APS Field Based and Workforce Initiatives Director

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) works to build on strengths of families and communities to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, so they thrive. We do this through investigations, services, and referrals.  

What You Get Beyond Your Paycheck

When you join the State of Texas, your monthly paycheck is just one part of your real income. Our benefits provide extra value that many private employers simply don’t match—often adding hundreds of dollars each month to what you take home or save.

Here’s what you get as a full-time employee:

• 100% paid health insurance for you, and 50% paid for eligible family members—saving you hundreds every month in out-of-pocket medical costs
• Retirement plans with lifetime monthly payments after five years of state service, plus options to save even more with 401(k) and 457 plans
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave so you can recharge and take care of life outside work (that’s time off you’re actually paid for)
• Optional dental, vision, and life insurance—at rates much lower than most private plans
• Flexible spending accounts for added tax savings on health and dependent care
• Employee discounts on things like gym memberships, electronics, and entertainment

You also might qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which could help you pay off federal student loans faster.

You can see all the details here: ERS recruitment brochure

Functional Title: APS Field Based and Workforce Initiatives Director 
Job Title: Director II 
Agency: Dept of Family & Protectve Svc 
Department: APS Associate Commissioner 
Posting Number: 11999 
Closing Date: 12/24/2025 
Posting Audience: Internal and External 
Occupational Category: Protective Services 
Salary Group: TEXAS-B-27 
Salary Range: $7,015.16 - $11,864.50 
Pay Frequency: Monthly
Shift: Day 
Additional Shift:  
Telework:  
Travel: Up to 35% 
Regular/Temporary: Regular 
Full Time/Part Time: Full time 
FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt 
Facility Location:  
Job Location City: AUSTIN 
Job Location Address: 4900 N LAMAR BLVD 
Other Locations: Abilene; Alamo; Alice; Alpine; Alvin; Amarillo; Anahuac; Andrews; Angleton; Anson; Aransas Pass; Archer City; Arlington; Athens; Atlanta; Austin; Bacliff; Ballinger; Bandera; Bastrop; Bay City; Baytown; Beaumont; Bedford; Beeville; Bellville; Big Spring; Boerne; Bonham; Borger; Bowie; Brady; Breckenridge; Brenham; Brownfield; Brownsville; Brownwood; Bryan; Burnet; Caldwell; Cameron; Canton; Canutillo; Carlsbad; Carrizo Springs; Carrollton; Carthage; Center; Centerville; Childress; Clarksville; Cleburne; Cleveland; Coldspring; Columbus; Conroe; Copperas Cove; Corpus Christi; Corsicana; Crockett; Crosby; Crystal City; Cuero; Cypress; Daingerfield; Dallas; Decatur; Del Rio; Denton; Dickinson; Dumas; Duncanville; Eagle Pass; Eastland; Edinburg; El Paso; Elgin; Elsa; Ennis; Fabens; Falfurrias; Floresville; Fort Stockton; Fort Worth; Fredericksburg; Gainesville; Galveston; Garland; Gatesville; Georgetown; Giddings; Gilmer; Goliad; Gonzales; Graham; Granbury; Grand Prairie; Grapevine; Greenville; Hallettsville; Hamilton; Harlingen; Haskell; Hearne; Hemphill; Hempstead; Henderson; Hereford; Hillsboro; Hondo; Houston; Humble; Huntsville; Hurst; Irving; Jacksonville; Jasper; Johnson City; Jourdanton; Karnes City; Katy; Kaufman; Kerrville; Killeen; Kingsville; Kingwood; Kirbyville; La Grange; Lake Jackson; Lake Worth; Lamesa; Lampasas; Lancaster; Laredo; Levelland; Lewisville; Liberty; Linden; Littlefield; Livingston; Llano; Lockhart; Longview; Lubbock; Lufkin; Lumberton; Madisonville; Marble Falls; Marfa; Marlin; Marshall; Mcallen; Mckinney; Mercedes; Meridian; Mesquite; Mexia; Midland; Mineola; Mineral Wells; Mission; Monahans; Mount Pleasant; Mount Vernon; Nacogdoches; Navasota; New Boston; New Braunfels; Odessa; Orange; Palestine; Pampa; Paris; Pasadena; Pearland; Pearsall; Pecos; Perryton; Pharr; Pittsburg; Plainview; Plano; Pollok; Port Arthur; Port Lavaca; Presidio; Quitman; Raymondville; Refugio; Richardson; Richmond; Rio Grande City; Robstown; Rockwall; Rosenberg; Round Rock; Rowlett; Rusk; San Angelo; San Antonio; San Benito; San Juan; San Marcos; San Saba; Schertz; Seguin; Seminole; Seymour; Sherman; Silsbee; Sinton; Snyder; Socorro; Sonora; South Houston; Stephenville; Sugar Land; Sulphur Springs; Sweetwater; Taylor; Temple; Terrell; Texarkana; Texas City; The Woodlands; Tomball; Trinity; Tyler; Uvalde; Van Horn; Vernon; Victoria; Waco; Washington; Watauga; Waxahachie; Weatherford; Webster; Weslaco; Wharton; Wichita Falls; Woodville; Zapata 
MOS Codes: 8003,8040,8041,8042,10C0,111X,112X,113X,114X,20C0,30C0,40C0,611X,612X,631X,641X,648X,90G0,91C0,91W0 
97E0,SEI15 
 
