Administrator of Adoption

the South Dakota State Government•Statewide, SD

10h•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Social Services’ Division of Child Protection Services seeks an experienced leader to direct and oversee statewide adoption and post-adoption services. The Administrator provides centralized supervision of adoption supervisors, adoption workers, and program specialists; ensures consistent application of adoption policy; and leads improvements that promote timely permanency for children. This statewide leadership role builds a cohesive, accountable, and data-informed adoption system across all regions. The Administrator provides strategic oversight of adoption services, supervises staff, implements and monitors policy, and oversees quality assurance and compliance. The role directs resource allocation and operational efficiency, ensures the accuracy and integrity of adoption data in FACIS, collaborates with CQI partners, and works with courts, tribes, and community partners. The Administrator also oversees the statewide program budget, makes operational decisions, refers major programmatic or agency-wide decisions to senior leadership, manages staff performance, represents adoption services in collaborative forums, and supports a culture of accountability, child-centered decision-making, and continuous improvement. This is a full-time, 40-hours-per-week position with the South Dakota Department of Social Services. The position is exempt from the Civil Service Act and is eligible for Veterans’ Preference. Applicants must apply online and attach a resume. Successful applicants must undergo a background investigation and abuse and neglect screening, and must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States. The State uses E-Verify and does not sponsor work visas.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social or behavioral sciences, human services, business administration, public administration, education, public health, or a related field; comparable leadership experience in program or operations management may be considered instead of the educational requirement.
Knowledge of adoption practice, permanency standards, federal and state regulations, and child welfare policy frameworks.
Ability to provide strategic leadership and oversight for a statewide adoption program and supervise adoption staff.
Skill in implementing, interpreting, and monitoring adoption policy and practice standards, identifying gaps, and guiding corrective action.
Ability to use data for decision-making, understand data integrity needs, interpret performance trends, and partner with CQI staff.
Supervisory and personnel management skills, including performance evaluation, coaching, professional development, and disciplinary action.
Ability to manage statewide resources and budgets, align FTEs, oversee expenditures, and comply with state and federal funding requirements.
Ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners, including courts, tribes, and community agencies.
Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational abilities.
Attach a resume and apply online; emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
Successful applicants must undergo a background investigation and abuse and neglect screening.
Must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete Form I-9; work visa sponsorship is not provided.

Nice To Haves

Relevant experience in human resources or social services may be taken into account.

Responsibilities

Provide statewide leadership and strategic oversight for adoption services, promoting consistent policy application and best practices across regions.
Supervise adoption supervisors and program specialists; establish expectations, monitor performance, and support staff development.
Implement and monitor adoption policy in alignment with state and federal requirements, and lead efforts to reduce delays and improve permanency outcomes.
Oversee quality assurance and compliance, evaluate practice standards, identify inconsistencies, and determine corrective actions.
Direct resource allocation and operational efficiency, including FTE alignment, workload balancing, and geographic deployment strategies.
Ensure the accuracy and integrity of adoption data in FACIS and work with CQI partners on data-informed decisions, performance monitoring, and reporting.
Collaborate with courts, tribes, and community partners to improve adoption and post-adoption supports and cross-system coordination.
Oversee the statewide adoption program budget and ensure responsible expenditures that comply with state and federal guidelines and agency priorities.
Make operational decisions about staff assignments, workload reallocation, and adoption process improvements to support timely permanency.
Refer major programmatic, budgetary, or agency-wide decisions to senior leadership.
Lead personnel selection, evaluation, development, and disciplinary action for supervised staff.
Represent adoption services in internal and external meetings, committees, and collaborative initiatives related to adoption, permanency, and system improvement.
Promote accountability, child-centered decision-making, and continuous improvement across the adoption continuum.