1: Informatics and Data Analytics Strategy - Set shared vision and goals for, and leads implementation of, an agency strategy/roadmap (goals and objectives) to use data and knowledge to improve public health services and enhance population health outcomes. Lead an agency-wide informatics/data strategy team. Work with DSHS IT liaisons, data stewards, state epidemiologist, and executives to understand current and future information needs. Work directly with HHSC/IT leaders to align IT strategic planning with future DSHS business capability needs and expectations. Develop organizational capacity to evaluate and improve data quality and integrity. Carry out complex scientific and informational assessments to support public health priorities and practices, including community health improvement and decision support. Oversee informatics activities, including development of use cases, user stories, business cases, visualization, and workflow analysis. Convene external stakeholders to understand their needs. Work with enterprise agencies to understand the state's data ecosystem. Make connections across datasets and data systems to comprehensively view of public health issues. Supervise the work of others as needed. (30%)

 2: Data governance policies - Oversee and guide the Data Governance Council; and communicate the impact of the Data Governance Council’s work to the DSHS Executive Team. Develop and maintain a DSHS data governance policy(ies) to ensure basic governance of all public health data that are collected and managed by DSHS; and standard practices and procedures that enable data quality, and advanced analytic capacity (including integration of datasets) across the agency. Collaborate with legal and policy units to ensure that legal briefs and policy analyses for major data sets are reviewed and new policy issues (due to legislative or other changes) are addressed. Escalate decisions as needed to the Commissioner. Collaborate with DSHS’ state epidemiologist and data stewards on emerging data issues that proactive governance planning might address. (20%)

3: Data sharing processes and policies - Evaluate agency and stakeholders’ data and analytic product needs; and work with the Data Governance Council, lawyers, and leaders to anticipate and resolve data sharing problems as they arise. Enable data and analytic products to be provided as timely and completely as possible to external partners for appropriate purposes, without compromising privacy and confidentiality concerns. Design workflows and processes that support efficient data management. Ensure data are released and shared in accordance with all existing federal and state laws, rules, and DSHS policies. Serves on a data request review panel. (20%)

 4: Data information systems - Provide strategic assistance to DSHS to assure that data information systems support DSHS and statewide public health programs, policies, research, and evaluation. Collaborate with IT liaisons and data stewards to evaluate current data systems to support data sharing, integration, and collaboration. Facilitate collaboration across divisions to ensure diverse data system and users’ needs are understood to inform system development and improvement. Collaborate with the HHSC/IT Governance staff as needed. (15%)

5: Strategic engagement - Convene DSHS communities of practice. Represent DSHS at business meetings with internal/external stakeholders, conferences, legislative sessions, and committees. Foster positive relationships with national organizations, states and localities, and informatics innovators to share information, and identify best practices to apply in Texas. Ensure internal and external written and oral communications are customer-focused, accurate, compelling, concise, use plain language, and follow all DSHS policies and standards. (10%)

6: Other - Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to: actively participate and support the agency’s obligations for disaster response and recovery; and Continuity of Operations (COOP). The office actively participates in response activities which may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. (5%)     

Knowledge of health, healthcare and public health data, programs and practice

Knowledge of strategic planning, and project management

Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations relevant to department programs

Knowledge of principles and methods related to research, reporting requirements, analytics, data management and data governance

Knowledge of information technology systems for data collection, management, analysis and reporting

Knowledge of principles of leadership and how to lead diverse teams

Skill in clear and concise written and oral communication, including strong ability to make executive level presentations

Strong skills in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders

Skill in identifying problems, evaluating alternatives, and negotiating and implementing cost effective solutions

Skill in managing multiple and competing priorities

Skill in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects

Skill in establishing plans and setting objectives and goals that support informatics, data governance, information technology, and business strategy

Ability to build and maintain successful working relationships with staff at all levels of DSHS and other agencies, providers, and diverse customers

Ability to apply best practices and methods to continually improve data governance policy and procedures

Ability to gather, assemble, correlate and analyze facts to identify problems, and develop workable solutions

Ability to analyze complex information and exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions or recommendations 

Ability to plan, assign and supervise the work of others.

Ability to direct and organize informatics and data governance activities and business functions