Career Opportunity

Director of Jail Health Services (0943 Manager VIII) - Department of Public Health - EXEMPT

Recruitment: RTF0163725-01088993

Published: February 19, 2026

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.

• Application Opening: Thursday, February 19, 2026
• Application Deadline: Application filing will close on or after Thursday, February 26, 2026.
• Salary: $238,342 - $304,122 Annually
• Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt
• Recruitment ID: PEX-RTF0163725-01088993

Becoming a City employee means being a part of a team that cares about making a difference. Your work will shape both the present and future of San Francisco. When you work for the City, you’re choosing a job with purpose.

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.

SFDPH is intentionally evolving toward a department-wide, performance-managed operating model, requiring senior leaders who can set direction, drive execution, and deliver results across a highly complex public health and healthcare environment.

Role description

The Director of Jail Health Services (JHS) is a senior physician executive responsible for leading and overseeing healthcare administration, operations, and delivery across four San Francisco County jail facilities. This role ensures that JHS fulfills its mission of delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to individuals in custody, while advancing public health principles within the criminal justice system.

As a key member of the Department’s executive team, the Director sets strategic direction, oversees all JHS service lines, including medical, nursing, behavioral health, pharmacy, dental, and clinical support - and ensures compliance with local, state, and federal regulations governing correctional healthcare. The position optimizes systems and workflows, and fosters integration with other units, sections, and divisions of the San Francisco Health Network (SFHN) to create a seamless continuum of care.

The Director collaborates extensively with City and County leadership, the Sheriff’s Department, and other stakeholders to address complex operational, fiscal, and policy challenges with significant implications for health equity and patient outcomes. Decisions made in this role have significant impact on patient safety, organizational integrity, and public confidence in correctional healthcare.

The Director of Jail Health Services (0943 Manager VIII) performs the following essential job functions:

Healthcare Administration and Compliance

• Serves as the designated health services administrator responsible for coordinating all levels of healthcare delivery in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, while ensuring adherence to community standards of patient care and safety.
• Reviews and coordinates SF Sheriff’s Office (SFSO) healthcare policies and procedures; interprets policies, procedures, and regulations, and assesses the impact of pending and approved healthcare or corrections legislation on incarcerated individuals.
• Manages and directs the JHS communicable disease program, coordinating with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), San Francisco DPH Communicable Diseases branch, and San Francisco Department of Human Resources (DHR) to protect incarcerated populations, employees, and the broader San Francisco community.
• Leads policy planning and implementation to ensure effective JHS operations.

Administrative and Fiscal Management

• Plans, organizes, and directs the central administrative support services for JHS, including contract management, budget development, procurement, personnel administration, program planning and evaluation, and management information systems.
• Develops, supervises, and administers the JHS budget of $55 million, and collaborates with the finance unit to manage the division’s fiscal program, including preparation of the annual budget with justifications for personnel, capital outlay, and operating expenses.

Interagency, Committee, and Community Engagement and Collaboration

• Serves as an integrated partner with all San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) divisions, including SFHN, Behavioral Health Services (BHS), and Population Health (PHD), working with clinical and administrative leadership and staff to meet the healthcare needs of incarcerated individuals in SF County Jail.
• Represents JHS in matters related to detention and healthcare across City departments, including the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Department of Homeless and Supportive Health (HSH), Health Services Administration, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
• Serves as DPH liaison with the City Attorney’s Office, Courts, Public Defender, Adult Probation, and San Francisco Police Department on criminal justice issues.
• Participates in state and national committees on correctional health care and serves on SFHN and Ambulatory Care committees.

The Director of Jail Health Services (0943 Manager VIII) may perform other duties as assigned/required.

How to qualify

License and Certification:

• Possession of a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Degree from an accredited college or university; AND possession and maintenance of a current/valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California; OR
• Possession of a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) Degree from an accredited college or university; AND possession and maintenance of a current/valid license to practice medicine issued by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California;

AND

• Possession of a Board Certification or Board Eligibility in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine

AND

• Possession and maintenance of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license

Experience: Five (5) years of verifiable professional healthcare management experience in a correctional facility.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

One-year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).

Condition of Employment: Security Clearance
Security clearance as issued by the Sheriff’s Department is required as a condition of employment for all positions at the Jail Health Services. Eligibles who have successfully participated in the examination process, received passing scores, and have been selected for hire will be required to obtain the security clearance prior to appointment. A photocopy of the security clearance must be provided to the supervisor on or before date of hire. Failure to demonstrate/show proof of security clearance may result in a dismissal and/or termination of employment.

Verification of Education and Experience:
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

What else should I know?

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Where to Apply
All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment. Please consider using a personal email address that you check regularly rather than a work or school account.

Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.

Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the analyst, Jerome Anabu at Jerome.Anabu@sfdph.org or (628) 271-6813.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.