Principal Director, Program Development

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Oregon.

📋 Description

• Oversee the design, implementation, evaluation, and sustainable development of national end-of-life programs aligned with strategic priorities such as dementia care, medical assistance in dying, advance care planning, and emerging needs.

• Integrate patient-directed care into program strategy and execution by embracing patients’ values, preferences, autonomy, and lived experiences.

• Create comprehensive program strategies, roadmaps, delivery models, governance frameworks, implementation guidelines, and measurable outcomes.

• Convert organizational strategy into scalable programs, tools, resources, and methods that can be adapted across various communities and jurisdictions.

• Identify challenges affecting patient-directed end-of-life care in terms of policy, practice, service delivery, infrastructure, and access.

• Establish infrastructure, partnerships, resources, and operational models that facilitate consistent implementation and sustainable national growth.

• Enhance organizational and sector capacity through education, training, knowledge sharing, technical support, and implementation resources.

• Develop and sustain strategic relationships with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, health systems, government bodies, researchers, funders, community organizations, and other stakeholders.

• Create methods for evaluating program effectiveness, measuring outcomes, and fostering continuous improvement.

• Identify sustainable funding opportunities and leverage program expertise for grants, funding proposals, partnership agreements, and resource-development initiatives.

• Monitor end-of-life care practices, healthcare delivery, emerging trends, and community needs to pinpoint opportunities.

• Compile outcomes, stakeholder experiences, implementation lessons, and trends into actionable recommendations for leadership.

• Facilitate cross-functional learning and knowledge sharing.

• Identify and assess opportunities for program innovation, replication, and expansion.

• Represent Compassion & Choices at conferences, coalitions, working groups, consultations, and other external forums.

• Act as a strategic program resource for organizational leaders and cross-functional teams.

• Supervise the Integrated Program Manager directly and potentially oversee consultants, contractors, or additional program staff.

• Provide coaching, guidance, workload prioritization, performance feedback, and professional development support.

• Offer functional leadership and strategic direction to cross-functional teams, external partners, subject matter experts, and contractors.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Public Administration, Social Work, Nursing, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, Program Management, or a related field is required; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• A Master’s degree in a related field is preferred.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in program development, healthcare, public health, systems change, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.

• Experience in designing, implementing, scaling, and evaluating complex programs across various settings, communities, or populations.

• Proven track record of leading systems-change initiatives and addressing barriers in healthcare, policy, service delivery, or access.

• Experience in supervising staff and providing functional leadership to cross-functional teams, consultants, volunteers, and external partners.

• Demonstrated experience in building partnerships with healthcare providers, government entities, researchers, community organizations, funders, and other external stakeholders.

• Strong preference for candidates with experience in end-of-life care, serious illness, healthcare, public health, patient advocacy, health equity, or a related mission-driven field.

• Experience in supporting grants, funding proposals, partnerships, or other strategies for program sustainability is preferred.

• Exceptional written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills.

• Outstanding strategic, systems-thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

• Capability to translate organizational priorities and stakeholder needs into practical, scalable solutions.

• Excellent strategic planning, facilitation, consensus-building, and relationship-building skills.

• Ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives while managing multiple organizational priorities.

• Proficiency in assessing program performance, recognizing trends, establishing measurable outcomes, and utilizing data for informed planning, resource allocation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to build trust and communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.

• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, CRM platforms, project and program management tools, virtual collaboration platforms, survey and evaluation tools, and reporting applications.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in program development, capacity building, systems change, and sustainable program implementation.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in translating organizational strategy into scalable program models, implementation frameworks, tools, resources, and measurable outcomes.

• Advanced knowledge or experience with patient-directed care and incorporating stakeholder perspectives into program design, implementation, and evaluation.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in program evaluation, impact measurement, continuous improvement, and data-informed decision-making.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in building collaborative relationships and influencing outcomes across departments and with external partners.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in operating effectively within a national, distributed, and volunteer-powered organization.

• Advanced knowledge or experience with equity, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and integrating lived experience into program development.

• Advanced knowledge or experience in navigating sensitive end-of-life issues with professionalism and respect.

• Must be able and willing to travel up to 20% of the time, including overnight travel.

• No professional certification or license is required, although professional certifications or credentials are preferred but not mandatory.

🏝️ Benefits

• Employer-shared medical and dental insurance premiums.

• Employer-paid short- and long-term disability insurance.

• Employer-paid life insurance.

• Employer-paid accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

• Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care.

• Commuter pre-tax benefit.

• 401(k) eligibility with a 5% employer match.

• Immediate 401(k) vesting upon eligibility.

• Paid holidays.

• Paid time off.

• Personal days.