Contracting Team Lead

Heartland Consulting•Red Lake, MN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Heartland Consulting is hiring a Contracting Team Lead for the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota. The primary duty station is the BIA Red Lake Agency in Red Lake, Minnesota, with field work across the reservation and travel to off-reservation placements, courts, and trainings as required. This designated Key Personnel role leads the on-site contract workforce, ensures work meets required standards before submission, provides clinical consultation, and serves as the single point of accountability for contract performance. The Team Lead is responsible for supervising contract personnel, managing schedules and on-call coverage, conducting first-level quality reviews, tracking performance and backlog clearance, coordinating with partner agencies, supporting staff, and managing emergency placement purchasing cards and Field Safety Plan compliance. The role requires on-site work full-time on business days and phone availability throughout the staff coverage window and after hours for consultation. The Team Lead may respond in person as a second responder under specified circumstances, while the Response Worker remains investigator of record. The Team Lead does not make screening decisions, approve final findings or case plans, sign court filings, approve payments, or supervise federal employees. Contractor personnel are employees of Heartland Consulting, not federal employees. Indian Preference applies. Applicants should send materials to [email protected].

Requirements

Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited program.
At least five years of child protection or child welfare experience, including two years supervising child welfare staff.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to complete a Moderate Risk Public Trust background investigation. No work or child contact is permitted until cleared; the typical clearance timeline is approximately 60 days.
Willingness to complete mandatory security training and initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty and before independent duty.
Complete required cultural orientation on Red Lake Nation history, Ojibwe culture and language, closed-reservation status, and tribal protocols within 15 days.
Availability to serve as designated Key Personnel, work on site full-time on business days, and remain reachable by phone throughout the staff coverage window and after hours for consultation.
An approved alternate must be designated to act during absences.
Written approval from the Contracting Officer is required before diverting, replacing, or removing the Contracting Team Lead. At least 60 calendar days’ written notice is required unless unforeseen circumstances arise.
Any replacement candidate must meet or exceed the original qualifications; have a current resume, licensure/certification, and signed Letter of Commitment; and be available upon approval and clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience with tribal communities and ICWA is strongly preferred.
A favorable investigation under PL 101-630 before entry on duty is preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise all contract personnel and assign and balance caseloads according to complexity and risk, rebalancing assignments as workloads change.
Approve leave and timesheets and request overtime approval when required.
Set staggered shift schedules and manage the investigative on-call rotation to ensure uninterrupted Priority 1 coverage.
Provide regular case consultation and immediate consultation on high-risk field decisions, including after hours.
Perform first-level quality reviews of intakes, safety and risk assessments, investigative findings, case plans, and court reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance before submission.
Track performance standards and backlog clearance progress; prepare the Monthly Status and Performance Report and corrective action plans.
Ensure immediate escalation of critical incidents, missing child reports, and trafficking concerns, and support Critical Incident Reports within 72 hours.
Represent the contract workforce with partner agencies, the Child Protection Team, Multi-Disciplinary Team, Tribal Court, law enforcement, and licensing and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs.
Monitor workload and secondary trauma and connect staff with available support resources.
Ensure new staff complete initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty.
Manage emergency placement purchasing cards and ensure compliance with the Field Safety Plan.
Lead case transfer, knowledge transfer, and phase-down planning.
Serve in the investigative on-call rotation when needed to cover absences.
Respond in person as a second responder when the on-call Response Worker requests assistance; when a Priority 1 response is required and law enforcement is not accompanying the Response Worker; or when the Response Worker cannot be reached or is already on a call-out. When responding together, serve as the second responder while the Response Worker remains the investigator of record.