Deputy State Director of Child Welfare Services

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) is one of the largest state government agencies in South Carolina. Serving children, families, and vulnerable adults, DSS is looking for a dynamic, service-oriented individual to lead the agency's statewide Child Welfare Program. The Child Welfare Services Division is comprised of over 2600 staff in 50 offices across the state. The Deputy State Director of Child Welfare Services will oversee the operations, administration, strategic planning and projects, community services and all program management areas for Child Welfare Services.

DSS is committed to hiring employees that share our core values of serving in our roles with competence, courage, and compassion. The DSS Deputy Director for Child Welfare is an executive level position reporting directly to the overall agency State Director.

We are looking for someone who:

• Possesses proven leadership of large systems and program development qualities.
• Has excellent knowledge of Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to children and family services.
• Has a strong belief in strengthening families and in creating systems that prevent occurrence of child maltreatment and support families in achieving their goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Is versed in building relationships with community partners, state legislators and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to utilize data driven metrics for program assessment and improvement.

Major accountabilities you will be responsible for:

• Providing direction to Child Welfare Operations, Safety Management, Child Health and Well-Being, Permanency Management, Family and Community Services, and Child Welfare Strategic Projects and System Alignment, and ensuring that these divisions are operating in a cohesive manner in compliance with State and Federal policies and regulations.
• Directing the total service operations for the office of Child Welfare Services that operate in full compliance with State and Federal guidelines while offering maximum allowable flexibility to its customers and community partners.
• Analyzing outcomes, processes, and production indicators to identify efficiency and quality trends, and as needed to pro-actively lead improvement actions across all offices of Child Welfare Services.
• Directly hiring, training, supervising, and providing consultation to State Office Child Welfare Services Divisions ensuring compliance with State and Federal policies and regulations
• Participating in the development of child welfare services programs in the community and proactively maintain an effective connection/liaison to the community, provider agencies, and stakeholders.
• Managing and direct the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of Child Welfare programs, policies, and procedures, and promote effective inter and intra agency collaboration. Meet with elected officials and state representatives to address agency needs or to explain the policies, procedures, and practices of the agency.
• Lead efforts regarding the agency’s compliance and progress pertaining to the Michelle H. Settlement Agreement. This includes facilitating partnerships and meetings with co-monitors, plaintiffs, and the federal court. Responsibilities also include representing the agency and its work in periodic federal court hearings.
• Participate in the overall management of the agency through participation on the executive leadership team and through individual consultation with other directors to insure consistency with the agency mission and objectives.

Reasons you might love this work:

• Leading a team of dedicated, relentless employees committed to improving programs designed to improve and support the well-being of children and families.
• Collaborating and impacting organizational change from an executive level.
• Advocating for children and families.

Competencies required for this work:

• Innovation: Imagining and devising new and better ways of doing things.
• Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability.
• Presentation Skill: Formally delivering information to groups.
• Visionary Leadership: Taking a long-term view and building a shared vision with others; acting as a catalyst for organizational change.

Selection Process: This is an unclassified, at-will position, exempt from covered employment status as outlined by the S.C. State Employee Grievance Procedure Act. Not all applicants will be invited to participate in the interview process. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be forwarded for consideration.

Minimum and Additional Requirements

• Master’s Degree and relevant program experience.
• Experience should include responsibility for making decisions affecting the direction of a service delivery program and administrative management including staffing and problem solving.

Additional Comments

The Department of Social Services is mandated by Federal, State, and Local Law to be responsible for coordination of the state's Emergency Operations Plan, Emergency Support Function 6 – Mass Care, and to participate in the South Carolina Emergency Operations Plan's (SCEOP) relief operations for victims of a threatened or actual disaster.