Program Manager - Healthy Hometowns

The Program Manager, Healthy Hometowns, provides strategic and operational leadership for the statewide Healthy Hometowns – Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Program.  The role manages all aspects of the Healthy Hometowns program, translating grant objectives into actionable plans, coordinating multi-agency initiatives across maternal and child health, behavioral health, cardiovascular care, and chronic disease prevention, and advancing telehealth integration and sustainable referral networks. Serving as the primary liaison to funders, state agencies, and partners, the role oversees long-term planning, compliance, and reporting. The role supervises staff and contractors, ensuring financial accountability and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team.

Position Type: Specified Term.  The initial appointment is for five years.  Appointments may be extended based on performance and available funding.

This position is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location. 

This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization now or in the future.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Lead the strategic vision, direction, and long-term planning for a major, high-visibility health care impact grant.

• Translate the grant’s goals into actionable strategies, implementation plans, and performance metrics.

• Identify organizational needs and develop solutions that drive operational excellence and program impact.

• Mobilize, plan and assist in leading the Annual Kick‑Off Meeting

• Maintain daily business operations and 3‑business‑day response standard to Iowa HHS and other participating groups

• Facilitate planning, assessment, and implementation of Hub-and-Spoke models for maternal/child health, mental/behavioral health, cardiovascular care, and chronic disease prevention. 

• Guide telehealth integration and sustainable referral network development. 

• Initiate strategic partnerships among rural providers and draft collaboration agreements.

• Coordinate shared systems for case management and specialty referrals. 

• Build and maintain the Work Plan; track deliverable‑based reimbursement and administrative cost cap

• Coordinate Monthly Agency update meetings, Bi‑Annual progress meetings, and Annual Reports; ensuring on‑time submission of required reports

Program Implementation & Project Management

• Lead day-to-day oversight of all program activities tied to the grant.

• Direct project scope, planning, timelines, workstreams, and resource allocation to meet goa