We are looking for a Senior Director, Mental Health to build and lead Surgo Health’s mental health portfolio, with a particular emphasis on youth mental health in the United States and United Kingdom.
In this brand-new role, you will be the strategic and operational leader for a growing portfolio of mental health projects, including the US Youth Mental Health Tracker, a new UK mental health initiative, and future programs with philanthropic, non-profit, and public sector partners. You will set the vision and roadmap for our mental health work, lead and grow a high-performing team, grow our portfolio, and serve as a key external ambassador to funders, policymakers, advocates, community organizations, and other partners.You are critical to ensuring we turn Surgo’s behavioral data and AI-driven insights into real-world impact: informing philanthropic strategy, shaping policy, guiding program design, and ultimately improving mental health outcomes - especially for historically underserved communities.
Set the vision and strategy for Surgo’s mental health portfolio
- Develop and own the overarching strategy for Surgo’s mental health work and products, with a focus on youth mental health, foundational data sets, product-first engagements, and scalable social impact.
- Translate Surgo’s behavioral data assets, products, and AI capabilities into a clear portfolio of mental health offerings for philanthropic, non-profit, and public sector partners.
Lead a portfolio of mental health projects
- Oversee end-to-end delivery of key initiatives, including the US Youth Mental Health Tracker, a new UK mental health project, and additional programs as the portfolio grows.
- Lead, mentor, and grow a cross-functional team (e.g., behavioral scientists, data scientists, policy experts, program managers) working across mental health projects.
- Ensure projects are designed and executed to generate rigorous, actionable insights and tangible change in policy, funding, and practice.
- Provide strategic guidance on study design, insight generation and translation of data to maximize impact.
Drive growth of Surgo’s mental health portfolio
- Identify, shape, and pursue new opportunities with philanthropic, non-profit, and public sector partners aligned with Surgo’s data-focused mission and capabilities.
- Work closely with partners to understand their strategic priorities and pain points, and co-develop work that leverages Surgo’s data and tools to address them.
- Lead the development of concept notes, proposals, and pitch materials that clearly articulate Surgo’s value proposition in mental health.
- Help inform Surgo’s product and data roadmap based on insights from the field and partner feedback.
Advance thought leadership and influence
- Develop compelling presentations, briefs, and reports that translate complex data and insights into clear, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences.
- Contribute to thought leadership through public speaking, publications, and other external engagements on youth mental health, behavioral drivers, and equity.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MSW, PhD, MD, MPP, MBA with relevant focus) strongly preferred.
- 10–15+ years of experience in mental health, public health, health equity, philanthropy, social impact consulting, or a closely related field.
- Deep familiarity with the mental and behavioral health data landscape in the US.
- Demonstrated ability to identify critical data gaps and design strategies to address them (e.g., new data collection, data linkage, segmentation, novel analytics, or partnerships).
- Proven track record of using data and insights to shape funding decisions, strategy, policy, or program design in mental health or related areas.
- Strong familiarity with the US mental health landscape, including key actors, policies, delivery systems, and inequities; exposure to UK or other international contexts is a plus.
- Excellent client and partner-facing skills, including relationship-building, and negotiation.
- Entrepreneurial mindset, self-motivated, and excited to build something new in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Experience managing and growing high-performing, interdisciplinary teams.
Location & Travel
- Location: Washington, DC (in office 2 days/week)
- Travel: Some domestic and occasional international travel expected (e.g., partner meetings, field visits, conferences)
- Fantastic, fun and collaborative colleagues; opportunity to solve tough challenges in healthcare
- Ability to be entrepreneurial and tremendous opportunities for growth
- Public Benefit Corporation with an impact and equity mission
- Competitive compensation and health benefits
- Generous PTO
- Highly competitive 401K
- Professional Development opportunities
Surgo Health is committed to fair, equitable, and transparent practices. Compensation packages are based on several factors such as skill set, prior relevant experience, education, certifications, and market considerations. In addition to base compensation, individuals may be eligible for annual performance-based bonuses and equity (if applicable). We aim to pay salaries that are competitive, benchmarked against companies that are similar in stage, size, and market to Surgo Health.
Our hiring philosophy
We hire for passion and core competencies. We look for problem-solvers and lateral thinkers. We love it if you have done different things with your time. If you think you are ideal for this position, write to us even if your experience doesn’t match all the requirements listed above.
Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy
Surgo believes a diverse, inclusive staff makes a stronger team and more impactful organization and we are committed to building and developing this team and environment. Qualified people of all races, ethnicities, cultures, ages, sex, genders, sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions, languages, social class, marital status, religions, veterans status, and disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
