TN Healthy Schools Specialist

Join Us! 

At Action for Healthy Kids®, we don't just talk about improving student health - we build the networks, tools, and partnerships that make it happen. Join us and take the lead in driving meaningful change that reaches kids, families, and entire school districts. 

We're seeking a Healthy Schools Specialist (TN only) to support school districts participating in a new rural school health initiative across Tennessee through coaching, partnership development, technical assistance, and systems-level school health improvement. If you're passionate about whole child health, relationship-building, and helping communities create sustainable change for students, AND you reside in Tennessee, we'd love to meet you.

About Us 

Action for Healthy Kids is a national non-profit organization raising the bar on the health of the whole child to extraordinary levels across the country. AFHK mobilizes school professionals, families, and communities to take actions that lead to healthy eating, physical activity, and healthier schools where kids thrive. We partner with dedicated volunteers - teachers, students, moms, dads, school wellness experts, and more - from within the ranks of our 140,000+ constituency to create healthful school changes. We are committed to impacting holistic changes, focusing on serving students from under-resourced communities. 

To learn more, please visit us at www.ActionforHealthyKids.org. 

About the Role & Work Structure  Reporting to the Director, District Impact Network, the Healthy Schools Specialist plays a central role in supporting rural Tennessee school districts as they assess needs, develop locally driven action plans, implement evidence-informed policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies, and build sustainable systems that advance whole child health.

Work Structure & Environment 

• Full-time, exempt, grant-funded position (up to five years or until grant funding ends)
• Remote Tennessee-based position
• Standard business hours (Monday-Friday) with flexibility as needed to collaborate across time zones and support district and partner needs

Physical Demands 

• Primarily desk-based with extended seated work 
• Regular computer use and virtual meetings 
• Light items typically handled (e.g., notebooks, reports, small equipment) 

Travel 

• Regular travel throughout Tennessee, including rural communities for district meetings, site visits, partner engagement, trainings, and convenings
• Travel may comprise up to 25% of work time

What You'll Do 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned rural Tennessee school districts, providing consistent virtual and in-person support through onboarding, district meetings, site visits, action planning, and technical assistance
• Build and strengthen relationships with district leaders, health advisory councils, family-facing organizations, and community partners
• Facilitate partnership meetings and community listening opportunities to inform locally driven planning and implementation
• Support districts in using tools and data sources such as WellSAT, the School Health Index, Coordinated School Health data, wellness policy reviews, readiness findings, and community input to identify priorities and track progress
• Provide coaching, technical assistance, and professional learning to support evidence-informed PSE strategies across nutrition, physical activity, emotional and behavioral health, substance use prevention, and family and community engagement
• Help districts effectively manage grant-funded activities by reviewing action plans and budgets, monitoring milestones and deliverables, and troubleshooting implementation barriers
• Partner with AFHK's Research & Evaluation team to support data quality, documentation, reporting, and continuous improvement efforts
• Plan and help deliver Tennessee-based communities of practice, regional convenings, localized summits, and peer learning opportunities
• Support sustainability efforts by helping districts embed effective practices into policies, partnerships, and operating routines
• Connect districts to AFHK's District Impact Network and other organizational supports
• Serve as an ambassador for AFHK by identifying opportunities to engage additional Tennessee districts, partners, and stakeholders
• Contribute implementation updates, outcomes, and success stories for grant reporting, donor stewardship, and funder engagement activities

What You'll Bring to the Role 

• Bachelor's degree in public health, education, school health, health promotion, community health, social work, or a related field required
• Master's degree preferred
• Five or more years of experience in school health, public health, education, community health, or nonprofit program implementation
• Experience working directly with school districts, schools, or community-based partners preferred
• Experience providing coaching, facilitation, technical assistance, and action-planning support
• Knowledge of policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches to health improvement
• Familiarity with wellness policy implementation, WellSAT, the School Health Index, Tennessee Coordinated School Health, or related school health frameworks preferred
• Experience supporting grant-funded programs, reporting, progress monitoring, and continuous quality improvement preferred
• Strong project management, facilitation, written communication, and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and virtual collaboration platforms
• Experience with Salesforce, SharePoint, project management tools, or data dashboards is a plus
• Current residence in Tennessee required
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout Tennessee
• To succeed in this role, you'll bring:
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to build trust with district leaders and community partners
• A collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to supporting schools and communities
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and district partnerships independently while maintaining strong follow-through
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Comfort using data and community input to inform planning and decision-making
• A commitment to continuous learning, improvement, and equitable outcomes for students
• Passion for the mission of Action for Healthy Kids and advancing whole child health

What You'll Gain at AFHK 

• A grant-funded position, up to 5 years (or if/until grant ends)
• Competitive salary: $60,000 - $70,000 annually 
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match 
• Comprehensive benefits: Medical (with employer contribution) and employer-funded HRA for qualifying plans; FSA, dental (with employer contribution), vision (with employer contribution
• Additional coverage: basic life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability, accident & critical care insurances, all of which are employer-funded. Supplemental life/AD&D available at employee cost
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
• Generous time off: Flexible PTO, paid parental leave, holiday closures 
• Annual stipends: Wellness, Connectivity, & Home Office Setup 
• Professional development support 

Equal Opportunity: Action for Healthy Kids is committed to fair and inclusive hiring practices. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other protected status under applicable law.

Work Authorization: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor employment visas for this role. 

Employment Terms: This role is offered as an at-will position, meaning employment may be terminated by either the employee or employer at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable laws.