Chief Operations Officer - Core Operations Director

State of Minnesota; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 125,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation and sick leave

12 paid holidays per year

Low-cost medical, dental, vision plans

Pension plan

Job summary

The Chief Operations Officer position at the Minnesota Department of Health is a senior leadership role focused on strengthening agency operations through strategic vision and efficient management. You will oversee human resources, finance, facilities, emergency preparedness, and public health strategy while ensuring compliance and effective use of resources.

As a member of the executive team, you will translate Commissioner goals into actionable plans, build partnerships across programs, and

Qualifications

• Five years of senior management experience leading large state agency operations or equivalents.
• Experience directing human resources, financial management, facilities management, and emergency preparedness.
• Ability to translate executive vision into actionable agency objectives and programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and set priorities for the Health Operations Bureau.
• Architect strategic priorities and optimize resource allocation.
• Lead governance, compliance, and partnership efforts to advance public health missions.
• Develop proactive strategies to keep operations agile, resilient, and efficient.
• Establish and maintain effective internal and external relationships.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategic planning

Executive communications

Cross‑functional collaboration

Public health

Job description

Chief Operations Officer - Core Operations Director

Working Title: Chief Operations Officer
Job Class: Core Operations Director
Agency: Health Department

• Job ID: 97491
• Location: St. Paul
• Full/Part Time: Full-Time
• Regular/Temporary: Unlimited
• Who May Apply: This vacancy is open to all qualified job seekers.
• Date Posted: 10/21/2026
• Closing Date: 11/10/2026
• Hiring Agency: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
• Division: Executive Office
• Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift / 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Days of Work: Monday - Friday
• Travel Required: Yes - Up to 25% of the time
• Salary Range: $59.86 - $85.63 / hourly; $124,987 - $178,795 / annually
• Classified Status: Classified
• Bargaining Unit/Union: 220 - Managerial Plan

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well‑being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

Job Summary

Join a mission‑driven executive team at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) where your expertise will contribute to protecting, maintaining, and improving the health of all Minnesotans!

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) acts to strengthen and develop organizational capacity in agency operations through strategic vision and efficient operational management. This position translates the goals of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner into actionable strategies by ensuring efficiency, driving effectiveness and compliance, and creating pathways for implementing best practices.

The COO oversees agency operations, including human resources, financial management, facilities management, emergency preparedness and response, public health strategy and partnership, and organizational wellbeing and employee experience. The position fosters collaboration with all program areas across the agency to ensure a positive relationship between optimal performance and operational excellence is present while also maintaining a focus on compliance and efficiency of resources.

Working as the Chief Operations Officer, you will:

• Provide both internal and external executive leadership through setting priorities and focusing resources.
• Architect strategic priorities and optimizing resource allocation to advance business objectives.
• Provide executive stewardship, visionary leadership, and strategic command of the Health Operations Bureau.
• Architect proactive, forward‑looking strategies to ensure agency operations remain agile, resilient, and responsive to shifting socio‑political landscapes and public health priorities, while institutionalizing best‑in‑class industry standards.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships and partnerships.
• Lead the Bureau in efforts to protect, maintain, and improve public health.

In accordance with HR/LR Policy #1422 Telework, this position is eligible for up to 50% telework for applicants who live in Minnesota or in a bordering state within 50 miles of the assigned work location. The telework policy may exempt employees who live more than 50 miles from their primary work location from the 50% in‑office requirement, depending on job requirements, helping the State of Minnesota access top talent across the state.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year of each job held.

Five (5) years of senior management experience sufficient to plan, organize, and direct operational resources, including human resources, financial management, facilities management, emergency preparedness and response, public health strategy and partnership, and organizational wellbeing and employee experience, to achieve full productivity under changing circumstances including experience in the following areas:

• Leading or directing programs within a large state agency or other large organizations with significant statutory, fiscal, and compliance obligations.
• Leading multidisciplinary teams, including responsibility for performance management, workforce direction, and cultivating an inclusive, high‑performing organizational culture.
• Serving as a trusted strategic advisor and partner, delivering high‑level counsel and direction to executive leaders and senior management.
• Overseeing business operations, driving policy integration and legislative alignment to maximize the mission of the organization.
• Employing persuasive executive communication to cultivate an agile, empowered bureau culture that proactively identifies and responds to organizational demands.
• Experience leading one or more of the following functions:
  • Human resources
  • Financial management
  • Facilities management
  • Crisis preparedness and national emergency response
  • Organizational wellbeing
  • Government‑to‑government partnerships
  • Large public health program

