Health Navigator - $29.87 Per Hour

Organizational Summary  

San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) envisions a future where health justice is achieved for all people living with or at risk for HIV. Ultimately, we strive for a day when race is not a barrier to health and wellness, substance use is not stigmatized, HIV status does not determine quality of life, and HIV transmission is eliminated. 

Our mission is to promote health, wellness, and social justice for communities most impacted by HIV through sexual health and substance use services, advocacy, and partnership. 

Our strategic plan includes an articulation of its five key values, which are the foundation for its work and its employees:  Justice, Dignity, Courage, Leadership and Excellence. We need passionate agents of social change, vanguards of public health, and practitioners of racial justice to join our fight. 

Position Overview:  

The Health Navigator is a key member of SFAF’s Programs team, responsible for facilitating seamless access to HIV prevention, care, and supportive services across the agency and with external partners. This position combines client engagement, benefits coordination, and service navigation to support individuals accessing PrEP, HIV care, sexual health services, behavioral health, community supports, and other health-related resources. 
 
As a welcoming first point of contact at both our Howard Street and Castro locations, the Health Navigator ensures a warm, respectful, and safe environment while helping clients understand and access available services. This role supports the flow of daily operations, connects individuals to internal and external resources, supports benefits and entitlements access, and maintains clean, well-organized shared spaces. The position is grounded in harm reduction, health equity, and person-centered care. 

Essential Duties:  
 

• Health & Resource Navigation: Provide warm referrals and supporting medication access relevant to Magnet and SFAF's scope of care. 

• Client Engagement & Service Flow: Greet and engage clients and visitors in person and by phone. Assess needs, provide accurate information and referrals, and guide clients to appropriate internal programs or external resources. Register clients and check them into appointments as needed. 

• Environment Oversight: Maintain a clean, welcoming, and safe front-of-house environment at 940 Howard Street and Strut. Prepare lobby areas daily, monitor bathrooms and common areas, manage distribution of snacks and goods, and ensure accurate and up-to-date display of literature and materials. 

• Community Expectations & De-escalation: Uphold SFAF’s Community Expectations through respectful and consistent engagement. Provide de-escalation and crisis intervention support when needed, ensuring a trauma-informed and culturally competent approach. 

• Collaborative Support & Follow-up: Work closely with the nursing, clinical, and other Programs teams for referrals and linkage, coordinate follow-up, and co-manage care plans that promote client retention and engagement in services. 

• Administrative: Provide administrative assistance to the Housing and Financial Benefits program.  
   

Other Responsibilities: 
 

• Education & Outreach: Participate in community education efforts, including conducting outreach to community-based organizations, supporting off-site events, and promoting SFAF’s services. 

• Administrative Support: Provide administrative assistance such as tracking referral data, data entry, appointment scheduling, and supporting supervisors and program managers with operational tasks. 

• Testing & Counseling Support: Offer client-centered HIV/HCV/STI counseling and testing, as trained and assigned by program needs. 

• Logistics & Communication: Receive and distribute packages, assist with calendar and room reservations as appropriate, and coordinate daily communication across staff to ensure smooth service flow. 

• Crisis Support & Safety Monitoring: Monitor shared spaces for safety and wellness, establish daily bathroom access protocols, and collaborate with Facilities and Janitorial staff to address emergent issues.  

 

Essential Qualifications: 
 

• Knowledge & Expertise: 
  Demonstrated knowledge of HIV, HCV, and STI prevention, transmission, and treatment. Familiarity with PrEP, nPEP, and HIV linkage-to-care systems, including public and private benefits such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California, ADAP, and PrEP-AP. Understanding of the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Community Health Network and HIPAA compliance. 

• Client Engagement & Harm Reduction: 
  Strong ability to engage with diverse communities, including those disproportionately affected by HIV, using a nonjudgmental, harm reduction approach. Able to discuss sex, sexuality, and substance use openly and respectfully. Skilled in motivational interviewing and client-centered communication. 

• Cultural Humility & Language: 
  Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred. Demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, with experience working alongside Black, Latinx, Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and other marginalized communities. Ability to navigate conversations around stigma and health disparities with empathy and professionalism. 

• Communication & Facilitation Skills: 
  Excellent interpersonal and intercultural communication skills. Comfortable speaking with individuals one-on-one or facilitating conversations in group settings. Experience in outreach, education, and presenting to community partners or large groups is preferred. 

• Organizational & Administrative Skills: 
  Proven ability to manage multiple tasks with competing priorities in a fast-paced, client-facing environment. Experience with data entry, service documentation, appointment scheduling, and administrative support. Strong follow-through, problem-solving skills, and a high degree of reliability and professionalism. 

 

Supervision: N/A 

 

Physical Requirements and Work Environments:  
 

Skill in operating equipment such as a personal computer, copy machine and telephone system.  Ability to assist the Peer Ambassadors team in packing/unpacking event materials and setting up rooms for groups. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The position may have exposure to blood borne pathogens and other infectious agents 

 

Education and Experience: 
   

Required: 

• High school diploma or equivalent with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience; or bachelor’s degree with 2 years of relevant experience. Relevant experience may include work or volunteer roles in community health, sexual health education, benefits navigation, or outreach with marginalized populations. Degree in health education, public health, social sciences, or a related field. 

Highly Regarded:  

• Current California Certification as an HIV Counselor (or willingness to obtain within 6 months of hire). 

• Experience working with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities; Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary individuals; and individuals with Limited English Proficiency. 

• Experience in event planning, group facilitation, health education, or volunteer coordination. 

• Bilingual fluency in Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Cantonese, and/or ASL is strongly preferred. 

 

This position will have access to protected health information (PHI) and may only access, use or disclose the minimum information necessary to perform their designated role on behalf of San Francisco AIDS Foundation, regardless of the extent of access provided. 

 

Work Environment: 

This position is co-located between 940 Howard and 470 Castro Street, San Francisco, however it may occasionally require traveling to other office locations or off-site meetings as required by the job. Role may include evening and weekend coverage. 

 
The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for personnel so classified.  
 

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: 
SFAF is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package for our full-time employees. These include: 
 
Vacation + Leave 
24 days of combined Paid Time Off/Sick Time Off for the first two years of employment 
29 days of Paid Time Off/Sick Time Off after two years of employment 
14 paid holidays per year 
 
Retirement 
403(b) Plan – SFAF matches employee contributions (1 to 1) up to 3% of salary 
 
Health Coverage 
Flexible Spending Account to set aside employee pre-tax dollars for unreimbursed medical and dependent expenses. 
Medical insurance - premium fully/partially paid by SFAF for employee (Kaiser Permanente HMO, Sutter Health Plus HMO) 
Vision insurance – premium fully paid by SFAF for employee (MetLife) 
Dental insurance – premiums fully/partially paid by SFAF for the employee (MetLife Insurance) 
 
Employee Sponsored Care 
Plume - Gender Affirming Care 
Maven – Family Forming benefits 
 
Life Insurance + Disability + Family Leave 
Life Insurance and AD&D insurance – Employer Paid: 100% of salary, up to $100K (MetLife) 
Long term disability insurance (MetLife) 
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA), Pregnancy-Related Disability Leave (PDL), as applicable 
  
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: 

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is an Equal Opportunity employer. We actively seek applications from people living with HIV/AIDS, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ individuals and people of color. 

 

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  

 

Application Process: 

 

Please visit our careers page at:  

http://www.sfaf.org/about-us/careers/ 

 

POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED 

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE