnership. The MCAH Director provides executive-level administrative leadership for MCAH programs, including Black Infant Health, the Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program, the Office of Family Planning, Children's Medical Services, MCAH Nutrition Services, Public Health Nursing, and additional strategic initiatives.

The Director serves as the division’s chief administrator and strategist and is accountable for overall direction, policy implementation, operational performance, fiscal stewardship, workforce leadership, compliance, and external representation. The position works closely with DPH leadership, City departments, state and federal agencies, health systems, managed care plans, community-based organizations, and regulatory and funding partners to advance MCAH priorities and improve outcomes for pregnant people, infants, children, adolescents, and families in San Francisco.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership and Administration

• Set division priorities and translate DPH, City, state, and federal requirements into goals, work plans, policies, and measurable results.

• Provide administrative oversight and guidance to MCAH programs through program managers; assign resources; and oversee the administrative infrastructure, facilities, technology, records, procurement, and business processes needed for reliable and efficient operations.

• Advise DPH leadership and partner agencies on MCAH needs, service gaps, policy implications, and recommended actions.

• Stay current with research, emerging practice, and changes in the field, and apply relevant evidence to local policy and program direction.

• Ensure continuity of essential services during staffing shortages, funding disruptions, public health emergencies, facility incidents, or other operational disruptions.

Assessment, Planning, Performance, and Quality Improvement

• Monitor local health status indicators and inequities affecting pregnant people, infants, children, children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), adolescents, and families. Direct epidemiologic, scientific, and program analysis to identify needs, set priorities, and guide resource decisions.

• Establish section performance measures, dashboards, reporting cycles, and review processes to assess program reach, quality, equity, fiscal performance, and outcomes.

• Approve major assessments, annual plans, reports, and public documents, and ensure accurate and timely reporting to DPH leadership, the Health Commission, City leadership, funders, regulators, and governing bodies.

• Lead continuous quality improvement by identifying performance gaps, testing solutions, monitoring corrective actions, and spreading effective practices across programs.

• Promote responsible data governance, including data quality, appropriate access, confidentiality, privacy, security, and compliant data-sharing arrangements.

Policy, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable City, state, and federal laws, regulations, grant conditions, contract requirements, program standards, privacy rules, and DPH policies.

• Coordinate audits, monitoring visits, complaints, records requests, and corrective action plans, and maintain programmatic and fiscal accountability.

• Identify operational, fiscal, legal, safety, privacy, and service risks, and elevate clinical or other specialized matters to the appropriate authority.

• Analyze proposed state and federal legislation, regulations, and policy changes affecting MCAH, and recommend DPH positions, operational responses, and implementation strategies.

Budget, Grants, Contracts, and Resource Stewardship

• Direct budget development, forecasting, revenue, and resource allocation across City, state, and federal funding sources. Approve expenditure plans; monitor spending, projections, revenue, vacancies, and variances; and take timely corrective action as needed.

• Oversee local Title V and other MCAH grant requirements, including applications, workplans, budgets, needs assessments, reports, amendments, and closeout.

• Oversee contracts and agreements from procurement through monitoring, including scopes of work, performance measures, budgets, amendments, and contractor accountability.

• Maximize allowable revenue and administrative claiming while maintaining internal controls and audit-ready documentation.

• Evaluate resource needs and recommend investments, efficiencies, service redesign, or reductions while assessing impacts on equity, access, workforce capacity, compliance, and outcomes.

Workforce and Organizational Leadership

• Maintain an effective organizational structure and staffing plan; lead recruitment, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and performance management.

• Supervise and coach senior managers, and work with Human Resources, Labor Relations, Finance, Compliance, and other administrative partners on workforce and organizational matters.

• Build an inclusive and accountable workplace, and ensure staff have the training, tools, and supervision needed to perform their duties safely and effectively.

• Oversee workplace safety and emergency preparedness activities, including staff communication and coordination with appropriate DPH response teams.

Equity, Community Partnership, and Systems Coordination

• Center racial, health, and social equity in policy, budgeting, staffing, program design, contracting, performance review, and community engagement.

• Build partnerships with health systems, managed care plans, community organizations, academic and research institutions, coalitions, families, and people with lived experience.

• Provide administrative guidance and technical assistance to MCAH partners, and coordinate services to improve access, continuity, and efficient use of resources.

• Use community input to identify barriers and strengthen culturally and linguistically responsive outreach, referral, navigation, and support systems.

Communications, Representation, and Intergovernmental Affairs

• Represent DPH and MCAH in local, regional, statewide, and national meetings, coalitions, advisory groups, and public forums, and communicate the division's priorities and positions with clarity and credibility.

• Prepare or oversee executive briefings, presentations, reports, correspondence, and responses for DPH leadership, the Health Commission, City leadership, funders, regulators, partners, and the public.

• Serve as a senior point of coordination with CDPH and other government agencies.

• Coordinate sensitive or high-visibility communications with DPH communications, legal, policy, clinical, and executive leadership, as appropriate.

Perform other related duties consistent with the 0942 classification and the administrative leadership needs of DPH and MCAH. 0942-Manager VII | City and County of San Francisco