A degree in Public Administration, Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources or closely related public health field may substitute for experience as follows:

Doctorate = twenty‑four (24) months

Qualifications to be further assessed during the interview process:

• Ability to operationalize executive vision into actionable agency objectives.
• Ability to mobilize agency workforce to accelerate key operational priorities established by executive leadership.
• Ability to direct and optimize the agency’s enterprise operational architecture and core functions which include:
  • Fiscal stewardship and federal compliance
  • Long‑range capital planning, acquisition strategies, and lifecycle asset management for MDH physical infrastructure
  • Advancing an end‑to‑end human capital management framework
  • Crisis preparedness protocols and national emergency response
  • Cultivating high‑impact, government‑to government partnerships
  • Synchronizing agency‑wide project management frameworks application portfolios
  • Elevating workforce culture, optimizing employee engagement, and institutionalizing holistic well‑being initiatives.
• Ability to establish robust internal control frameworks to ensure absolute alignment with state and federal compliance mandates, optimizing funding utilization while strictly mitigating state and federal audit exposure.
• Ability to collaborate with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to execute horizon scanning and predictive analysis, formulating mitigation strategies for emerging operational vulnerabilities while positioning the bureau to capitalize on strategic opportunities.
• Ability to employe persuasive executive communication to cultivate an agile, empowered bureau culture that proactively identifies and responds to agency demands.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in public health or public health administration in a government setting, including policy development, financial management, regulatory activities, and program delivery.
• Previous executive experience managing core operational functions, including strategic planning and directing the work of managers, professionals, and technical staff in a state agency or other large public sector organization.
• Experience in evaluating new legislation, policies, procedures, and rules and interpreting them to analyze organizational fiscal and policy impact.
• Experience responding to media requests, public meetings, orally or in writing, with skill in at risk communication, with the ability to respond nimbly during interviews, public meetings, and other spontaneous settings.
• Degree in Public Administration, Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources or another closely related public health field.

Additional Requirements

• This position requires successful completion of a background check and employment reference check.
• This employment does not require a valid driver’s license, but it does require travel, which the candidate will be responsible for meeting.
• MDH does notparticipatein the federal E‑Verify program and is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas, including F‑1 STEM OPT extensions, and cannot complete Form I‑9 or any other documentation requiring employer participation in E‑Verify. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application.

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation for an interview, you may contact the Department of Health ADA Coordinator at [e-mail] .

About Health Department

Come work for one of the best public health systems in the nation and you will contribute to our mission to protect, maintain and improve the health of all Minnesotans. We are working hard to achieve our vision for health equity in Minnesota, where all communities are thriving, and all people have what they need to be healthy. Our collaborative, mission‑driven work environment is a major factor in promoting a high level of employee health awareness, employee longevity and job satisfaction.

Working together to improve the state we love.

What do Minnesota's State employees have in common?

• A sense of purpose in their work
• Connection with their coworkers and communities
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth

As an employee, you'll have access to one of the most affordable health insurance plans in Minnesota, along with other benefits to help you and your family be well.

Your benefits may include:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low‑cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
  • Fertility care, including IVF
  • Diabetes care
  • Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short‑term and long‑term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax‑free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care
• Resources that provide support and promote physical, emotional, social, and financial well‑being

Support to help you reach your career goals:

• Training, classes, and professional development
• Federal Public Service Loan ForgivenessProgram (Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov )

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support:

• A voluntary confidential program that helps employees and their families with life challenges that may impact overall health, personal well‑being, or job performance
• Common sources of stress can be addressed through the EAP: mental health, relationship challenges (personal and work), grief and loss, finances, and legal issues
• Daily Living/Convenience Services: Chore services, home repair, trip planning, child/elder care

Programs, resources and benefits eligibility varies based on type of employment, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service with the State of Minnesota.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS

Minnesota state agencies are equal opportunity, affirmative action, and veteran‑friendly employers. State agencies are committed to creating a workforce that reflects the diversity of the state and strongly encourages persons of color and Indigenous communities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply. The varied experiences and perspectives of employees strengthen the work we do together and our ability to best serve Minnesotans.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex