Title: Division Director, Sr. (Division of Family Services) #W0246

State Role Title: Gen Admin Manager III

Hiring Range: Up to $170,000/yr. (commensurate with experience)

Pay Band: 7

Agency: Department of Social Services

Location: DSS HOME OFFICE

Agency Website: www.dss.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

At the Virginia Department of Social Services, we put people at the center of everything we do. We believe that every Virginian can live a life of dignity and that all voices, ideas and experiences contribute greatly to our pursuit of excellence. Inspired by continuous improvement, we commit ourselves to listening, learning and cultivating environments of trust, respect and positive engagement. Together, we are mission-driven, eager to achieve, and passionate about bringing the best of who we are to those we serve.

We design and deliver high-quality human services that help Virginians achieve safety, independence and overall well-being. We are a $2 billion agency – one of the largest in the Commonwealth of Virginia – partnering with 120 local departments of social services and 31 community action agencies, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children, adults, and families statewide. We proudly serve alongside 1,650 (state) and 12,200 (local) human services professionals throughout the Social Services System, who ensure that thousands of Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens have easy access to the services and benefits available to them.

In addition to a rewarding work experience, VDSS offers excellent health and life insurance benefits, pre-tax spending accounts, state funded Short and Long Term Disability, paid holidays, vacation, tuition assistance, free wellness programs, and a state retirement plan with options for tax-deferred retirement savings including employer matching – Employee Benefits.

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), Division of Family Services is currently seeking a Division Director Sr. The Family Services Division Director position reports to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Community Services and participates as a member of the Leadership Team to fulfill division and agency objectives as established by the Commissioner and the Executive Team. This senior leadership position is responsible and accountable for the core responsibilities related to the program management, workforce management, and financial management of the Family Services division and provides operational and strategic direction to multiple functional areas including Protection, In-Home, Permanency, and Operations. The Family Services Division Director oversees division-wide operations and has authority and responsibility for the strategic direction of the division’s mission and the outcomes of division performance.

This position oversees comprehensive Protection, In-Home, Permanency and associated fiscal and business operation programs in alignment with the strategic goals of the agency, directs and manages the staff of Family Services, including supervision and development of direct reports, manages and ensures the integrity of the division’s budget, and works in conjunction with the Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner on the division’s legislative, budgetary, and strategic planning processes.

The Division Director Senior position may be distinguished from the Division Director position based on the division’s complexity, size, span of control, budgetary responsibility, consequence of error, organizational impact, decision-making authority, and the scope of duties assumed.

A. Complexity
The Division Director Senior has a high degree of independent judgment in the management of the Division of Family Services to ensure children in the Commonwealth are safe, achieve permanency, and have improved well-being. There is a high degree of independent judgment in ensuring that programs are operated in compliance with state and federal regulations and laws. High level of complexity requiring analysis of varying data, child welfare programs, legislative and regulatory changes, and multiple federal and state-level budget funding sources.

B. Division Size
142 Full-Time Employees (FTE)/40 Wage Employees/30 Contractors

C. Span of Control
The Division Director Senior directly supervises senior leaders within the Division including Assistant Directors, special project managers and a budget manager along with an administrative specialist. This position is responsible for the influence and motivation of 250 people within the Division who are responsible for leading, managing, and ensuring compliance of child welfare programs. This position manages an array of child welfare programs (Child Protective Services (CPS), In-Home Services, CPS & Adult Protective Services State Hotline, Foster Care, Adoption, Resource Family, ICPC, ICAMA, Office of Family Violence, Business/IT operations, Quality Assurance and Accountability, title IV-E funding and laws, federal reporting and compliance, and all associated administrative functions to manage the Division and programs.

D. Budgetary Responsibility
Administrative Budget of $9.7M; Federal and State Appropriations in excess of $280M. The position is responsible for maximizing federal dollars and ensuring transparency and integrity with all fiscal matters.

E. Consequence of Error
The Division Director Senior is responsible for ensuring compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations; failure to do so may result in loss of federal funding or severe adverse reactions on children and families.

F. Organizational Impact
The Division of Family Services is one of the core program areas of the Department. Child welfare services are state supervised and locally administered. The Division Director Senior is responsible and accountable for the core responsibilities related to program management, workforce management, and financial management the Division. The Division Director Senior influences and motivates local departments of social services to ensure child welfare programs are in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations and that local departments are meeting agency, state, and federal goals and outcomes.

G. Decision-making Authority
The Division Director Senior has the authority to commit the Department to a future course of action. Final decisions that impact the programs within the Division of Family Services.

Minimum Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of the Commonwealth’s state supervised, locally administered human services delivery system.
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to human services delivered through the Virginia Social Services System.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with colleagues, decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, state, federal, and local agencies, public officials, community groups, other division directors, employees, and the general public.
  

Key Competencies:

Leading Change - the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this leadership competency is the ability to establish a direction for the division and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

Leading People - the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this leadership competency is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

Results Driven - the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this leadership competency is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying functional and technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

Business Acumen - the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

Building Coalitions - the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, or nonprofit and private sector organizations to achieve common goals.

Additional Considerations

• Working knowledge of child welfare services programs delivered through the Virginia Social Services System.
• Experience with managing in a state or local human services environment. Experience with managing in a state supervised and locally administered human services system.

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.

The selected candidate is required to file a Statement of Economic Interests form pursuant to the Code of Virginia § 2.2-3114, as a condition of employment. The filing must be completed on or before the first day of employment and annually thereafter on or before February 1. The selected candidate is required to complete the Statement of Economic Interest training within 2-months of becoming a state filer and at least once during each consecutive period of two calendar years commencing on the first odd-numbered year thereafter. For more information, please visit http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/.

Selected candidate(s) must successfully pass a fingerprint-based criminal history background check. A record of criminal history does not automatically bar an applicant from consideration. Employment verification will be conducted to include current/previous supervisory employment reference checks.

VDSS will record information from each new employee’s Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) into the Federal E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Please be advised that this position may be approved to work onsite for two days per week and work remotely for three days per week.

Selected candidate may be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

Frequent in-state, overnight travel may be required. Selected candidate(s) may be required to use their personal vehicle or state vehicle as available for business use.

To be considered for this position, you must submit a Commonwealth of Virginia application or resume through the on-line “Virginia Jobs” (PageUp) employment site no later than 11:55 p.m. on the closing date listed. Each application is reviewed for documentation that shows the applicant meets the minimum and additional considerations as stated in the job announcement. The decision to interview an applicant is based on the information provided. Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment within 90 days of the closing date.

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages diversity within its workforce.

VDSS does not provide sponsorship.

VDSS is an official certified state agency that values the service and experience of our Veterans. As such, Veterans are encouraged to apply and receive preference in the hiring process. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other national service alumni also are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants, if requested, during the application and/or interview process.

If you have been affected by Policy 1.30 Layoff as a state employee and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Form) or a Preferential Hiring Card (Blue Card), you must submit this document through the “Virginia Jobs” (PageUp) employment site when you apply.

Contact Information

Name: VDSS - Division of Human Resources

Phone: dssrecruitment@dss.virginia.gov

Email: dssrecruitment@dss.virginia.gov

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.