Federal Health Program Modernization Director

Guidehouse; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Discretionary bonus potential

Mobility stipend

Job summary

Guidehouse seeks a senior leader to drive transformations in federal health advisory, partnering with clients to deliver multi-contract programs for HHS and ACF. You will grow the practice, lead dynamic teams, manage contracts end-to-end, and ensure compliant, on-time results while developing new business opportunities and thought leadership.

You will oversee engagements across child welfare, program integrity, and operational modernization, steering executive-level discussions and ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; public health, business, organizational development or related fields preferred.
• 12+ years of total experience in industry or consulting; internships excluded.
• 10+ years supporting public sector agencies, including experience with HHS.
• Experience with child welfare, human services, or related programs.
• Proven ability to lead new business pursuits and proposals; strong client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of ACF and federal human services engagements and consulting staff to meet contractual deliverables.
• Strategize with teams on project approaches, manage risk, and ensure high-quality delivery.
• Build trusted executive relationships with ACF and federal clients.
• Oversee contract and project finances to deliver on budget and schedule.
• Develop new business, thought leadership, and domain expertise in child welfare and program integrity.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client relationship management

Program/project management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (nice to have)

Job description

Job Family:

Strategy & Transformation Consulting

Travel Required:

Up to 10%

Clearance Required:

Ability to Obtain Public Trust

What You Will Do:

As a leader within the Guidehouse Federal Health Advisory practice, you will partner with clients to drive impactful transformations in support of HHS and Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) mission to promote the economic and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities. You will be responsible for growing a book of business, building trusted client relationships, leading dynamic teams, and delivering transformative project results across ACF and related federal human services programs. You will oversee all aspects of the development and delivery of contracts and projects, including child welfare program modernization, program integrity and fraud, waste, and abuse mitigation, organizational strategy and evaluation, operational improvement, workforce and leadership development, stakeholder engagement, communications, and change management. This role involves leading multiple concurrent contracts and regularly interacting with executive-level clients to ensure successful, high-quality project delivery. Applicants must have extensive experience as a consulting or public sector leader and trusted advisor to public sector executives, with required experience supporting child welfare, human services, and fraud, waste, and abuse-related initiatives.

Client Relationship Management and Engagement Delivery

• Lead with Vision: Actively manage a portfolio of ACF and federal human services client engagements and consulting staff, ensuring all contractual requirements and deliverables are met.
• Be a Strategic Partner: Strategize with consultant teams on project approach, facilitate communications, and manage risk across engagements.
• Serve as a Trusted Advisor: Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with ACF and federal human services client executives.
• Be a Good Steward: Manage all aspects of project financials and deliver all projects on budget and on schedule.
• Champion Compliance: Maintain and promote compliance with contractual, regulatory, and internal policy requirements.

New Business Development

• Drive Growth and Sales: Be personally engaged in and accountable for growing the practice at a rate of $10M+ in annual new business for the firm.Serve as the lead executive for new business opportunities.
• Pioneer Thought Leadership: Help build the Guidehouse brand across ACF and federal human services clients by developing white papers, attending conferences, and creating solutions and methodologies focused on child welfare, program integrity, operational modernization, and fraud, waste, and abuse mitigation.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert: Serve as a content and domain expert for ACF and human services client challenges, including child welfare operations, program integrity, fraud, waste, and abuse, organizational effectiveness, and facilitation of high-stakes meetings.

Consulting Staff Leadership

• Build Strong Teams: Provide direct line management for consultants assigned to owned client engagements.
• Help Grow Careers: Lead career development, advocacy for, recruitment of, and retention of members of the Federal Health Advisory team.
• Mentor and Coach Staff: Train and onboard new team members.
• Shape Team/Firm Culture: Provide a vision for developing and sustaining an authentic, collaborative, and performance-oriented culture.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in public health, business administration, organizational development, or related fields.
• Required experience supporting fraud, waste, and abuse prevention, detection, program integrity, improper payment reduction, or related compliance initiatives.
• 12+ years of total experience, including industry or consulting experience, excluding internships, part-time roles, co-ops, fellowships, and academic research.
• 10+ years of experience supporting public sector agencies, including required experience with HHS.
• Required experience supporting child welfare programs, child and family services, or related human services programs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead new business pursuits and proposals with proven results.
• Excellent program/project management skills with demonstrated experience leading large multi-disciplinary teams across a range of projects.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong business relationships with senior executive clients.
• Well-rounded leadership skills to provide strategic, analytical, and operational direction to teams.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Master's degree, preferably in public policy, public administration, social work, public health, business administration, organizational development, or related fields.

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Student Loan PayDown
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer-Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.

All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or [e-mail]. Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse. Note that Guidehouse will never charge a fee or require a money transfer at any stage of the recruitment process and does not collect fees from educational institutions for participation in a recruitment event. Never provide your banking information to a third party purporting to need that information to proceed in the hiring process.

If any person or organization demands money related to a job opportunity with Guidehouse, please report the matter to Guidehouse's Ethics Hotline. If you want to check the validity of correspondence you have received, please contact [e-mail]. Guidehouse is not responsible for losses incurred (monetary or otherwise) from an applicant's dealings with unauthorized third parties.