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NC Department of Health and Human Services · 14 hours ago

Social Research Director

Wake County, NC

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$84K/yr - $165K/yr

5+ years exp

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is one of the largest agencies in the state, responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of North Carolinians. The Social Research Director serves as the Section Chief of the State Center for Health Statistics, overseeing a team to provide critical health data and inform public health policies and initiatives.

Health Care

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

Qualification

Public Health Data ExpertiseStatistical KnowledgeData GovernanceLeadership & ManagementData CommunicationCollaboration & Stakeholder EngagementResearch DesignData AnalysisStatistical ProgrammingProject Management

Required

Master's degree in relevant field from an appropriately accredited institution

five years of professional experience in government or business

Proven record of supervisory and management experience, including oversight of multidisciplinary teams, personnel management, project direction, and organizational leadership in a public health setting

Demonstrated experience to conduct and oversee research, analyze and interpret public health data, and effectively communicate findings to diverse audiences

Experience in statistics, with proficiency in statistical programming, analysis, and interpretation of quantitative data

Experience translating complex statistical findings into actionable insights through clear and accurate reporting, data visualization, and presentations

Experience in developing and maintaining effective partnerships with internal teams, external stakeholders, researchers, and policy makers