Title: Local Government Opioid Settlement Liaison [Remote]

State Role Title: Prog Admin Specialist II

Hiring Range: $70,000-$85,000

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Opioid Abatement Authority

Location: Richmond Central Office

Agency Website: www.oaa.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

A unique opportunity exists to join the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority’s (OAA) high performance team as a full-time (salaried) Local Government Opioid Settlement Liaison. The purpose of the OAA is to abate and remediate the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth through financial support in the form of grants, donations, or other assistance, for efforts to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use and misuse. The OAA is an independent authority, governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors and all of its employees are considered At-Will. Additional information is available on OAA’s website (https://www.oaa.virginia.gov/about/).

The OAA is seeking an experienced professional to serve as a full-time (40 hours per week) Local Government Opioid Settlement Liaison supporting cities and counties in OAA’s Central Region of Virginia. A map and list of the cities and counties in this region is available on OAA’s website: (https://www.oaa.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/oaa/pdf/Local-Govt-Liaison---CentralMap.pdf).

The candidate must:
• live in one of the OAA Central Region’s cities or counties,
• be able to work remotely from home,
• have a valid Virginia driver’s license,
• be able to travel within the region regularly
• be able to travel occasionally (sometimes overnight) to the OAA office in downtown Richmond and to other parts of the state for workshops, conferences, OAA events, etc.

The OAA will provide:
• technology (laptop, cell phone, etc.) for work,
• an agency vehicle,
• per-diem and lodging for any overnight travel.
The ideal candidate will have expertise in local government, public health, grants management, financial planning, and/or community engagement, with proven experience in managing government-funded programs, budget development, and stakeholder communication. This position provides technical assistance and support to local governments, state agencies, and community organizations. This position does not provide direct services to people with, at risk of, or recovering from substance use/mental health disorders. In addition to supporting local governments, this position will also provide some limited support to state agencies.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Support and Administration:
• Guide local governments, state agencies coalitions, and service providers (virtually and in-person) through the OAA grant process, including applications, funding models, and reporting requirements.
• Provide education on grant policies, budget management, and financial strategies.
• Review and evaluate grant applications, work with applicants to resolve issues, provide funding recommendations (cities and counties)
• Review and evaluate award proposals, work with applicants to resolve issues, provide funding recommendations (state agencies)

Stakeholder Engagement:
• Serve as a liaison to local governments, community service boards, state agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Conduct presentations to elected and appointed officials, coalitions, and community organizations.

Program Development:
• Support the creation of sustainable abatement strategies aligned with opioid settlement funds.
• Review and evaluate grant and award reports, track objectives and performance measures, and ensure compliance with terms and conditions including site visits and performance audits.

Research and Reporting:
• Develop reports, analyze data, and share findings to highlight program successes and areas for improvement.
• Assist local governments in “telling the story” of their abatement projects.

This position requires a strong personal and professional commitment to building relationships across the Commonwealth with local and state government representatives, service providers, patient advocates, law enforcement personnel, and numerous other stakeholders. Diplomacy and a focus on customer service are expectations.

The OAA is staffed with a small team of flexible, hard-wording professionals who are committed to the mission of saving lives and helping communities recover from the opioid epidemic. OAA staff exemplify stewardship of public trust, guard against waste and inefficiency, and perform duties in a transparent manner. The team is tightly connected and very collaborative. All staff members “wear multiple hats” and willingly and proactively complete a wide variety of duties as needed. The team environment requires all employees to bring ideas forward and help identify creative solutions.

The OAA offers the challenge and opportunity of public service, work-life balance, and an attractive compensation package inclusive of paid time off, paid holidays, as well as the Commonwealth’s health, dental, and life insurance, retirement options and more. Compensation including base pay, bonuses and pay increases are established by the Board of Directors.

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience with local government operations including the roles and functions of towns, cities, counties, community service boards, health districts, constitutional officers, etc.
• Demonstrated experience in grant management, program administration, and/or public health.
• Experience with substance use disorder abatement programs, which may include prevention, harm reduction, treatment, criminal justice diversion, and/or recovery.
• Excellent communication skills in writing and public speaking, including developing and leading training, technical assistance, and/or presentations in person or via virtual platform to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to establish strong relationships with key customers, including but not limited to Virginia local governments, state agencies that provide medical and behavioral health services, as well as non-profit and private entities.
• Demonstrated ability to read, interpret and apply state and federal laws, guidelines, and regulations.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint as well as Adobe Acrobat.
• Maintain residence and home office in city or county in OAA Central Region.

Additional Considerations

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university in a related field (public administration, human services, psychology, counseling, social work, healthcare), or equivalent applicable experience and training.
• Experience advising and/or creating partnerships with local governments and/or regional organizations.
• Experience working with Virginia state agencies.
• Knowledge of behavioral health trends, public policy, and opioid settlement processes.
• Experience in reviewing programmatic requests and/or grant submissions to evaluate and assess the requests, screening those requests against a set of priorities, and developing recommendations.
• Certification as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES)
• Working knowledge of medication treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder.
• Considerable expertise and in-depth experience with substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Special Requirements
Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service’s Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHS IG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, or other background checks prior to employment may be required for certain positions.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

For any technical assistance with the jobs.virginia.gov website, please contact applicantinquiry@dhrm.virginia.gov.

Contact Information

Name: Cara Moisan

Phone: N/A

Email: cmoisan@voaa.us

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.