In order to be consider for this job, you must apply within MN Merit, which is offered online. Click to apply, Link to MN Merit System application center.

The Public Health Educator plays a key role in advancing community health through education, outreach, and collaboration. This position is ideal for a self-starter who thrives in dynamic environments, brings creative energy to community engagement, and enjoys building programs from the ground up.

The Public Health Educator is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating a variety of health promotion and education initiatives. This includes designing and executing community-based programs, coordinating youth engagement efforts, and organizing larger-scale events that connect residents, partners, and resources. The position requires a motivated individual who can work independently, manage multiple projects and deadlines, and maintain a clear sense of priorities while ensuring accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of their work.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of this role. The Public Health Educator will build and maintain strong working relationships with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations across the county and region. They will not hesitate to make cold connections and establish new partnerships that strengthen collective impact. In addition, the Public Health Educator will facilitate advisory committees, work sessions, and community planning efforts to ensure initiatives are informed by local voices and grounded in shared goals.

Strong organizational skills are essential, including the ability to keep thorough records, track progress toward goals, and maintain documentation for reporting and evaluation. The Public Health Educator will contribute to and follow program budgets and workplans, ensuring that resources are used effectively and initiatives are aligned with broader organizational priorities.

Ultimately, this position calls for someone who is curious, adaptable, and community-minded — someone who can see opportunities, turn ideas into action, and help move health initiatives from concept to impact.



Job Summary

To perform professional and administrative work as it relates to developing, implementing, and evaluating public health initiatives across various areas of responsibility for governmental public health in the state of Minnesota. This position gathers, analyzes, and utilizes relevant public health data to guide communications, decision-making, and program planning, engages community partners in ways that promote positive population health and wellbeing, prevents and controls the spread of infectious disease, prepares for and responds to emergencies, and contributes to strong community health systems by playing a lead role in the community health assessment and improvement planning process.
 

Supervision Received

Employees working in this job class work under general supervision and usually receive some instruction with respect to details of most assignments, but are free to develop their own work sequences within established procedures, methods, and policies. They are often physically removed from their supervisor and are only subject to periodic supervisory checks.  
 

Supervision Exercised

No formal supervisory authority.  

Essential Functions

This position description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other essential and nonessential functions as assigned or apparent to meet the ongoing needs of the department and organization. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential requirements of this position.

1.    Address issues of health disparities and the social determinants of health as they manifest within a local and regional context.
2.    Gather, analyze, and present public health program data using a variety of primary and secondary sources.
3.    Contribute to the development of the Aitkin County Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. 
4.    Collaborates and builds trust-based working relationships to promote the establishment of effective health education and emergency preparedness programs in the community through contacts with a variety of agencies, groups, and individuals.
5.    Lead local workgroups and coalitions by facilitating regular meetings.  This includes setting the meeting agenda, taking notes, distributing minutes, following up on action items, and managing membership for the groups. 
6.    Develop, organize, facilitate, deliver, and evaluate public health-related courses, trainings, and workshops to accomplish community health education objectives.
7.    Develop, plan, and deliver health, wellness, and/or emergency preparedness courses, classes, and events for target audiences. 
8.    Promotes programs to ensure all potentially eligible participants are aware of the program.
9.    Participate in local, regional, and statewide groups and coalitions that align with the goals of the assigned program areas.
10.    Provide accurate and timely data for grant reporting and budgeting.
11.    Research and write grants to supplement and further the goals of the Public Health Department and the Community Health Improvement Plan. 
12.    Work with supervisor, regional and state consultants, and grant program managers to develop relevant annual grant workplans and budgets for local public health, the Community Health Board, and Minnesota Department of Health. 
13.    Develop effective education materials and campaigns and provide information on public health initiatives via program flyers, handouts, print media, radio, and social media. 
14.    Work within existing partnerships and coalitions to effectively inform the community about public health initiatives and programs. 
15.    Evaluate the success of programming using surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other assessment tools. 
16.    Develop and maintain local emergency preparedness plans to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters that affect the health of the public.
17.    Oversee and/or manage Emergency Preparedness databases in appropriate Minnesota Department of Health systems. 
18.    Organize, deliver, and/or participate in leadership, training, and coordination activities with county, regional, state, and tribal partners.
19.    Plan, exercise, monitor, respond to, recover from, and evaluate any emergency incidents requiring a public health response.
20.    Serve as an on-call (24/7) public health contact for responding to emergencies such as natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks. 
21.    Performs other related duties as assigned or apparent.
 

