Chief, Program Development

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management • Cranston, RI

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Within a state department, this role is responsible for the total planning, program development, and research for various departmental programs. The goal is to coordinate programs within the department and with other agencies, improve existing programs, and create new ones to provide better services to the state's population in the most effective and efficient manner possible. This includes identifying the population to be served, assessing needs and priorities, evaluating available resources, planning and implementing programs, and evaluating their effectiveness. The position also acts as a liaison between the director and division heads, coordinates programs with other state departments, and engages with local governments and community groups. Responsibilities include evaluating existing programs for expansion, modification, or elimination, staying informed about national and state legislation, interpreting its impact on program financing and development, participating in grant applications, and drafting reports for the director. The role is located in the Rhode Island Training School / Division of Youth Development and involves a non-standard work schedule with expected additional hours as needed.

Requirements

• Possession of a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, one of the Social Sciences, or a closely related field.
• Employment in a responsible capacity involving program development in a field of human service.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of program planning and development as it relates to the implementation of a variety of departmental programs and in terms of statewide and community needs.
• Ability to establish standards, policies, and administrative controls for such programs.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and community resources and legislation and their interrelationships.
• Ability to apply such knowledge in the identification of the population to be served, needs and priorities, resources available, planning and implementation of the programs, and evaluation.
• Ability to act as a liaison between the director and his division heads in coordinating all planning and programs.
• Ability to act as a liaison for the department with local governments and community groups in order to coordinate programs, gain their assistance, or assist them in initiating, developing, and implementing projects.
• Ability to coordinate current and proposed programs with other state departments where their cooperation is necessary.
• Ability to evaluate existing programs and to develop plans for their expansion, modification, or elimination.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with department officials, professional people, voluntary agencies, community representatives, other state and local agencies, and the public.
• Any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in juvenile justice administration.
• Experience with accreditation processes and quality assurance.
• Experience with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) oversight.
• Experience with Performance-based Standards (PbS) / Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ).
• Experience with Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) core strategies.
• Experience with evidence-based and trauma-informed cognitive-behavioral, rehabilitative, and vocational programming.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the total planning, program development, and research for the various programs of the department.
• Coordinate programs within the department and with other departments and agencies.
• Improve present programs and create new programs to provide better services to the people of the state.
• Develop programs by identifying the population to be served, needs and priorities, resources available, planning and implementation of the program, and evaluation.
• Act as a liaison between the director and his division heads in coordinating all planning and programs.
• Assist division heads in developing ideas for new programs or suggest possible programs to them.
• Coordinate current and proposed programs with other state departments when a program requires their cooperation.
• Act as a liaison for the department with local governments and community groups to coordinate programs, gain their assistance, or assist them in initiating, developing, and implementing projects.
• Responsible for evaluation of existing programs and to develop plans for their expansion, modification, or elimination in view of changing needs, the availability of state and/or federal funds, and recent advances in ideas and methods.
• Responsible for following national and state legislation and interpreting their provisions with regard to their effect on the financing of departmental programs and on the development of new programs within the department.
• Participate in the preparation of requests for federal grants.
• Draft reports and review material for the director with regard to program development.
• Lead grant development and management activities, including researching grant opportunities, drafting proposals, securing funding, managing grant budgets, tracking performance metrics, and submitting compliance reports.
• Supervise assigned professional, administrative, and technical personnel, including managing performance evaluations, directing work assignments, overseeing scheduling, approving timesheets, and providing continuous professional guidance.
• Assist Division with confidential labor relations matters, personnel reviews, internal investigations, collective bargaining preparation, union grievance research, and sensitive administrative documentation.
• Draft confidential correspondence, strategic policy memos, judicial summaries, legislative reports, and executive summaries on behalf of Division leadership.
• Lead the research, drafting, review, revision, and maintenance of all Rhode Island Training School operational policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and program guidelines.
• Serve as the primary manager for facility accreditation processes and continuous quality assurance measures.
• Support facility-wide Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) oversight.
• Lead the facility-wide implementation, data collection, entry, verification, and analysis for Performance-based Standards (PbS) / Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ).
• Support compliance, continuous quality improvement, and programming alignment with Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) core strategies and juvenile justice best practices.
• Design, implement, and maintain high-level continuous quality improvement (CQI) frameworks to evaluate the effectiveness of educational, vocational, rehabilitative, behavioral health, and transitional programs.
• Oversee data collection mechanisms, synthesize complex operational data, and prepare comprehensive statistical reports.
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent to align program development, policy revisions, operational priorities, and facility safety measures.
• Serve as a high-level confidential assistant and strategic advisor to the Executive Director.
• Manage administrative operations for assigned program areas, including complex calendar management, executive scheduling, procurement requests, and ordering essential operational equipment and supplies.
• Research, develop, and write executive talking points, speeches, formal presentations, briefing decks, and public communications.
• Research, recommend, and assist in implementing evidence-based and trauma-informed cognitive-behavioral, rehabilitative, and vocational programming.
• Serve as a senior technical, administrative, and confidential liaison on committees, task forces, workgroups, and interagency initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Deputy Superintendent and facility management to design, update, and evaluate staff training curricula.
• Analyze resident grievance patterns, incident reports, and disciplinary trends to provide data-driven recommendations.
• Oversee and evaluate vendor performance, specialized service contracts, and community partner agreements.
• Lead complex, highly confidential administrative studies, operational reviews, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Participate in critical incident debriefings, operational reviews, emergency management planning, and crisis management activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Direct deposit for all employees.
• Information regarding benefits available to State of Rhode Island employees can be found on the Office of Employee Benefits' website.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager