Director of Policy Integration

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Austin, TX

2d • Remote

About The Position

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) seeks highly qualified and motivated candidates to fill the Policy Integration Director position within the Access and Eligibility Services (AES), Policy & Quality division. AES is driven by its mission to connect Texans to services and support by helping individuals and families in need of food, medical care, cash assistance, and other social services.The Policy Integration Director manages daily operations and program activities for the Policy Integration team and reports to the Associate Commissioner of Policy & Quality. Leading a team of professional policy staff, the Director establishes goals, objectives, guidance, and procedures related to eligibility for state and federal programs administered by Texas HHSC, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, CHIP, or Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities (MEPD). This position is responsible for planning and assigning tasks and interacts regularly with agency staff, federal partners, and external stakeholders to inform policy decisions and achieve positive outcomes for Texans. Work is performed under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.The ideal candidate will thrive in an environment that emphasizes: innovation through new ideas, striving for excellence by taking pride in their work, embracing differences as a source of strength, accomplishing more through partnership, leading by example, and learning for continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will thrive in a role that demands liaising and collaborating between multiple parties under strict deadlines. This position is a statewide position with the capability to telework in accordance with agency policy. The selected candidate must have the ability to provide a personal home internet service. Selected candidates will be expected to travel to Austin periodically for relevant in-person meetings. If the selected candidate does not reside within 50 miles of Austin (Winters HQ), they may not be reimbursed for travel, according to agency policy.

Requirements

• Knowledge of Texas HHSC eligibility programs and policies such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, CHIP, or Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities (MEPD).
• Knowledge of state and federal statutes, rules, regulations, and guidance relevant to program areas.
• Knowledge of the Texas Legislative process.
• Strong skills in researching, interpreting, and analyzing complex federal and state policies.
• Skill in synthesizing complicated and technical information and translating it into understandable presentations.
• Skill in developing and evaluating policies and procedures; assessing risk and developing contingency plans; and making recommendations and decisions.
• Skill in problem-solving and independent decision-making.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships, including the ability to work with people under pressure, negotiate among multiple parties, resolve conflicts, and establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Skill in communicating effectively orally and in writing, and in presenting information publicly.
• Ability to develop work plans and organize and direct the work of others.
• Ability to prioritize time and manage multiple project deadlines.
• Ability to represent the department as a subject matter expert.
• Ability to plan, assign, and supervise the work of others.
• Minimum requirement of two years of leading or developing teams.
• Minimum requirement of two years of working in client or customer-facing roles that required synthesizing complex information and translating it into clear and concise written documents for that audience.
• Minimum requirement of two years of experience working in a state or federal government agency.
• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree preferred, with major coursework in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, social work, and public health). Work experience may substitute for education.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in eligibility programs preferred.
• One year of experience managing projects from inception to completion preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge or aptitude in developing client communication strategies and frameworks, including messaging hierarchies, channel selection (email, direct, in-person), and editing preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the coordination with and communication between internal and external stakeholders via policy document publishing, legislative coordination, Texas Works and MEPD Handbook coordination, and other key functions of multiple Program Policy teams.
• Supervises and guides (4) staff, including the hiring and selection of new staff, assigning work, completing performance evaluations, recommending personnel disciplinary actions, and scheduling and approving leave.
• Prepares high-quality briefing documents, issue papers, correspondence, bill analyses, and memoranda for senior and executive management review and decision-making to include proposed revisions of agency rules, state plan amendments, forms, notices, regulatory changes, and federal waivers.
• Conducts advanced research on best practices, which requires complex (senior level) analysis of laws, regulations, and guidance; complex (senior level) analysis of impacts to programs, systems, and operations.
• Develops timelines and other project management documentation by establishing goals and objectives for multiple policy work groups and develops and approves work products.
• Works collaboratively to identify innovative and effective solutions for clients and staff.
• Seeks guidance from and enters discussions with federal partners on the interpretation of federal statute, rules, regulations, and other guidance on behalf of the Office of the Associate Commissioner for Policy & Quality.
• Represents AES as a subject matter expert (SME) at business meetings, council and committee meetings, legislative meetings, and conferences.
• Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees