Position Title: Director, Healthy Athletes
Location: SOI DC HQ
Department: Health Department, Global Programs Division
Reports to: Vice President, Health Programs
Position Summary:
The Director of Healthy Athletes oversees all event-based and year-round programming in the 7 “disciplines” making up the global Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. Healthy Athletes provides health exams, education, services, and care at no charge to Special Olympics athletes. To date, Healthy Athletes has provided 1.5 million exams to athletes in 127 countries. This position oversees a team of staff, consultants, and a global network of health professional volunteers in implementing event-based and year-round programming in Health Promotion (healthy lifestyles), MedFest (pre-participation sports physicals), FUNfitness (physical therapy assessment and education), Special Smiles.(oral health and hygiene), Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes (vision), Healthy Hearing (audiology), and Fit Feet (podiatry). This position is responsible for planning, execution, evaluation, quality improvement, and partnership development.
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Primary Responsibilities:**
Direct all Healthy Athletes operations globally, including the following:
• Lead a global team of headquarters and regional staff, Global Clinical Advisors (consultants), the Special Olympics Global Medical Advisor (consultant), and volunteers to grow, implement and oversee Special Olympics health programing;
• Develop strategic and operational plans for the health program that are aligned with the Special Olympics International Strategic Plan;
• Allocate resources in a way that is aligned with the 2016-2020 Special Olympics Strategic Plan and that permits the program to meet its annual and 5-year targets;
• Resolve operational and logistical challenges tied to over 800 annual events and other programming, as they arise;
• Improve program quality through evaluation and monitoring (in collaboration with the Research & Evaluation team), and by working with the Healthy Athletes staff and consultant team to incorporate impactful practices into the overall program;
• As part of ensuring program quality, oversee implementation of training programs and updates and improvements in documentation, protocols, and training materials;
• Ensure that programming stays within budget and that expenditures are in compliance with funder specifications;
• Represent Special Olympics to potential partners and steward relationships with current partners;
• Work with digital health team to strengthen the Healthy Athletes program through the integration of technology;
• Work with the communications and marketing team to collect stories and data from the field and weave these into internal and external organizational communications;
• Serve as SOI lead in the planning and implementation of Healthy Athletes at major Games, including World Games;
• Lead or assist with proposal and report development; and
• Make presentations to SOI and external audiences and assist in preparation of materials for others to present.
Required Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in Public Health or a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. health administration, international development, international business) with at least 5 years of experience in the field of public health;
• 8-10 years of demonstrated experience in program development and management, ideally with a focus on improving health outcomes;
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Strong evidence of ability to create and lead teams to successful outcomes;
• Proven track record in creating strategies, planning programming, and setting and delivering on targets, preferably cross-culturally;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including a demonstrated ability to build and maintain networks, provide advice and communicate effectively with a culturally and professionally diverse range of stakeholders;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel; and
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a collaborative leadership team.
Desired Qualifications:
• Experience working with and/or treating people with intellectual disabilities;
• Experience as a clinical professional and/or experience working with clinical professionals;
• Successful experience cultivating, securing, and stewarding partners and sponsors; and
• Additional language skills.
Special Olympics, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse staff committed to working in a multicultural environment. Applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans are welcomed and encouraged.
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