DEPUTY DIRECTOR, CHILD SERVICES

Position Summary

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as Deputy Director of Child Services.  Subject to management approval, this position will serve as principal policy-formulating administrator for division programs and services and will evaluate existing policies and procedures to determine areas in need of revision to facilitate the resolution of administrative and operational problems.  The position will provide oversight of contract implementation for community resources, foster care and residential recruitment, and delinquency programs.  This position will oversee DCFS Community Resources, Foster Care and Residential Recruitment, and Delinquency and Restorative Justice programs through subordinate administrators and will represent the Director before other state and federal agencies, governmental and judiciary entities, private and public organizations, and other community and professional groups.  The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and strong leadership skills. This position provides a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about children and interested in being a leader in the administration of child services for the Department of Children and Family Services.  DCFS offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a pension program.  We invite you to join our innovative team to help make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families of Illinois.

Essential Function

• Serves as Deputy Director of Child Services
• Serves as full line supervisor
• Through subordinate administrators, oversees the Department’s Community Resources, Foster Care and Residential Recruitment, and Delinquency Prevention programs
• With authority to commit the Department to a specific course of action, represents the Director before other state and federal agencies, governmental and judicial entities, private and public organizations, and other community and professional groups to advise on consent decree implementation and to discuss and develop plans for new or revised policies, programs, and services and to explain and interpret Department policies, programs, and objectives
• As a member of the Director’s Executive Staff, provides major input into Department level policy discussions
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to the completion of four years of college.
• Requires four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 years of professional experience managing the administration of program services in a public or private organization
• 3 years of professional experience in the oversight of a large program with multiple sites
• 3 years of experience supervising professional staff in a public or business organization
• 3 years of professional experience evaluating program and personnel performance in a public or business organization
• 3 years of professional experience conducting quality review in a public or business organization

Conditions of Employment

1. Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties. Requires appropriate, valid driver's license
2. Requires ability to pass a background check
3. Per Executive Order 2018-07, engagement with Business Enterprise Program (BEP) contractors and subcontractors and support for the goals of the BEP program and the Fair Contracting Task Force are required
4. The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description

Agency the Agency

DCFS is deeply committed to the welfare and protection of children.  Our goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families.  In every effort, from receiving hotline calls to reaching family reunification or foster care and adoption, children and families are our focus.