Assistant Deputy Commissioner for PFML

DHRM•Richmond, VA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) provides executive leadership to stand up and operate Virginia’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, the first of its kind in the South. Reporting to the Deputy Commissioner of Operations and serving as a key member of the VEC leadership team, the ADC - PFML builds the founding leadership structure, oversees day‑to‑day program operations, and coordinates the strategic vision, governance, and performance across claims administration, employer contributions, benefits payment, adjudication and appeals, customer service, communications, policy development, rulemaking, and technology modernization. This role ensures program readiness for major milestones, including annual premium rate-setting beginning October 1, 2027, the start of contribution collection on April 1, 2028, and the launch of benefit payments in December 2028. This position is also responsible for trust fund stewardship, development of policies and operational frameworks that ensure integrity and efficiency, and implementation of performance metrics, reporting systems, and continuous improvement practices. The ADC - PFML manages relationships with legislators, employers, advocacy groups, state agencies, and other stakeholders, representing the VEC and the PFML program in internal and external forums while ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. This role oversees strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and workforce planning, and leads a cross‑functional team to ensure readiness for launch and sustained operational excellence. Critically, the ADC - PFML is accountable for building the leadership team and fostering an organizational culture rooted in customer service, accountability, innovation, and equity to guide the PFML program from initial stand‑up through full operating scale. This is a founding role. You will shape how Virginia's Paid Family and Medical Leave program takes form, this program manager will shape staffing, structure, policy, service, and how the Commonwealth shows up for a worker during life’s moments that matter most. You will build a team of leaders who run claims, contributions, technology, and customer care. You will support the translation of a new law into working policy, stand up the technology, and carry the program to the moment Virginians receive their first benefit payments in December 2028.

Requirements

Extensive executive leadership experience standing up, scaling, or transforming large-scale public benefit, social insurance, or public-facing service programs.
Deep knowledge of paid family and medical leave, unemployment insurance, disability, or comparable social insurance program design, financing, and operations.
Demonstrated ability to build organizational structure, staffing plans, governance, and operating procedures for a new program from the ground up.
Ability to lead managers above the first-line supervisory level.
Skilled in change management.
Skilled in multi-stakeholder engagement.
Skilled in navigating complex regulatory and legislative environments.
Strong financial acumen for trust fund solvency, rate-setting, budget development, procurement, and performance management.
Understanding of how modern technology, digital service delivery, and data can improve business operations and customer experience.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Exceptional public representation skills, including the ability to engage diverse audiences with clarity and respect.
Strong analytical ability to interpret complex program, financial, and customer data and translate findings into policy and operational decisions.
Demonstrated experience launching new programs or leading major operational transformations, including developing and managing significant operating budgets.
Demonstrated experience managing relationships with demanding stakeholders in complex, high-stakes environments, including legislative bodies and executive leadership.
Senior executive experience leading large public-sector, private, or non-profit programs or organizations, including leading managers above the first-line supervisory level.
Must complete Statement of Economic Interest forms and training.
Must possess a valid driver's license.
Must be a citizen or national of the U.S., a Lawful Permanent Resident, or an alien authorized to work in the US.
Must successfully pass a comprehensive background check including an FBI fingerprint background investigation and an Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud background check.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience leading a state paid family and medical leave, family and medical leave insurance, unemployment insurance, or other social insurance program.
Experience delivering a digitally native, public-facing service.
Experience working in a start-up or program stand-up environment with a high degree of autonomy.
Experience overseeing a benefits trust fund, actuarial rate-setting, or insurance financing.
Experience testifying before or briefing legislative bodies.
Experience building an organizational culture of empathy, empowerment, and high performance among stakeholder-facing staff.

Responsibilities

Provides executive leadership to stand up and operate Virginia’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program.
Builds the founding leadership structure for the PFML program.
Oversees day-to-day program operations.
Coordinates strategic vision, governance, and performance across claims administration, employer contributions, benefits payment, adjudication and appeals, customer service, communications, policy development, rulemaking, and technology modernization.
Ensures program readiness for major milestones, including annual premium rate-setting, contribution collection, and benefit payments.
Responsible for trust fund stewardship.
Develops policies and operational frameworks that ensure integrity and efficiency.
Implements performance metrics, reporting systems, and continuous improvement practices.
Manages relationships with legislators, employers, advocacy groups, state agencies, and other stakeholders.
Represents the VEC and the PFML program in internal and external forums.
Ensures compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.
Oversees strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and workforce planning.
Leads a cross-functional team to ensure readiness for launch and sustained operational excellence.
Accountable for building the leadership team and fostering an organizational culture rooted in customer service, accountability, innovation, and equity.
Shapes staffing, structure, policy, and service for the PFML program.
Builds a team of leaders who run claims, contributions, technology, and customer care.
Supports the translation of a new law into working policy.
Stands up the technology for the PFML program.
Carries the program to the moment Virginians receive their first benefit payments.