 

Brief Job Description:

Performs managerial work providing direction and guidance in strategic operations and planning. Work involves establishing the strategic plan and goals and objectives; developing policies, procedures, and guidelines; establishing priorities, standards, and measurement tools for determining progress in meeting goals; coordinating and evaluating program activities or business functions; and reviewing and approving budgets within departments or divisions. Supervises the work of others. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Essential Job Functions:

Develop long-range and short-term plans.

•Leads buildout and integration of workforce readiness plan, integrating statewide recruitment, retention, and leadership strategies with annual implementation milestones.

•Designs and executes annual statewide training operation plan, aligning training delivery with program policy updates and regional goals.

• Implements succession and leadership pipeline strategy, embedding leadership competencies into regionally focused learning and mentorship programs

Administer and direct programs in a specific area.

• Directs all operations of the program focused training model, including curriculum design, mentor oversight, trainer deployment, and quality assurance across all Texas counties.

• Administers statewide workforce innovation initiatives—such as hybrid onboarding and retention pilots—in collaboration with Human Resources and Learning & Development.

• Oversees implementation of the program competency framework to ensure statewide consistency, policy alignment, and measurable workforce outcomes.

Directs program activities and/or business functions within a department or division.

• Manages statewide operations of regional training hubs, ensuring equitable access to learning resources, budget compliance, and performance standards.

• Oversee training and workforce budgets, authorizing expenditures, reallocating resources, and maintaining fiscal accountability.

• Directs cross-divisional coordination between operations, policy, Human Resources, and Learning & Development to ensure seamless alignment of workforce systems and training initiatives.

Develops and implements techniques for evaluating program activities and/or business functions within a department or division; and identifies need for changes.

• Develop statewide performance analytics using KPIs (e.g., retention rates, time-to-proficiency, training completion) to assess workforce impact and guide improvement.

• Implements an evolutionary model for workforce programs, using data and feedback to refine curriculum and processes.

• Conducts annual program evaluations, benchmarking program initiatives against national best practices, and leads change management to modernize systems and address gaps.

Develops and establishes goals and objectives consistent with the agency’s strategic plan.

• Aligns program workforce and training goals with DFPS’s strategic plan, translating agency priorities into measurable statewide workforce and learning objectives.

• Establishes short- and long-term performance benchmarks for workforce readiness, retention, and leadership development across all program regions.

• Collaborates with executive leadership to ensure that training and workforce strategies directly support the program’s mission of protecting vulnerable Texans.

Develops, reviews, and approves budgets and major expenditures; and ensures that requirements of funding sources are met.

