Bahar Niakan

Bahar Niakan serves as the Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer (Deputy CHCO) and Director for Strategic Initiatives for the Department of Health and Human Services(HHS). She also serves as the Initiative Lead for the Maximize Talent Initiative under ReImagine HHS, a robust transformation effort to improve the Department’s ability to enhance the health and wellbeing of all Americans. As the Deputy CHCO, Ms. Niakan is responsible for spearheading transformational and strategic initiatives for all aspects of HHS human resources and human capital management, with a focus on optimizing HR service delivery, modernizing HR Information Technology, and improving the employee performance and engagement culture at HHS.

Ms. Niakan has over 20 years of public and private sector experience in management and operations, including human resources and human capital management. Prior to joining the HHS Office of Human Resources in 2017, she served as the Director of Policy and Information Coordination, and then Director of Management, for the Health Resources and Services Administration at HHS; the Director of Management Policy for the HHS Office of the General Counsel; and the Director of Human Resources Solutions in private industry, providing contract HR and operations support to Federal agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Agriculture. Ms. Niakan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative International Development from Johns Hopkins University.