SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM PLANNER IV

Position Overview

The Division of Early Childhood is seeking to hire a Social Service Program Planner to conceptualize, design, and implement the highly technical planning, analysis, and coordination of the social service program design of the Home Visiting Program Unit.  This position assists with planning, coordinating, evaluating, and conducting comprehensive routine and/or ad hoc (onsite or remote) Continuous Quality Improvement programmatic performance reviews at Home Visiting grantees located within the designed DHS/ Region(s) to ensure compliance with current fiscal year contract expectations and promote positive outcomes for parents; assists with conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and maintaining highly technical planning and coordination of the program service delivery with designated DHS/ Region(s), including written forms/instructions, policies, procedures, manuals, instructions, interpretive guidelines, and/or handbooks/brochures; designs, completes, and develops decision memoranda, agreements, briefing papers, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), correspondence, and other written documents on Home Visiting issues, function activities, and budget; assists with organizing, staffing, and documenting listening-sessions with designated grantees, families, legal guardians, and other stakeholders to secure feedback on service delivery; and represents the Bureau Chief and/or Manager at meetings, workshops, retreats, and conferences regarding the Home Visiting/Early Childhood program.  The Division of Early Childhood is one of six divisions within the Illinois Department of Human Services. DEC serves to strengthen and centralize Child Care, Early Intervention, and Home Visiting within DHS. The DEC vision is for Illinois’ young children and families to have the supports they need to achieve their full potential.  The DEC mission is to enhance access to programs and services that support whole child development. The DEC is committed to the following guiding values - Whole Child Focus, Quality Service Delivery, Equity, Relentless Pursuit of Mission, Respect & Dignity, and Stability & Sustainability.

Essential Functions

• Conceptualizes, designs, and implements the highly technical planning, analysis, and coordination of the social service program design of the Home Visiting Program Unit for an assigned region. 

• Assists with conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and maintaining highly technical planning and coordination of the program service delivery with designated DHS/ Region(s), including establishing effective working relationships with grantees and other stakeholders and drafting written forms/instructions, policies, procedures, manuals, instructions, interpretive guidelines, and/or handbooks/brochures.

• Designs, completes, and develops decision memoranda, agreements, briefing papers, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), correspondence, and other written documents on Home Visiting issues, function activities, and budget.

• Assists with organizing, staffing, and documenting listening-sessions with designated grantees, families, legal guardians, and other stakeholders to secure feedback on service delivery.

• Represents the Bureau Chief and/or Manager at meetings, workshops, retreats, and conferences regarding the Home Visiting/Early Childhood program.

• Participates in training as necessary to strengthen both staff and the Division.

• 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 master's degree.

• Requires two (2)  years of progressively responsible professional experience in community organization, social service work or in program planning and development.

Specialized Skills

• Of the two (2) years of required experience, requires one (1) year of experience providing continuous quality improvement, technical assistance, contract/grant monitoring, and/or quality assurance program reviews for a public or private organization and one (1) year of grant management experience in a public or private organization including experience analyzing administrative problems and developing a course of action that helped the program achieve its goals and objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• One (1) year of experience providing continuous quality improvement, technical assistance, contract/grant monitoring, and/or quality assurance program reviews for a public or private organization and one (1) year of grant management experience in a public or private organization including experience analyzing administrative problems and developing a course of action that helped the program achieve its goals and objectives.

• Three (3) years of professional experience resolving complex issues and situations via oral and/or written communication with a high level of diplomacy and professionalism.   

• Three (3) years of professional experience using advanced technical ability to analyze and evaluate programs and operations.

• Three (3) years of professional experience exercising a high degree of initiative and independent judgment in developing and formulating policies, standards, and procedures for extensive portions of the service delivery system.

• Two (2) years of professional experience managing and tracking high volumes of work activities and products in an effective and efficient manner, while generating corresponding statistical and/or written reports.

• Two (2) years of professional experience assisting with grant management processes and procedures (i.e. GATA, NOFOs, monitoring).

Conditions of Employment

• Requires ability to travel with overnight stays.

• Requires basic proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

* The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.