Job Details

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Program Director of Strategic Initiatives

Position Number: 7257148
Location: Aurora, CO
Position Type: Public Relations, Marketing and Communications

Program Director of Strategic Initiatives

Program Director of Strategic Initiatives - 40296 University Staff Description

University of Colorado Anschutz

Colorado School of Public Health | Centers for Health, Work & Environment

Program Director of Strategic Initiatives
Position #: 849865 - Requisition #: 40296

Job Summary:

Join the Colorado School of Public Health as the Program Director of Strategic Initiatives. This position is a critical part of the Centers for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) that will focus on scaling existing initiatives, developing new opportunities, cultivating partnerships, identifying and pursuing funding opportunities, and overseeing the strategic implementation of projects and contracted work across the Centers including key public health practice programs Health Links, Colorado Recovery Friendly Workplace Initative, and Total Worker Health consulting and contracted projects.

The Program Director of Strategic Initiatives will serve as a highly collaborative, externally facing leader who helps translate CHWE's mission and expertise into sustainable programs, partnerships, and funded initiatives. This role will work closely with Center leadership, implementation and evaluation staff, operations coordination, and outreach functions to advance initiatives from concept development through implementation and growth. This is a role for someone who enjoys building partnerships, identifying opportunities, developing strategic initiatives, connecting ideas across sectors, and helping complex programs grow in meaningful and sustainable ways. This role will be responsible for providing key programmatic and operational support to accelerate and ensure the sustainability of CHWE programs.

Key Responsibilities:

Oversee scaling and growth of existing programs and partnerships, ensuring alignment across stakeholders. Responsibilities include expansion strategy, program coordination, resource management, team facilitation, and status reporting.
Manage day-to-day execution of partnerships, ensuring program milestones, timelines, and deliverables are met.
Participate in strategic planning for CHWE programs, specifically Health Links and TWH Implementation, including long-term visioning, infrastructure development, and operations plan; lead the subsequent execution of strategic plans related partnership and project management.
Responsible for the day-to-day operation of Health Links and Colorado Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative.
Oversee program outreach including setting program goals for recruitment, partnerships, and deliverables.
Cultivate employer relationships to leverage growth opportunities and ensure program quality.
Identify new opportunities for growth including funding announcements, special initiatives, development opportunities.
Develop and write new proposals including contracts and grant submissions.
Responsible for program and project budgets including expense tracking and reconciliation reports.
Oversee business analytics and performance metrics to track and report on growth and program goals.

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) position that reports to the Director of Outreach and Programs for the Centers.

Work Location:

Why Join Us:

Hybrid -This position is located on the CU Anschutz Campus in Aurora, CO and is expected to work on site three days per week.

The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) is a unique and collaborative graduate school that combines the collective expertise of three Colorado universities: the University of Colorado Anschutz (CU Anschutz) in Aurora, Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, and the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley, Colorado. The Colorado School of Public Health is the only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain Region, attracting top tier faculty and students from across the country, and providing a vital contribution towards ensuring our region's health and wellbeing. The school's faculty, staff, and students work together to share knowledge and conduct innovative research and community service to actively address public health issues including chronic disease, access to healthcare, environmental threats, emerging infectious diseases, costly injuries, and more.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

Medical: Multiple plan options
Dental: Multiple plan options
Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
Holiday Days: 10/year
Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree in business, business administration, finance, accounting, education, social sciences, healthcare administration, public administration, communications, information systems, or a directly related field from an accredited institution
6-8 years of relevant program management experience, specifically in academic settings

Substitution: A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in public health, academic, government, industry partnerships
Experience managing projects and programs
Experience in public health and/or graduate level education in public health
Demonstrated knowledge of the organizational structure, processes, and culture of a large, public academic medical campus and/or school of public health (similar to CU Anschutz and/or the Colorado School of Public Health)

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. We are unable to provide work visa sponsorship or employment authorization for this position now or in the future.
Must be able to travel within the state and to several out-of-state events annually.
Must be able to work flexible work schedules to complete event timelines.
Must possess and maintain current valid driver's license, reliable transportation, satisfactory driving record, and personal automobile liability insurance.
Must be willing and able to drive own vehicle for work events as needed (state mileage reimbursement available.)
Must be able to comfortably lift 25 pounds and perform minimal physical demands.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Outstanding organization skills, program activities, deliverables and timelines
Self-starter, with examples of successful and failed projects that make you proud
Strong executive partnership skills, including the ability to proactively manage priorities, surface risks, and advance strategic initiatives
Exceptional organizational awareness and ability to align leadership priorities with operational execution
Ability to independently drive projects forward while keeping leadership informed of risks, dependencies, and strategic considerations
Highly skilled in coordinating across team members and stakeholders, managing competing priorities, and supporting executive-level initiatives

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following documents:

Curriculum Vitae / Resume
A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position
Three to five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address should be available upon request.

Questions should be directed to: Megan Freije, Megan.Freije@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins:

Screening begins immediately and continues until July 6, 2026.

Anticipated Salary Range:

The starting target salary for this position has been established as $89,208 - $105,000. The above salary represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position may be eligible for overtime compensation depending on the level.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Equal Opportunity Statement:

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

As the School of Public Health located within the University of Colorado on the Anschutz Campus, we are committed to developing and sustaining a faculty, staff, and student body that reflects a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. We advocate for and actively lead efforts and activities to build a community that treats people with dignity, respect, and compassion among the school's students, staff, faculty, and external community partners.

ADA Statement:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@cuanschutz.edu

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado Anschutz Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement:

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.

Application Materials Required: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, List of References Job Category
: Business Services Primary Location
: Aurora Department: U0001 -- Anschutz Med Campus or Denver - 21549 - CSPH-CHWE Gen ops Schedule
: Full-time Posting Date
: Jun 22, 2026 Unposting Date
: Jul 7, 2026, 5:59:00 AM Posting Contact Name: Megan Freije Posting Contact Email: Megan.Freije@cuanschutz.edu Position Number: 00849865

To apply, visit https://cu.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=40296&lang=en