Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services
Responsibility
Management Scope

The office includes approximately 700 employees and a $1.2 billion budget.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serves as the secretary’s lead for public health emergencies and disasters.
• Organizes and coordinates the department’s response to emergencies.
• Leads the nation in preventing, responding to and recovering from disasters.
• Oversees the office’s range of activities from policy development and operational disaster response to advanced development of medical countermeasures, both for biodefense and for naturally occurring diseases.

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Ability to stay collected in national emergencies
• Policy experience
• Basic understanding of issues in preparedness and in responding to disasters
• Understanding of public health and healthcare systems
• Leadership and oversight experience in responding to public health crises
• Background in medicine (a plus)
• Ability to understand, learn and handle basic scientific and economic challenges involved in countermeasure development

Competencies

• Excellent leadership skills
• Ability to work under pressure

Past Appointments
  • Nicole Lurie (2009 to 2017) – Physician and Senior Natural Scientist and Professor of Health Policy at the RAND Corporation; Internationally renowned health services researcher and health policy expert, including in public health preparedness; Senior Editor for Health Services Research and President of the Society of General Internal Medicine5
  • W. Craig Vanderwagen (2005 to 2009) (Original Officeholder) – Physician and Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service; Director, Primary Care and Public Health for the Ministry of Health in Iraq; Physician, Indian Health Service6 7
AGENCY

Department of Health and Human Services

Mission: To enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans by providing effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health and social services.1

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)3

REPORTS TO

Secretary of Health and Human Services4

SENATE COMMITTEE

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

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Footnote
  1. Partnership for Public Service agency profile
  2. http://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/nicole-lurie/index.html
  3. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  4. http://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/orgchart/index.html
  5. http://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/nicole-lurie/index.html
  6. https://www.c-span.org/person/?wvanderwagen
  7. http://www.martin-blanck.com/bio_craig-vanderwagen.php
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