Social Services Deputy Director (Unclassified)

Ramsey County•(RCGC WEST) Saint Paul, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Children and Family Services Continuous Quality Improvement Deputy Director is a member of the Social Services Department executive team and is responsible for strengthening statutory compliance, practice fidelity, training integration, and system-wide quality assurance within the Children and Family Services (CFS) Division. This leadership role will support workforce development and stability, compliance related to increasingly complex statutory and oversight requirements across child welfare and child protection services. The position ensures adherence to Minnesota statutes, federal mandates, county policies, and emerging statewide practice expectations. This position will support the development of solutions to capacity limitations, high turnover, training and onboarding gaps, systemic needs identified across audits, legislative mandates, statewide improvement plans, and internal reviews. Leaders across the division are frequently pulled into crisis management, limiting the necessary attention to long-term system improvements. The Continuous Quality Improvement Deputy Director will provide dedicated oversight to compliance systems, quality assurance functions, and workforce development in order to stabilize operations, reduce risk, strengthen practice outcomes, and support Ramsey County’s mission, values, and commitment to eliminating disparities. The Deputy Director will collaborate closely with internal leadership, community partners, tribes, state agencies, oversight bodies, and service providers to ensure equitable, culturally responsive, and accountable service delivery. To direct, administer and manage a Division of the Social Services Department that provides services to families, adults and children; to coordinate services with other department and county organizations; to establish and maintain relationships and coordination with community organizations; to direct the allocation of staff and fiscal resources of the division; to provide direction in delivery of social services programs to meet prescribed outcomes; to recommend County Board policies and procedures regarding services; to participate in the overall management of the Social Services Department; and to perform related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Master's degree in social work, psychology, business administration, public administration or related field.
Seven years of progressive responsibility in supervision, program management or administration of social services functions, including two years experience in a public or private social service agency.
Equivalent combination of education and related experience.
None.

Responsibilities

Promote a diverse, culturally-responsive, and respectful workplace.
Administer and direct the delivery of services to clients, assuring high quality, culturally diverse and respectful service that meets the needs of the County’s residents.
Coordinate and integrate the delivery of services with related Department, County, school and community services.
Organize, administer and direct functions of the Division such as the detoxification center, mental health and chemical dependency evaluation and treatment, child welfare, child and adult protection, foster care, childcare, pre-petition screening, case management, and service to individuals with disabilities.
Establish relationships with individuals and groups in the community for problem-solving, service coordination and mutual goal setting.
Establish and sustain robust community engagement processes and strategies.
Ensure that resources are used to accomplish needed outcomes and are in compliance with laws, rules, regulations and practice standards.
Analyze and evaluate existing policies and procedures for the division; and formulate and implement new or revised ones that insure timely, effective and legal delivery of services and racial equity impacts.
Develop the division's administrative and service policies and procedures, to provide for consistent administration of the division and required standards of services to clients.
Establish division goals, objectives and priorities to best meet the service needs of the community.
Assess program performance, analyze changing conditions affecting service delivery (e.g. legislation, rules, regulations, service demands, budget), and develop and implement plans, policies or procedures to modify or expand services to meet these changing demands for direct and purchased services.
Meet with elected officials and state representatives to influence policy decisions or to explain the policies, procedures and practices of the department.
Participate in community collaborative and partnerships toward the goal of identifying and implementing collaborative strategies directed toward the agency mission.
Determine projected impact of new or revised state and federal legislation and community factors to assure budget and program planning is consistent with the changing environment; develop and maintain division capacity to adapt to changes to support responsible and responsive service delivery.
Represent the County and Department before the news media, community agencies, and state officials to explain County policies, procedures and services.
Analyze or explain practices; or support requested action as necessary to maintain or enhance services.
Meet regularly with County Board members and County Board committees on matters relating to the division.
Participate in the overall management of the department through membership on the Department’s management team and through individual consultation with other directors to insure consistency with departmental mission and objectives.