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college/university with a major in public/community health, health education, communication, education, social sciences, or a related field.
An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job may be considered.
Valid Minnesota driver’s license is required. Employment reference checks and a criminal background check will be performed as part of the pre-employment process.
 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

Knowledge of:
1.    County and departmental programs, policies, procedures, and practices
2.    Federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations relevant to the work performed in this position
3.    Core principles of public health and considerable knowledge of the principles of assigned areas
4.    Full range of community resources, both within and outside of Aitkin County H&HS
5.    Emergency Preparedness
6.    Emerging public health challenges, health equity, and the social determinants of health 
7.    Community-centered approaches to public health promotion and education 

Skill in:
1.    Building and maintaining collaborative partnerships 
2.    Developing and facilitating workgroups and collaboratives
3.    Capacity building
4.    Community engagement 
5.    Data analysis and interpretation
6.    Understanding of health and behavior trends, research, and best practices
7.    Event planning and delivery
8.    Interpersonal, oral, and written communication sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction
9.    Leadership
10.    Public speaking and presenting
11.    Organization, prioritization, and time management 
12.    Volunteer management
13.    Using Microsoft Office, Adobe, desktop design, and other software programs as necessary

Ability to:
1.    Work positively in a team environment, presenting a positive attitude and promoting a spirit of teamwork and cooperation 
2.    Communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and community partners 
3.    Multi-task and manage multiple activities, projects, and assignments following correlating guidelines
4.    Facilitate meetings and collective decision-making processes 
5.    Demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to create, implement, and adapt to new ways of doing things 
6.    Work autonomously and exercise independent judgment, while yielding to guidance when necessary and recognizing when supervisor input is necessary. 
7.    Function constructively during conflict resolution 
8.    Identify relevant and current public health information, data, and best practices 
9.    Prepare and use educational materials and equipment effectively
10.    Make decisions in crisis or emergency situations 
11.    Prepare accurate and timely records and reports 
12.    Interpret and convey information, policies, and legal requirements regarding Public Health and Public Health programs to local citizens, organizations, or elected officials
13.    Travel around county, region, and/or state to attend meetings, conferences, and to provide education. Travel may, on occasion, require an overnight stay
14.    Complete responsibilities during evening and/or weekends, when required or requested

 

Language Skills

Very High Skills – Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical publications, financial reports, and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries, concerns, or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write materials and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format and are considerate of the intended audience.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or governing boards.  
 

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
 

Reasoning Skills

High Skills – Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient at using the following software:  
                                 
County Payroll Software E-time, Internet, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, PowerPoint, Nightingale Notes, SharePoint, RedCap, Canva, Adobe, Savance, and other program-specific software.        
 

Ability to Travel

Ability to travel around county and region to attend meetings and provide education.  Ability to travel and stay overnight for conferences throughout the state and, rarely, out of state. 
 

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should consistently demonstrate the following competencies (definitions attached or available upon request):

Ethics, attendance/punctuality, safety and security, dependability, analytical, design, problem solving, project management, technical skills, customer service, interpersonal skills, oral communication, written communication, teamwork, change management, leadership, quality management, business acumen, cost consciousness, diversity, organizational support, judgment, motivation, planning/organizing, professionalism, quality, quantity, adaptability, initiative, strategic thinking, visionary leadership, innovation, flexibility, and crisis management.
 

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
 

Equipment and Tools

Computer, copier, fax, scanner, VPN, cell phone, telephone, printer, 10-key calculator, plotter printer, presentation equipment, projector, county-owned vehicles, and personal vehicle (requires proof of insurance on file).
 

Physical Activities/Requirements

Climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, use of fingers, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions. Must have the ability to lift and/or carry up to 50 pounds.  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee performs light work, exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.  If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.  

Working safety is a condition of employment. Aitkin County is a drug-free and alcohol-free workplace.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by employees assigned to this job classification. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Aitkin County reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice

The County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
 

11/2024

Our Vision: We strive to be a county of safe, vibrant communities that place value on good stewardship of local resources.

Our Mission: Aitkin County’s mission is to provide outstanding service in a fiscally responsible manner through innovation and collaboration with respect for all.

Our Core Values: Collaboration, Innovation, Integrity, People-Focused, Professionalism