Program Manager - Rural Health Transformation Office

Job Summary - Why you'll love this position

The MO HealthNet Division has an opening for a Program Manager within the Rural Health Transformation Office located in Cole County.

Semi-monthly salary: The current rate for this position is $3,541.67 - $3,750.00 semi-monthly. Individual(s) selected for this position may receive a higher rate based on a pay differential (e.g. shift, or time-of-service pay).

Job Location: This position is located at the Howerton State Office Building; 615 Howerton Court, Jefferson City, MO. All internal promotional applicants are encouraged to apply as there may be alternate office space available. Statewide travel required.

Why you'll love this position: As an RHTO Program Manager, you will provide the strategic leadership and operational management that drives statewide awareness, partner alignment, and public engagement for Missouri's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). You will direct how rural residents, healthcare providers, community organizations, and Local Community Hubs understand what is happening, what is coming next, and how they can participate in this statewide initiative. This role is ideal for a seasoned program leader who wants to manage statewide program operations, oversee cross-pillar outreach governance, translate complex policy and operational initiatives into clear human-centered resources, and build a two-way dialogue between the State and the rural communities it serves.

Responsibilities - What you'll do

The RHTO Program Manager for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will provide day-to-day leadership, general program management, and the operational skills required to deliver statewide stakeholder engagement, public outreach, informational dissemination, and the external affairs portfolio of Missouri's RHTP.

Reporting directly to the Assistant Department Director, this role serves as a member of the Rural Health Transformation Office (RHTO) - Missouri's central coordinating team responsible for driving strategy, governance, policy alignment, performance management, and capability building across the five-year, statewide program.

The Program Manager will define and drive the full implementation roadmap for statewide RHTP outreach and stakeholder engagement, supervising policy and public-release governance standards, and directing a predictable informational cadence across all RHTP pillars (including FAQs, newsletters, webinars, stakeholder updates, media outreach, program spotlights, and local success stories). Through disciplined oversight of timelines, workflows, and performance metrics, the Program Manager will manage a two-way feedback loop between the RHTO and rural communities - evaluating operational efficiency, synthesizing stakeholder data into policy and program recommendations, and providing the RHTO leadership and DSS executive leadership with strategic capacity for priority stakeholder engagement.

Core Responsibilities

Program Management, Strategy, and Information Oversight

• Implement the roadmap and strategy for RHTP public outreach, information dissemination, and stakeholder engagement, establishing priority audiences, core program messages, delivery channels, workplans, and operational cadences in alignment with RHTO objectives and DSS standards.
• Direct and manage the RHTO master outreach calendar, publication tracker, and cross-pillar workflows, coordinating across RHTO pillar leads and executive sponsors to manage interdependencies, milestones, initiative launches, and operational execution.
• Collaborate with the RHTO Grant Fiscal Manager and program leadership to set, monitor, and control the outreach and stakeholder engagement budget, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and in compliance with state and federal grant guidelines.
• Supervise, mentor, and coordinate vendor resources supporting outreach and engagement activities, including supporting procurement/RFP development and managing vendor deliverables as needed.

Public Information, Digital Channels, and Partner Enablement

• Develop and execute audience-specific program materials across RHTP channels, including FAQs, newsletters, stakeholder updates, program announcements, website content, social media, webinar materials, and outreach toolkits, using clear and accessible language tailored to each audience.
• Manage RHTP social media and digital content operations, coordinating program updates, FAQs, stakeholder resources, webinars, success stories, and other materials across RHTP websites and DSS-managed platforms.
• Develop and distribute a consistent pipeline of RHTP success stories and program spotlights, highlighting implementation progress and local outcomes from Hubs, providers, community organizations, and rural communities.
• Lead the design and deployment of outreach and implementation toolkits for trusted local messengers, including FAQs, fact sheets, talking points, templates, presentations, and other materials that Hubs, providers, and community partners can use in local outreach.

Stakeholder Engagement and Change Management

• Plan, direct, and execute statewide webinars, roadshows, briefings, and community engagement initiatives to drive organizational change and inform stakeholders of RHTP priorities, opportunities, implementation progress, and available support.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with Local Community Hubs, rural healthcare providers, associations, community organizations, and state government partners, maintaining stakeholder networks and integrating local perspectives into RHTP program planning.

Program Evaluation, Inquiry Management, and Continuous Improvement

• Oversee operations for the RHTP hotline and centralized inquiry channels, establishing workflow processes to provide approved program information, route complex inquiries to RHTO pillar owners, track resolution metrics, and ensure quality assurance.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret stakeholder feedback and operational data across outreach and engagement channels to evaluate program effectiveness, identify recurring policy or implementation gaps, and present actionable recommendations to senior leadership.

Executive Briefings, Legislative/External Affairs, and Media Coordination

• Advise and prepare the RHTO Director and DSS executive leadership for high-level external engagement with the Governor's Office, key healthcare associations, and Missouri's federal and state legislative delegations by preparing executive briefings, policy talking points, presentations, anticipated questions, and official responses in coordination with the DSS legislative liaison.
• Direct proactive media outreach in coordination with DSS executive leadership and communications, identifying program milestones, overseeing press releases and media materials, managing media inquiries, and advancing opportunities to highlight statewide RHTP impact.

Program Governance, Policy Supervision, and Compliance

• Supervise public information policy development, review workflows, and quality control standards across the RHTO, coordinating with DSS leadership, pillar leads, subject matter experts, and legal counsel to ensure full compliance with state and federal laws, CMS/HHS grant terms, accessibility standards, plain-language guidelines, and public-records/retention requirements.
• Monitor program-wide public affairs risks and emerging operational roadblocks, leading rapid-response issue management and escalating critical policy or implementation issues to the Assistant Department Director and RHTO leadership for timely resolution.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications - All you need for success

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree, 5-7 years of relevant experience, and 2-4 years of supervisory experience in program management, public administration, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, healthcare administration, public health, community outreach, marketing/journalism, or a closely related field (Substitutions may be allowed).
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder statewide programs or initiatives from strategic planning through operational execution, including workplan development, risk management, and milestone tracking.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of effective public administration, policy development, and federal/state rules and regulations governing public health or social service programs.
• Demonstrated experience developing and directing multi-channel statewide outreach and public information programs, including newsletters, FAQs, web content, digital campaigns, webinars, media materials, and executive stakeholder briefings.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and policy-translation skills, with the demonstrated ability to synthesize complex program, regulatory, or operational data into clear, plain-language materials and executive recommendations.
• Experience planning, facilitating, and leading statewide stakeholder webinars, roadshows, briefings, and cross-functional engagement activities.
• Ability to manage organizational change, staff/contractor resources, recurring program calendars, and simultaneous high-priority deliverables through formal governance and approval processes.
• Ability to travel periodically throughout Missouri for stakeholder events, roadshows, community engagement activities, and program meetings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading program management, external affairs, and statewide stakeholder outreach for a healthcare, Medicaid, public health, rural health, human services, government, or large-scale transformation program.
• Experience working within state or federal grant-funded programs (such as CMS/HHS awards), with a strong understanding of how federal compliance, budget, and reporting requirements translate into day-to-day program execution.
• Experience working with rural communities, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, public agencies, or statewide stakeholder networks.
• Experience directing media relations, legislative/executive briefings, press releases, executive talking points, and proactive external affairs.
• Experience overseeing a centralized stakeholder inquiry channel, hotline, shared intake workflow, CRM, or quality assurance process, and synthesizing data to inform program planning and prioritization.
• Familiarity with program outreach and engagement performance measurement, including KPI tracking, web analytics, email engagement, event participation, inquiry trends, media coverage, and stakeholder feedback.
• Experience creating partner implementation toolkits and informational materials for local organizations or trusted messengers to use in community-level outreach.
• Familiarity with Missouri's rural healthcare landscape, MO HealthNet (Medicaid), or community-based health and social service delivery.

Lack of post-secondary education will not be used as the sole basis denying consideration to any applicant.

Job Details - More reasons to love this position

The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here.

Contact Details - If you have questions or require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process please contact:

If you have questions about this position, please contact: Human Resources Center at HRC@dss.mo.gov. If you experience accessibility issues while applying, please contact Courtney Hall at Courtney.A.Hall@dss.mo.gov.

Recruitment Area: All qualified applicants.

Application Deadline: November 30, 2026