Job Description
Position Title: Rural Health Transformation Program Project Manager
Salary: $120,000 - $130,000, depending on experience (plus benefits)
Position End Date: 6/30/2026
Location: Kentucky Department of Public Health (hybrid)
About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $740 million. The CDC Foundation managed over 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year.
Overview:
The CDC Foundation is seeking a mission-driven and highly organized Program Project Manager to support the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program (RHT). The Kentucky RHT is a statewide initiative funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to transform healthcare delivery across rural Kentucky. The program operates across five interdependent initiatives — Rural Community Hubs, PoWER (perinatal health), Rapid Response to Recovery (behavioral health and crisis care), Rooted In Health (integrated/oral health), and Crisis To Care (community trauma care and EMS) — coordinated by a central program office. This role sits at the center of that coordination.
The RHT Program Project Manager is responsible for driving the day-to-day operational effectiveness of the RHT Program Office. This position ensures that cross-initiative workstreams stay on track, milestones are monitored and reported, stakeholder communications are coordinated, and the program is positioned for successful CMS compliance and long-term sustainability.
The ideal candidate brings a blend of healthcare program management expertise, strong organizational skills, and the interpersonal fluency to work across state agencies, contractors, community partners, and federal stakeholders.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, business, or a related field.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in program or project management, preferably in a healthcare or public health setting.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects with competing deadlines.
• Strong proficiency with project management tools and MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level materials.
• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced, evolving program environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in public health (MPH), health administration (MHA), or related field.
• Experience working with Medicaid, CMS, or other federal health programs.
• Familiarity with rural health systems, community health workers, or behavioral health services.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management credential.
• Prior experience in a state government or government-adjacent program environment.
Responsibilities:
Project Planning & Milestone Tracking
· Maintain and update the master RHT program workplan across all five initiatives, tracking deliverables, timelines, and dependencies.
· Coordinate initiative leads to ensure milestone reporting is accurate, timely, and aligned with CMS expectations.
· Identify risks and delays early and escalate with proposed mitigation strategies to the Deputy Program Director.
· Support preparation of quarterly and annual program reports for CMS submission.
Cross-Initiative Coordination
· Facilitate regular cross-initiative team meetings, preparing agendas, capturing decisions, and driving action item follow-through.
· Serve as a connective tissue across RCH, PoWER, RRR, RIH, and CTC workstreams to surface shared challenges and opportunities.
· Coordinate with the Technology and Data Solutions Lead to ensure data collection and reporting pipelines support program monitoring needs.
Stakeholder & Partner Engagement
· Support the Deputy Program Director in managing relationships with state agency partners including CHFS, DPH, OATS, and others.
· Coordinate communication and logistics for partner convenings, site visits, and stakeholder briefings.
· Liaise with the Content Lead to ensure consistent, timely external communications and program updates.
Budget & Contract Coordination
· Work alongside the Director of Finance and Contract Specialist to track budget utilization against program workplan.
· Support subcontractor coordination, including tracking deliverable completion and facilitating payment documentation.
· Assist with procurement processes and vendor onboarding as needed.
CMS Compliance & Reporting
· Maintain organized program documentation to support CMS audits, site visits, and reconciliation requests.
· Assist in preparing materials for CMS reviews, including staffing reconciliations, progress narratives, and data exhibits.
· Monitor federal guidance updates and flag relevant changes to program leadership.
Special Notes:
This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and Kentucky Department for Public Health in order to best support the Kentucky Department for Public Health in their public health programming.
This position is currently a hybrid position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.
The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.
Relocation expenses are not included.
