Placement Continuum Administrator (WMS2) - Statewide

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Children, Youth, and Futures (DCYF) is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as the Administrator for the Placement Continuum Unit within the Division of Partnership, Prevention and Services (PPS). This position is a member of the PPS extended leadership team and provides leadership to an experienced team responsible for the assessment, development, implementation, and ongoing support of DCYF's statewide child welfare placement continuum. The position also oversees leadership supporting statewide eligibility and access to Behavior Rehabilitation Services (BRS), helping ensure children, youth, and families receive timely, effective, and appropriate services across Washington. As the Administrator for the Placement Continuum Unit, you will provide strategic leadership and direction for statewide child welfare placement continuum programs, including Behavior Rehabilitation Services (BRS), intensive placement resources, Child Placing Agencies (CPA), and the receiving care continuum for children and youth. You will oversee program operations, policy development, contract management, quality improvement, and cross-system collaboration while leading a dedicated team focused on strengthening services for children, youth, and families. In this role, you will help shape statewide practice by translating agency priorities into meaningful program outcomes, using data, research, and stakeholder engagement to drive continuous improvement. As a member of the PPS extended leadership team, you will collaborate across DCYF divisions and with community partners to advance integrated, equitable, and effective services that support DCYF's mission to work alongside Washington’s vulnerable children, youth and families to foster safety, stability, and better outcomes by strengthening opportunities, connections and community.

Requirements

A master’s degree with major study in social work, social sciences or a closely allied field AND four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in implementation, evaluation, strategic planning or management of programs in public child welfare.
OR A bachelor’s degree in social work, social sciences or a closely allied field AND six (6) years’ of progressively responsible experience in implementation, evaluation, strategic planning or management of programs in public child welfare.
OR Equivalent combination of education and experience totaling ten (10) years.
The ability to take action to learn and grow.
The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
A minimum of one-year experience analyzing and interpreting complex data and developing practice improvement strategies at a state, regional or local office level.
A minimum of three years' experience in child welfare or foster care licensing with at least one year of the experience in a supervisory position.
A relentless commitment to anti-racism and addressing diversity, disproportionality and inequity.
In-depth knowledge and understanding of federal and state statutes related to child protection and child welfare and a broad understanding of best practice in the child welfare field and the management skills needed to develop best practice.
Strong analytic skills and demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret complex data, define problems or objectives, formulate logical and objective conclusions, recognize alternatives and make recommendations.
Demonstrated ability to direct and evaluate the work of others who write or develop policies and reports.
Exemplary ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a variety of audiences, including strong oral and written presentation skills.
Professional experience presenting materials and data to executive level stakeholders and decision makers utilizing project timelines, deliverables and other data.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently toward goals in a complex, dynamic and diverse environment with multiple and changing demands.
Demonstrated abilities to earn the trust, respect and confidence of colleagues, employees, partners, and customers through honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions.
Demonstrates strong management skills: Utilizes sound management principles and exemplary organization skills to manage multiple, complex projects with broad impact.
Develops people: Brings great people with the right skills and the right motivation into the organization and enables them to do their best work every day.
Drives results: Creates and nurtures a performance-based culture of continuous improvement. Is passionate about data informed decision-making, scientific problem solving, customer responsiveness and satisfaction, and maximizing resources across the organization.
Fosters learning: Fosters a climate that supports creativity, innovation and hypothesis testing. Supports and invests in employee learning and development.
Embraces inclusivity and transparency in decision-making: Actively contributes to a work environment that embraces building and sustaining relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders, recognizing the value of culture, ethnic, gender and other individual differences, to enhance the attainment of department goals.
Leads and navigates change: Navigates the organization through complex and changing environments and engages staff to seek creative solutions and drive change. Attends to the human side of change.
Fosters teamwork and collaboration – demonstrated ability to work both independently and cooperatively as a team member, managing multiple work projects, leading and facilitating teams and workgroups
Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Advanced knowledge and understanding of child welfare policies and practices in Washington State and a broad understanding of best practice in the field of child welfare and the management skills needed to develop best practice.
Advanced knowledge and understanding of trauma and out-of-home placement for children and youth involved in the child welfare system.
Knowledge and understanding of Indian Child Welfare and Government to Government relationships.
Knowledge and experience working within the structure and interrelationships of government.
Knowledge of FamLink or other SACWIS systems.

Responsibilities

Supervise, train, mentor and coach 7 staff with advanced level of expertise who provide statewide leadership and consultation.
Develop and implement systems to monitor staff activity and performance, budgets and expenditures, assignments and work products for the unit.
Provide unit, division, agency and statewide leadership, direction, and consultation for program development, performance measurement and reporting for programs within the unit.
Make data informed, strategic recommendations on program and practice strategies and activities as well as related performance targets, measurement and analysis that directly impact effectiveness of Child Welfare practice agency wide.
Develop, direct and manage discrete strategies for performance measurement and practice improvement.
Direct the analysis of policy changes.
Analyze and evaluate proposed legislation for possible impacts on the health, safety and well-being of children and families served by DCYF and manage the development and successful implementation of legislative mandates.
Provide reliable and professional expert advice and consultation on developing, setting and implementing program strategies and activities and related performance measurement to DCYF executive leadership, regional administrators, area administrators and other staff within DCYF headquarters and the field.
Ensure integration of program and unit strategies and targets with other division and agency program areas.
Provide expert oversight to program managers in the development, implementation, planning, WAC and policy updates, curriculum development and training statewide for enrolled bills from legislative session.
Provide constructive feedback, guidance, and reinforcement to staff on job performance.
Be responsible for training, professional development and ensuring quality work performance, completing timely performance evaluations and taking corrective or disciplinary action as needed.
Inspire and foster team commitment, spirit, pride, and trust; facilitate cooperation and motivate team members to accomplish group goals.
Promote a positive organizational climate and culture.
Proactively identify gaps in existing programs, policies and procedures that need to be addressed to fulfill the organizational mission of DCYF.