Division of Licensing and Background Checks Director

State of Utah • Salt Lake City, UT

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of the Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC) is a critical senior leadership role within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This position is responsible for overseeing the regulatory framework that ensures the safety and well-being of individuals served by licensed and certified programs across the state. The Director provides strategic vision, operational leadership, and policy direction for licensing and background check processes, ensuring compliance with state and federal laws while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Health Care Administration, Social Work, Law, or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills with experience in public speaking and legislative relations.
• Ability to start stakeholder and partner conversations with the assumption the parties can get to “yes” rather than looking for an excuse to say “no”.
• Experience navigating complex systems and decisions apolitically
• Extensive knowledge of Utah state government processes
• Extensive knowledge of health or human services delivery systems
• Proven ability to interpret complex laws and regulations and translate them into operational policies.
• Familiarity with Results Based Accountability or another quality improvement framework

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the division's strategic plan, aligning goals with the broader DHHS mission to ensure all Utahns are healthy and safe.
• Oversees the Office of Licensing, which is responsible for the licensing and inspection of facilities and providers, ensuring rigorous enforcement of health and safety standards.
• Oversees the Office of Background Processing, ensuring timely and accurate processing to protect vulnerable populations.
• Lead the development and revision of administrative rules, policies, and legislative proposals related to licensing and background check requirements.
• Serve as a liaison with providers, advocacy groups, legislators, and other government agencies to address complex regulatory issues.
• Manage the division budget and lead a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, fostering a high-performance and inclusive work environment.
• Develops, directs, and evaluates programs.
• Directs, develops, and coordinates plans and policies, resources, and mission as well as goals, vision, and expectations of the division; prepares and updates plans and priorities.
• Manages a statewide division.
• Monitors division budget including revenues, expenditures and budget projection, etc.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and agency rules, standards and guidelines, etc.
• Interprets, clarifies, explains and applies agency policy and procedures, business practices, federal or state laws and regulations, etc.
• Represents the agency with federal, state, local governments, related agencies, the media and with private organizations.
• Supervises subordinate personnel including: hiring, determining workload and delegating assignments, training, monitoring and evaluating performance, and initiating corrective or disciplinary actions.

Benefits

• Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
• Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
• Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.

What This Job Offers

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