Appeals Division Administrator

WHY WORK FOR DFPS?

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is responsible for protecting the unprotected — children, elderly, and people with disabilities — from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. DFPS accomplishes this responsibility by employing over 12,000 workers who live up to the agency's Mission, Vision, & Values in service to the citizens of Texas. DFPS is not only a qualifying organization for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program but also offers excellent health benefits, special discounts on many products and services through the Discount Purchase Program, longevity pay, generous paid leave, access to the Wellness program, lifetime retirement annuity, Texa$aver 401(k) and 457 Programs under the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Brief Job Description:

The Division Administrator performs highly complex (senior-level) managerial work overseeing the daily operations and activities of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Office of Appeals. Work involves establishing goals and objectives within the business unit. Identifying performance indicators to measure quality and success. Developing guidelines, procedures, and policies; creating schedules, determining priorities, and establishing standards for achieving said goals; coordinating and evaluating business function, division, or department activities; developing and evaluating budget requests; and monitoring budget expenditures. Supervises the work of others. Works under limited supervision, with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Manages day-to-day activities of staff in a business function(s), division(s), or department(s).

• Prioritizes and assigns administrative reviews and other job-related tasks as needed.
• Completes and maintains case assignment logs.
• Oversees and consults with 16 Office of Appeals (OOA) staff on a regular basis to ensure timely completion of assignments.
• Maintains a leave calendar, approves leave requests and ensures adequate staff coverage.
• Assists in training and mentoring new employees.

Establishes goals and objectives; develops and approves schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving goals; and manages evaluation activities.

• Responsible in part for the creation of tasks and assignments and provides guidance to staff to ensure standards are met.
• Manages evaluation activities through one-on-one consultation with staff, on-going case review and analysis of monthly Microsoft surveys and DRIT reports.
• Through work planning sessions with the OOA Director, establishes unit goals by ascertaining statutory requirements and identifying resources needed to meet said requirements.
• Develops action plan(s) with identified objectives and priorities and determines project schedule related to the merging and revision of policy and procedure for two program areas into the newly created Office of Appeals.
• Monitors and approves tasks outlined in action plan(s) and communicates with staff on a consistent basis to assess progress, reassess priorities, and make needed adjustments to ensure positive outcomes.    

• Confers with executive management to develop strategic plans and long- and short-term goals

          for the department.

• Aids OOA Director with the creation and implementation of OOA strategic plans to enhance services provided to internal/external stakeholders.

• Provides consultation to Chief Consumer Affairs and Appeals (OCAA) Officer as requested to aid in the development of short-term goals of the OCAA division as well as preparation of responses to public inquiries.

Develops and implements techniques for evaluating business function, division, or department activities.

•  Assists in the development of Appeals quality assurance framework which will be used in part for evaluating OOA staff and program performance and is responsible for ongoing maintenance of evaluation tools used.
• Reviews and evaluates Microsoft surveys monthly reports to ensure timeframes are met as well as identify trends and patterns related to administrative review outcomes.  
• Acts as the subject matter expert for program throughout collaboration meetings with DFPS Data and Systems Improvement (DSI) team. Identifies data sets that are beneficial in evaluating program compliance and pinpointing areas of improvement. 

Plans and develops a budget, evaluates budget requests, monitors budget expenditures, and

makes adjustment as necessary.

• Reviews monthly budget reports and provides guidance to OOA Director on allocation of resources.
• Assists in the projection and development of a travel budget by reviewing and analyzing prior travel expenditures.   
• Evaluates travel requests for external conferences and trainings, to determine whether sufficient funds are available.

Plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates policies and procedures; and monitors

compliance with policies and procedures.

• Oversees the OOA policy workgroup and provides decision making guidance in the development or revision of operational policy and procedures.  
• Monitors employee work product to ensure compliance with OOA policies, procedures as well as local, state, and federal statutes.

Prepares management and productivity reports; and reviews and approves documents and reports developed by employees to ensure professional quality and appearance, appropriate content, consistency, and responsiveness.

• Utilizes DFPS Data Warehouse and DSI reports to prepare monthly productivity reports.
• Reviews and approves OOA internal/external reports, training material, and web content to ensure consistency, and professional quality and appearance.
• Responsible for ensuring accurate information in training materials created by OOA.  

Identifies areas of needed change and makes recommendations to improve operations.

• Reviews and evaluates OOA areas of growth and makes recommendations to improve current program operations.
• Assists in the ongoing development of appeals through review and evaluation of prior business unit practice to identify areas of improvement that drive change.
• Reviews State Office of Administrative Hearings monthly logs to identify disparities in outcomes and seek to align decision making.

Provides technical expertise and guidance regarding questions related to the business function,

division, or department.

• Delivers training and provides technical assistance to CPI regional and State Office staff as it relates to administrative reviews conducted by OOA.
• Coordinates and leads a collaborative workgroup with HHSC as it relates to administrative review processes and outcomes.

May oversee the implementation of changes resulting from new legislation.

• Provides bill analysis as it relates to administrative reviews of investigation findings.
• Researches and gathers relevant data to assist with determining cost analysis of pending legislation directing affecting Office of Appeals.
• Evaluates proposed legislation to determine impact to business unit and makes recommendations regarding implementation. 

May oversee special investigations, program analyses, research studies, and internal audits.

• Manages special projects as requested by OOA Director to aid in the ongoing development of Office of Appeals.
• Oversees high-profile special requests as it relates to administrative reviews.  
• Provides program analysis as requested by OOA Director or Chief Consumer Affairs and Appeals Officer.  

Supervises the work of others.

• Provides guidance to staff regarding decisions making.
• Reviews and approves administrative review decisions.
• Addresses staff performance issues/concerns. 
• Oversees training and mentoring of new staff.
• Completes annual employee performance evaluations by providing written feedback to OOA Director for each employee.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations relevant to a business function, division, or department; and the principles and practices of public administration and management.

Skill in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems; and the use of a computer and applicable software.

Ability to manage business function, division, or department activities; to establish goals and objectives; to devise solutions to administrative problems; to develop and evaluate administrative policies and procedures; to prepare reports; to communicate effectively; and to supervise the work of others. 

REGISTRATION, CERTIFICATION, OR LICENSURE:

May require registration, certification, or licensure in a specialty area.

INITIAL SCREENING CRITERIA:

Experience in the management of a business function, division, or department relevant to the assignment. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in a field relevant to the assignment is generally preferred but not required. Experience and education may be substituted for one another. Must have a minimum of two years conducting administrative reviews of DFPS child abuse, neglect or exploitation investigations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Position can be housed at any regional DFPS office.

Review our Tips for Success when applying for jobs at DFPS, DSHS and HHSC.

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified to fill this position. For more information please see the Texas State Auditor’s Job Descriptions, Military Crosswalk and Military Crosswalk Guide at Texas State Auditor's Office - Job Descriptions. You may also contact the DFPS Military Liaison at dfpsmilvets@dfps.texas.gov with additional questions.

Applicants selected for hire must pass a background check and if applicable a driver’s record check.

As a state agency, DFPS is required by Texas Administrative Code (TAC 206 and 213) to ensure all Electronic Information Resources (EIR) follow accessibility standards. The staff must be familiar with the WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 to create accessible content including but not limited to; Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDFs, webpages, software, training guides, video, and audio files. 

DFPS uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work. Employees must provide documentation to DFPS to show their identity and authorization to work in the US. Please review the following link for authorized documents: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents .

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHS/DFPS agencies will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring and selection process for qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS/DFPS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747. If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodation to participate in the interview process, please notify the person scheduling the interview.