Vice President, Behavioral Health

THE POSITION 

Required Qualifications 

Coordination across state agencies, federal partners, and multistate initiatives 
• Demonstrated expertise in key behavioral health policy and systems areas, such as 
systems of care, Medicaid, and managed care delivery models, service outcomes, 
workforce development, and responsive care 
• Demonstrated success in securing and stewarding external funding, including 
developing funding strategies, leading proposal development, and maintaining 
federal, state, and/or foundation-funded programs 
• Experience in behavioral health policy analysis, program evaluation, or applied 
research, including at least five years of experience using qualitative and/or 
quantitative methods to inform systems improvement and decision-making 
• Commitment to consumer- and family-centered approaches in behavioral health 
policy and program development 
• Deep understanding of the Western U.S. context, including frontier and rural challenges, 
state policy environments, and the role of Interstate collaboration 
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse populations in behavioral health 
systems, including engagement with community-based and tribal partners 
• Strong communication and influence skills, including the ability to translate complex policy 
and research into clear, actionable guidance for policymakers, practitioners, and behavioral 
health leaders 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate across sectors, including work with state 
agencies, federal partners, higher education institutions, researchers, and governing or 
advisory bodies 
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams, including supervising staff, delegating effectively, 
and driving high performance 
 
The ideal candidate will bring expertise in several of the following areas: 
 
• Behavioral health systems and policy, including public behavioral health systems at the 
federal, state, and local levels; Medicaid and managed care; and policy and financing 
mechanisms such as waivers 
• Priority behavioral health domains, including serious mental illness, substance use 
disorder, suicide prevention, crisis systems (e.g., 988, mobile crisis, Crisis Now), and 
integrated behavioral health and primary care 
• Service delivery models and populations, including rural, frontier, and remote systems; 
Indigenous and tribal behavioral health systems (including Indian Health Service and 638 
systems); and familiarity with Pacific Island contexts 
• Research, evaluation, and workforce development, including program evaluation, 
needs assessment, community-engaged research, policy analysis, and behavioral health 
workforce initiatives 
     

Preferred Areas of Expertise 

• Leadership and implementation, including strategic planning, facilitation, multi-entity 
collaboration, grant administration, and experience as a principal investigator or co
principal investigator 
• Federal and national engagement, including experience working with agencies such as 
SAMHSA, HRSA, NIH/NIMH, CMS, and related organizations 
• Doctoral degree in a behavioral health, public health, policy, or related discipline 
• Experience leading multi-layered teams, including supervision of senior managers 
• Fiscal oversight experience involving annual budgets or revenue exceeding $10 million 
• Experience in business development, acquisition of new work, and revenue generation  
• Experience working at the intersection of behavioral health and higher education, including 
partnerships with colleges and universities on workforce development, research, or 
training initiatives 
• Strong professional network within behavioral health, higher education, policy, and 
governmental sectors 
• Experience engaging with public officials, governance boards, and legislative processes  
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative, interdisciplinary, and team-based initiatives 
across multiple organizations and stakeholder groups 
• Strong strategic thinking, facilitation, communication, and relationship-building 
• skills 
 
The successful candidate will bring strong strategic, operational, and people leadership, along with 
the political acumen to work effectively across complex intergovernmental environments. They 
will build trust and engagement across diverse stakeholders while advancing behavioral health 
policy, research, and systems improvement in alignment with WICHE’s organizational priorities.

 
 
Preferred Qualifications and Leadership Attributes 

Organizational Leadership Expectations 
 
This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary range is $160,000 – $178,000. WICHE offers a 
competitive benefits package that includes medical insurance with a generous employer 
contribution to a health savings account (HSA); dental, life, and disability insurance; flexible 
spending accounts (medical and dependent care); a 403(b) retirement plan with a 200% employer 
match on employee contributions up to 5% after six full months of employment; and paid 
vacation, sick and personal time, as well as paid family leave.  
 
The Vice President is expected to travel approximately 40%+.