Advancing Equity and Sustainability in Workforce Development

The City of Long Beach, CA's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is committed to addressing workforce disparities and ensuring equitable access to public health careers. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop and implement workforce development strategies that accelerate efforts to promote diversity, improve recruitment and retention, and establish a resilient talent pipeline. Ultimately, this initiative will help DHHS build a workforce that reflects Long Beach's diversity, fostering equitable public health services and long-term capacity to serve underserved communities.

Fellowship Dates: April 28, 2025 - April 24, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for the City of Long Beach, California is navigating challenges in internal workforce development, particularly in addressing the needs of its underserved and vulnerable populations. Systemic racial and economic disparities persist that leave many low-income residents, particularly communities of color, disproportionately affected by barriers to health services, employment opportunities, and equitable healthcare. Workforce instability has been exacerbated by recent funding cuts and inconsistent resources, contributing to higher turnover rates and insufficient long-term sustainability of qualified employees for DHHS's programs. Furthermore, mental health issues, succession planning, and vicarious trauma among staff from the after effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to strain the department's ability to effectively engage with and serve its community.

To address workforce development issues and elevate the city's economic development, Long Beach developed a 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, 2030 Strategic Vision, and 2021-2025 Workforce Development Plan that include strategies such as mentorship programs, job shadowing, and workforce goals tied to reaccreditation processes for employees to improve retention. However, DHHS still faces hurdles in developing a more robust workforce infrastructure that can sustain these initiatives, particularly in effectively engaging the community and aligning the efforts of various stakeholders within the city and community. DHHS is currently working to identify strategies in alignment with workforce development goals that build collaborations with local institutions to build a talent pipeline to attract and retain talent.

The City of Long Beach will partner with FUSE to develop a workforce pipeline development strategies focused on addressing the department's equity goals and long-term capacity needs. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and stakeholder engagement sessions, research effective workforce development models, and develop a plan to enhance recruitment, retention, and talent pipelines. The Fellow will also work to implement performance management systems and metrics aligned with the city's broader strategic goals and identify opportunities to engage with local educational institutions and community organizations to further these goals. Ultimately, this will help Long Beach build a more resilient workforce that reflects the diversity of the community and fosters equitable health outcomes for its most vulnerable populations through implementation of the DHHS Strategic Plan.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in May 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work to create a workforce pipeline development strategies for the City of Long Beach's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The first few months of the Fellowship will be dedicated to gaining a thorough understanding of the department's current workforce challenges, including recruitment, retention, and the overall health outcomes of Long Beach residents. The Fellow will conduct a landscape analysis and listening tour with key stakeholders such as DHHS leadership, community-based organizations (CBOs), local educational institutions, and workforce development partners. These sessions will aim to gather input on current workforce gaps, including barriers faced by underserved populations such as low-income communities and communities of color in accessing public health careers. The Fellow will also research best practices from other communities on workforce development, particularly those that center equity. By the end of this period, the Fellow will also work with DHHS to develop and finalize specific project goals and deliverables, which DHHS leadership will review and approve.

The Fellow will then focus on designing and implementing workforce development strategies. This will include developing new initiatives such as an internal mentorship and job shadowing program to promote career pathways within DHHS, particularly for BIPOC and low-income populations. The Fellow will work closely with local schools, colleges, and workforce development organizations to strengthen partnerships that can help build a talent pipeline aimed at attracting and retaining qualified candidates. Additionally, the Fellow will collaborate with city leadership to identify pain points in the recruitment process and propose improvements to streamline hiring interns and full-time staff. The Fellow will also design and implement performance management systems and metrics to measure key outcomes such as staff and intern satisfaction, and community representation within the workforce. The Fellow will ensure that all strategies designed and implemented align with the broader city goals outlined in Long Beach's 2021-2026 Strategic Plan and 2021-2025 Workforce Development Plan, particularly around equity and economic development goals.

By April 2026, the Fellow will have developed key strategies and action plans that improve recruitment and retention, created clear career pathways, and engaged the local community in workforce development initiatives. The Fellow will lead the implementation of these strategies, ensuring buy-in from internal and external stakeholders. To support the sustainability of these efforts, the Fellow will work to institutionalize workforce development practices through policy recommendations and long-term partnerships with educational institutions and community organizations. The Fellow will also explore funding opportunities to support these initiatives beyond the Fellowship period, ensuring the workforce development program remains resilient and adaptable to future challenges.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

By April 2026, the Executive Fellow will have overseen the following:

• Developed a Workforce Pipeline Development Strategy: Designed and launched a plan that includes initiatives for recruitment, retention, and the creation of a diverse talent pipeline in alignment with DHHS's equity goals.
• Strengthened Educational and Community Partnerships: Built new partnerships with local schools, colleges, and CBOs to create internship opportunities, job shadowing, and mentorship programs that ensure the talent pipeline aligns with the department and community's needs.
• Increased Readiness to Engage Students: Built internal capacity to support internship opportunities throughout the organization through creation of staff training, templates, protocols, and public relations collateral as examples.
• Implemented Performance Management Systems: Established systems to monitor workforce development progress, including metrics for staff promotion, diversity, and job satisfaction, and began tracking these metrics to inform future program improvements.
• Institutionalized Workforce Development Practices: Created policy recommendations and frameworks for long-term workforce development efforts within DHHS, including regular engagement with community partners to ensure the workforce reflects the diversity of Long Beach.
• Secured Funding and Resources: Identified external funding opportunities and partnerships to ensure the sustainability of the workforce development initiatives post-Fellowship.
• Prepared for the Future: Identified and shared industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in recruitment and workforce development, providing analysis of future workforce needs.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Executive Sponsor - Alison King, Director, Department of Health and Human Services
• Project Supervisor - Cynthia Howell, Health Workforce Officer, Department of Health and Human Services

QUALIFICATIONS

• Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
• Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
• Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
• Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
• Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
• Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
• Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.