Human Services Specialist Ii-Housing & Community Services (Ochs)

Join our Snohomish County Human Services Team!

The Grants and Planning team for the Office of Housing and Community Services is hiring two (2) Human Services Specialist II positions in the Human Services Department.

Specific Function

These positions will be responsible for a variety of job duties, including, but not limited to the grant management of sub-recipient contracts for federal, state, and local homeless housing funding. This includes writing contracts; reviewing budgets; analyzing program performance; conducting fiscal oversight; providing technical assistance related to funding/regulations/policies, and monitoring.  These positions report to the Office of Community and Homeless Services Supervisor.

These positions will also be responsible for helping to develop the community's application for funding under the Continuum of Care (CoC) program as the Collaborative Applicant as well as other federal and state funds for homelessness housing and services.  In addition, the positions will be responsible for supporting the progress of the CoC Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program funding and the youth and young adult lived expertise board.

The positions are part of an eleven-person team that performs grants administration and planning functions required to manage federal, state, and local funds by reviewing applications for funding, conducting homeless and low-income service planning activities, awarding service project grants, developing contracts, monitoring project performance, monitoring budget spend-downs, and evaluating service performance data.

About Snohomish County Human Services:

Human Services Department mission is to help all persons meet their basic needs and develop their potential by providing timely, effective human services and building community. We are comprised of over 300 dedicated employees.

The Snohomish County Human Services Department offers outstanding benefits and competitive wages, job flexibility and stability, employer paid ORCA cards, and a friendly, diverse team atmosphere where employees are appreciated and make a real difference in our community. Snohomish County is thriving and is a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. We strive to not only provide a meaningful job, but a life-long career at Snohomish County.

Snohomish County Human Services strives to be an equitable and trauma-informed department. Our department believes every interaction, procedure, and policy provides an opportunity to build a pathway toward a more resilient and restorative Snohomish County.

BASIC FUNCTION

To perform responsible professional work in the planning, development, coordination, implementation and evaluation of human services programs either through direct services or by sub contractual arrangements.

STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Coordinates assigned program planning and development activities of complex programs with supervisors, administrators, other department staff, other county departments, other government agencies, private service organizations, citizen groups, and other organizations as necessary.

• Develops and conducts needs assessments and prepares comprehensive program plans, goals, and objectives, program budgets and contract documents for human services programs as assigned.

• Coordinates the data collection and reporting requirements for, assigned programs, including the organization and computerization of such reports; prepares analysis of data.

• Develops and negotiates contracts and service agreements with program subcontractors; monitors contract compliance and reviews and evaluates subcontractor performance for quality assurance and prepares monitoring reports and corrective action plans.

• Participates in the development of programmatic budgets within areas of assigned responsibility; participates in negotiation and execution of contracts with federal, state and other funding sources; provides ongoing monitoring of internal program budget(s); makes recommendations for modifications as necessary.

• Provides a variety of information and technical assistance to program subcontractor and potential subcontractors as necessary.

• Researches and prepares applications to obtain funding for various projects, studies or programs as assigned.

• Provides staffing for advisory boards and committees; provides group facilitation for community groups and committees to accomplish program goals.

• Keeps informed of and provides interpretation of federal, state and local regulations and guidelines relating to assigned program areas.

• Provides community leadership and mobilization for assigned areas; provides community education and training including coordination of community events.

• Facilitates funding application processes, including request for proposals.

• Works in a cross disciplinary and interdepartmental manner to best meet the needs of the department's clientele.

STATEMENT OF OTHER JOB DUTIES

• Oversees activities of student interns and volunteers as assigned.

• Performs related duties as required.

WHEN ASSIGNED TO DIVISION OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES

• Be familiar with affordable housing activities including preparing down-line capital contracts and be knowledgeable of mortgages, subordination agreements, title insurance and other real estate documents. May work with escrow agencies and attend property closings, record required security documents, evaluate and take necessary action to protect the county's interest in the event of property foreclosures or agency bankruptcy.

• Inspect multi-family housing units for health, safety and code violations, monitor projects to ensure that the intended use of the property has been maintained for the required term of the contracts, ensures compliance with fair housing, tenant income requirements, and other regulations, writes inspection reports and notifies property managers and agencies of violations with required work orders and perform follow-up monitoring activities.

A Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, one of the social sciences or other field directly related to human services; PLUS, two (2) years progressively responsible experience in human services program planning, grant preparation and management or in a closely related field; OR, any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities. Must pass job related tests.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A valid Washington State Driver's License, unrestricted except as to vision, is required prior to appointment.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of: 

• human services and governmental agencies, programs and resources
• grant writing methods, principles and applications
• application of relevant federal, state and local laws, codes, rules, regulations and guidelines to human services programming and operations
• research principles and methods; the use of computer technology
• programmatic best practices
• specific populations served by human services programs

Ability to: 

• develop human services programs, plans for services and operation
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with public, co-workers, governmental officials, citizen groups and advisory boards
• develop and maintain complete and accurate records
• analyze problems and prepare alternative strategies for solution
• gather, analyze and evaluate program, statistical and financial data
• perform data management requirements and updates on personal computer
• provide training to community groups and agencies as required
• communicate effectively orally and in writing

SUPERVISION

This position receives direction from a programmatic supervisor, division administrator or the Director of Human Services, as assigned. The work is performed with limited supervision and is reviewed through meetings, reports and results obtained.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work is performed in the usual office environment with trips to locations throughout the county to attend community meetings and coordinate program activities. The employee is required to work evenings, weekends and holidays as necessary.

The work may also involve site visits to client residences and as required, inspection of work performed at client homes including crawl spaces and attics.

Snohomish County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.

Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.

EEO policy and ADA notice