Human Services Director

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN SERVICES

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

• Director level position managing Youth Services, Department of Aging, Parks and Recreation and Department of Health.

• Work involves responsibility for providing executive direction through subordinate department heads in carrying out several critical and important community social services and recreational activities functions. Duties include developing and recommending of community social services and recreational goals and objectives and overseeing the operations of the Human Resources, Health, Recreation, Elderly and Youth Services Departments. This position has the responsibility for making difficult social services policy decisions. The work requires that the employee have the thorough knowledge, skill and ability in every phase of social welfare and social services programs.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

• Works under the administrative direction of the Mayor who provides executive direction in terms of system-wide policy, mission and goals.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

• Manages several department heads including Directors of Health, Recreation, Elderly Services, and Youth Services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Defines, plans, implements, coordinates and maintains critical and essential public services and develops appropriate policies to guide subordinate managers in the work. Analyzes information on the effectiveness and efficiency of the various departments and functions under this position's authority. Prepares a variety of reports including financial and statistical reports for outside regulations agencies.

• Monitors compliance with federal and state regulations in applicable agency programs.

• Oversees budget development and reviews and approves department budget requests. Controls expenditures within fund allocations and approves fund transfers for Finance Department consideration.

• Counsels employees, directs training, mentors, interviews and appoints job candidates. Conducts and reviews performance evaluations. Participates in other personnel actions including assigning work, talent management retention, termination, and employee/labor relations.

• Maintains liaison and activity participates with a number of public, volunteer and private groups and agencies engaged in activities that relate to the responsibilities of this position.

• Prepares and submits grant requests pertaining to social services to state and federal agencies

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and municipal social services programs.

• Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and funding sources.

• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration as applied to a municipal social services agency.

• Thorough social services counseling skill especially in crisis intervention.

• Thorough ability in oral and written communications.

• Considerable ability to interpret and apply the laws and regulations related to agency operations.

• Considerable ability to administer the activities of a municipal social services department and to supervise the work of others. Thorough ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, associates, subordinates, officials of other agencies and the general public.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A master's degree from an accredited college or university in the human services or related field, plus seven years of progressively responsible social services administration experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The employee may occasionally lift/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Applicant must have ability to use transportation to achieve goals.

• The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

• The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.