Assistant Director - Health Services Agency (Chief Operations Officer) (Santa Cruz)

Overview

The County of Santa Cruz is seeking an Assistant Director – Health Services Agency! Do you have a strong background and proven capabilities in improving the health of communities at a leadership level? If so, please read on!

Closing Date: Friday, July 31, 2026

Salary: $184,101 – 246,750 / Annually

The County offers a generous benefits package including annual leave, paid holidays, medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits!

The Position

The County of Santa Cruz is seeking an innovative leader with a strong background and proven capabilities in improving the health of communities. This includes work through the strategic planning and delivery of publicly funded programs that reduce disparities and improve community health. The Assistant Health Services Agency Director will assist in leading one of the largest county departments with an annual budget of approximately $321M and a workforce of nearly 638 employees. The Assistant Director will assist the Director in the planning, administration, and management for the Health Services Agency (HSA) divisions of Administration, Behavioral Health, Clinics, Environmental Health and Public Health. As the second in command at HSA, this position:

• Promotes an environment that shapes and enhances positive health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
• Works to provide access to the public with appropriate and effective expenditure of public resources to serve those with the greatest needs.
• Provides leadership to reduce mental health, clinical health, and environmental health disparities among vulnerable and underserved communities to achieve health equity throughout Santa Cruz County.
• Serves a critical role in enhancing public health emergency preparedness and response, including serving as command staff for the HSA Department Operations Center.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in public health, nursing, public administration, health care administration, public health administration or a closely related field (e.g., business administration, hospital administration, etc.) and four years of extensive budgetary, administrative and management experience that demonstrates application or possession of the knowledge and abilities listed below.

Strongly desired qualifications include:

• Project management experience
• Change management experience (LEAN desirable)
• Leveraging and managing multiple public and private funding sources to achieve an angle strategic goals

Contact

For more details and to apply online, please visit