Director of Health and Wellness

Director Of Health And Wellness

Enlace Chicago convenes, organizes, and strengthens the capacity of stakeholders across Little Village to confront systemic inequities and expand access to economic and social opportunity. For more than 35 years, Enlace has served as a trusted community anchor—championing opportunity, improving lives, and building partnerships that drive lasting change.

Through our work, we advance community health, protect human rights, empower futures, promote safety, and foster resilience for families throughout Little Village. Our core departments—Education, Community Safety, Mental Health, Community Health, and Immigration & Advocacy—deliver critical, culturally responsive services that uplift and support the strength and dignity of our community.

Enlace leads multiple collaborative networks including the Little Village Neighborhood Network, Violence Prevention Collaborative, Little Village Youth Safety Network, Little Village Education Collaborative, Little Village Immigration Collaborative, and PAES (Promoviendo, Abogando y Educando por la Salud). These networks unite partners across schools, community-based organizations, health providers, elected officials, and resident leaders. Together, we work to create strong schools, healthy families, safe streets, and a thriving community rooted in dignity and justice.

As a member of the Enlace Chicago Community Wellness Team, the Director of Health and Wellness provides strategic leadership and oversight of community health programming to advance health equity and improve access to care for Little Village residents. The Director of Health and Wellness will lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Enlace Chicago's community wellness strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, community needs, and best practices in health equity, prevention, and community-based care. Responsibilities also include grant development and reporting, budget management, and the hiring, training, and supervision of staff. The Director of Health and Wellness collaborates with internal teams and community partners to ensure services are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and community-driven.

The ideal Director of Health and Wellness candidate will have extensive experience in community health, public health, or human services, with a strong background in program development, staff leadership, grant management, and community partnership building. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and collaborative leader committed to advancing health equity and community-driven solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of community health and wellness initiatives, including outreach, prevention, health promotion, and navigation services.
• Lead the hiring, supervision, training, and professional development of Community Health Workers (CHWs), supervisors, and related staff.
• Develop and implement culturally responsive health education initiatives, workshops, group interventions, and public health campaigns.
• Oversee program operations, including outreach, home visitation, patient navigation, referral coordination, and sustainability of community gardens.
• Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations, healthcare providers, public health agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Represent Enlace Chicago in coalitions, advisory groups, and community initiatives.
• Lead or support grant development, implementation, reporting, budget management, and compliance with organizational and funder requirements.
• Utilize data, community feedback, and best practices to evaluate outcomes, strengthen services, and support continuous quality improvement.

Core Competencies:

Community Health Expertise

• Strong knowledge of community health models, CHW integration, health education, SDOH, and population health strategies.

Leadership & Team Development

• Proven ability to hire, train, supervise, and retain high-performing, community-based teams.

Strategic Thinking & Program Development

• Ability to design, implement, and scale effective, community-driven health initiatives.

Cultural Responsiveness

• Demonstrates cultural humility and effectiveness when working with diverse, underserved communities.

Communication & Collaboration

• Builds strong relationships with internal teams, community partners, and stakeholders; communicates effectively across audiences.

Financial & Grant Management

• Experience managing budgets, tracking expenditures, and overseeing grant development and reporting.

Data & Accountability

• Uses data to inform decisions, monitor outcomes, and ensure program quality and impact.

Requirements:

Required Knowledge and Experience:

• Master's degree in Public Health (MPH), Social Work (MSW), Health Administration, or a related field required (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in community health, public health, healthcare, or human services.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of leadership experience with direct supervision of staff and program oversight.
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing, grant management, and reporting.
• Experience managing program budgets and overseeing financial tracking.
• Strong understanding of social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity frameworks.
• Familiarity with Medicaid/Medicare systems and community-based care models preferred.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) Required

Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is between $95,000 and $105,000. Salary is commensurate with experience in addition to the generous benefits package listed below.

Benefits:

• Health benefits. Enlace Chicago offers you and your family access to a low-cost comprehensive health care plan, which includes medical (Bluecross Blue Shield), dental (UNUM), and vision (EyeMed) coverage.
• Enlace Chicago also provides life insurance coverage and short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost to you with options of additional coverage.
• Retirement program. Enlace Chicago offers a voluntary 403(B) plan which begins at a 1% contribution. Enrollment is available beginning on the first day of the month after the first date of employment. An enrollment packet will be mailed to you.
• Paid time off. You will receive 96 hours of Upon Hire hours, which will be prorated depending on your start date. After your 3rd month, you will accrue 3.33 hours per pay period or a total of 6.66 per month. All vacation days are considered above and beyond the approved holiday schedule. Enlace has 12 paid holidays with a Holiday week between Christmas and New Year's Day that will not be deducted from your PTO.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: At Enlace Chicago, we are deeply committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where all voices are heard and valued. We believe that diverse perspectives are essential to addressing the complex social challenges we seek to solve, and we strive to create a culture that promotes belonging, respect, and opportunity for all. Our mission is rooted in uplifting the stories of those who have been historically marginalized, and we actively work to ensure that our programs, partnerships, and workplace reflect these values. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and encourage candidates who share our passion for social justice, equity, and inclusion to apply.

Enlace Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Deadline for submission: Open until filled.