Data Modernization Director

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions.
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), with some 1600 staff and a budget of $350 million, promotes and protects the health of all Philadelphians and provides a safety net for the most vulnerable. PDPH leads programs to: prevent communicable diseases (including HIV, other STDs, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases); prevent chronic diseases and injuries and promote healthy behaviors; prevent environmental health risks; investigate outbreaks of disease; respond to public health emergencies; and promote the health of women, children, and families. In addition, PDPH operates eight primary care clinics. Recently, PDPH has participated with other City agencies in responding to Philadelphia’s opioid crisis and to the COVID-19 pandemic. PDPH has been an innovator in public health, pursuing novel policies to prevent and mitigate disease and injury, and intends to continue that tradition with creative solutions to both long-standing urban health problems and new crises.

Position Summary

This leadership position will be responsible for assessment, management, and improvement of PDPH’s systems and processes for data acquisition, data storage, and data governance. The Director ensures that the use of public health informatics supports population health assessments and improvements, including the use of data/information to monitor strategic objectives.

Essential Functions

The Data Modernization Director will:

• Create and maintain systems that efficiently gather, store, integrate, and manage public health data.
• Assess and recommend improvements in data acquisition maturity and governance to advance modernization efforts, including developing and implementing improvement plans.
• Assess information technology infrastructure to identify and recommend strategic improvements in collaboration with PDPH's IT division.
• Researches and recommends new technologies, approaches, and training resources to improve data integration, quality, timeliness, and accessibility. Develop a maintain a multi-year data modernization roadmap aligned with public health priorities and organizational goals.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of data modernization initiatives.
• Coordinate with PDPH’s Information Technology division to support requirements definition, solution identification, acquisition, change management, and implementation.
• Integrate data workflows and strengthen system interoperability across data systems.
• Develop and oversee data access policies, including privacy policies, that are in accordance with relevant regulations, policies, and standards.
• Mentor and build informatics capacity among data application specialists, data systems managers, and other key stakeholders.
• Work closely with the Chief Epidemiologist, informaticians and analysts to create dashboards and other visualizations to report on public health outcomes and performance metrics.
• Support development, maintenance, and auditing of data pipelines to ensure complete reporting. Coordinate regular audits of databases, data warehouses and data systems to verify data integrity, accuracy, and compliance
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to identify and address data needs. Manage a team of 3-5 direct reports
• Provides input and guidance on budgets, work plans and grant progress reports as required.
• Develop and update data inventories with appropriate descriptive information about the datasets, including metadata, data dictionaries, and usage documentation
• Create and maintain data flow diagrams, system architecture visualizations, and data lineage maps to document how data moves through organizational systems
• Participate in other Department projects and initiatives as requested/needed.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Candidates also should have:

• Experience with data integration, governance, interoperability, and visualization.
• Experience in information technology, including database management, database administration, data system design, and data warehouse development and use.
• Proficiency in software applications and OS platforms, including analytic and programmatic applications (R, SAS, ArcGIS), SQL Server, SFTP, VPN, and Windows Server.
• Proficiency with AWS security services including IAM, GuardDuty, Security Hub, Config, CloudTrail, and AWS Well-Architected Framework for comprehensive risk management and continuous monitoring capabilities
• Experience with Terraform for Infrastructure as Code deployments and security-compliant infrastructure automation, with expertise in cloud security governance encompassing data encryption and network security
• Familiarity with interoperability standards, including HL7, FHIR, and others.
• Knowledge of public health data formats and coding standards.
• Experience managing sensitive health data, including HIPAA-covered applications.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff and managing team performance.
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication capabilities.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills.

We are looking for a person with:

• A master’s degree in computer science, data science, informatics or a related field.
• At least four years of experience in applied public health or social science practice or research.

OR

• Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Department of Public Health with a Bachelor’s degree as an educational minimum.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit:

• cover letter
• resume

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation : City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

• The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: