Boston Opioid Settlements Project Director

The mission of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly the most vulnerable. The BPHC envisions a thriving Boston where all residents live healthy, fulfilling lives free of racism, poverty, violence, and other systems of oppression. The BPHC sets an expectation that all staff and leadership commit, individually and as part of the BPHC team, to hold ourselves accountable to establishing a culture of antiracism and advance racial equity and justice through each of our bureaus, programs, and offices.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION

States have reached settlements with opioid companies for their role in contributing to the opioid epidemic. The City of Boston will receive funds from the settlements through 2038. The City currently holds $6M and is slated to receive $22M in total, but that number could be higher pending the resolution of additional settlements. The State of Massachusetts has mandated that cities receiving these dollars should honor the voices of those impacted by the epidemic, prioritize equity, and fill gaps in the existing system. Funds can only be spent on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services. Through summer 2023, BPHC conducted a public engagement process to gather input. The Project Director will play a pivotal role in overseeing the strategic and equitable disbursement of these funds in alignment with the City's health objectives and the public input. Additionally, the role will also be responsible for coordinating reporting, evaluation, and any further public engagement. The State mandate around prioritizing equity aligns with BPHC's

commitment to equity and racial justice. Therefore, the Project Director will uphold these principles in all aspects of their work.

DUTIES

The Project Director will be responsible for development, implementation, evaluation, reporting, and ongoing assessment for the use of opioid settlement funds in Boston.

• Oversee support staff on settlement-related activities. Develop and implement organizational processes that employ equitable decision-making, center community voice, involve key BPHC programs and community partners, and continuously integrates data and evidence.

• Ensure that solicitations, scopes of work, contracting, and funding processes are conducted in a timely manner and advance the equitable procurement priorities of the BPHC.

• Manage contracts and collaborate on management of contracts with bureau staff.

• Establish and convene regularly a Boston Opioid Remediation Advisory Board comprised of key stakeholders and community representatives to gather input on strategies and distribute reporting. Arrange capacity-building and training to keep the board updated about trends.

• Maintain a strong working knowledge of best practices in the field of public health, substance use disorders, and harm reduction, and stay informed of opioid settlement activities in other jurisdictions.

• Plan and develop programs, informed by administration priorities, the community advisory board, and assessment processes.

• Manage and track budgets related to expenditure of settlement funds. Liaise with City and State legal teams to maintain up-to-date forecasts of how much settlement funds will go towards Boston.

• Set implementation plans in coordination with leadership and population priorities.

• Work in a confidential capacity with the supervisor; meet regularly with supervisor regarding all aspects of assigned operations, including matters pertaining to program staff and other confidential matters.

• Collaborate with the BPHC Center for Public Health Science, Technology, and Innovation and any subcontractors on evaluating program performance and impact.

• Ensure that project milestones and deadlines are met, and guide modifications to the project as appropriate.

• Facilitate coordination and integration with key BPHC bureaus and programs, synergizing opioid settlement programming with other bureau programming.

• Complete annual reporting made to the State.

• Coordinate with the Communications Department on any media inquiries, public announcements and reports. Assist with responding to requests for information from funders and other stakeholders. Draft presentations and memos as part of stakeholder engagement.

• Plan and facilitate meetings as needed, including setting agendas and timelines, and documenting plans.

• Support the Office of Recovery Services' seat on the Massachusetts Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, applying any local insights and lessons from Boston's implementation of municipal settlement share.

• Perform other administrative functions and additional duties as required for the successful implementation of the project.