• Oversees the development and approval of budgets for statewide field-based training and workforce initiatives, ensuring compliance with state and federal funding requirements.

• Approves major expenditures for training systems, learning technologies, and personnel development, balancing fiscal accountability with innovation.

• Monitors budget performance and reallocate resources to meet emerging operational needs or address workforce capacity gaps.

Develops policies, procedures, and guidelines; and monitors compliance.

• Leads development of statewide policies and procedures, in collaboration with program policy director, governing field-based training, mentoring, and competency-based learning standards.

• Ensures compliance with DFPS regulations, federal training mandates, and internal quality assurance measures through regular audits and system reviews.

• Implements clear operational guidelines to standardize program delivery, ensuring consistency across all regions and training teams.

Plans, develops, and approves schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving goals; and directs evaluation activities.

• Establishes annual priorities and timelines for the program’s workforce development initiatives, ensuring alignment with legislative cycles and agency milestones.

• Approves statewide training schedules, performance standards, and evaluation plans to monitor learning outcomes and workforce impact.

• Directs data-driven evaluation of program effectiveness, using findings to refine priorities and inform executive decision-making.

Represents the agency at business meetings, hearings, trials, legislative sessions, conferences, and seminars or on boards, panels, and committees.

• Serves as program’s statewide representative for workforce development and training at legislative briefings, interagency councils, and professional conferences.

• Presents data, outcomes, and innovations from program training model to external partners and policymakers, strengthening the agency’s credibility and influence.

• Builds partnerships with universities, state agencies, and professional organizations to advance workforce initiatives and expand the program’s learning network.

Reviews and approves management, productivity, and financial reports and studies.

• Reviews statewide workforce analytics, training completion metrics, and retention data to identify trends and inform leadership decisions.

• Approves quarterly financial and performance reports to ensure transparency and accountability in resource utilization.

• Evaluate productivity studies to assess program efficiency, recommending strategic adjustments to improve outcomes.

Reviews results of special investigations, internal audits, research studies, forecasts, and modeling exercises to provide direction and guidance.

• Analyzes findings from internal audits and research studies to identify workforce vulnerabilities and inform corrective action plans.

• Uses forecasting and modeling data to anticipate future staffing needs, training capacity requirements, and leadership succession gaps.

• Provides executive-level guidance based on research outcomes, ensuring proactive and evidence-based decision-making across program systems.

Provides professional oversight and guidance to other occupations or support staff, including executive and/or management-level staff, to ensure compliance with and adherence to regulatory standards and established procedures.

• Supervises and mentors’ management-level staff responsible for training operations, ensuring consistent application of policy and performance standards.

• Provides professional direction to regional training managers, HR partners, and Learning & Development teams to maintain compliance with DFPS protocols.

• Guides leadership development across programs, fostering accountability, regulatory adherence, and alignment with the agency’s mission and core values.

Performs related work as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to maintain the security and integrity of the infrastructure per Governor Abbot Executive Order GA-48.

• Knowledge of workforce development strategy, adult learning theory, competency-based training systems, and the principles and practices of public administration and management.

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations relevant to program operations, policy, and workforce development; business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, and leadership techniques; and the principles and practices of public administration and management..

• Knowledge of organizational structure, leadership practices, and statewide training system design and evaluation.

• Skill in establishing plans and setting objectives and goals that support the agency’s strategic mission and workforce sustainability priorities; decision-making, including assessing risk and using good judgment to inform decisions and recommendations to leadership; and conflict resolution and working quickly and collaboratively to solve problems.

• Skill in group facilitation, consensus-building, and systems-level collaboration across multiple divisions and stakeholder groups.

• Skill in interpreting complex data sets, identifying statewide trends, and developing actionable strategies for program improvement.

• Skill in managing large-scale projects, balancing competing priorities, and aligning workforce initiatives with policy and operational goals.

• Skill in communicating effectively with executive leadership, field staff, and external partners.

• Ability to direct and organize program activities and business functions; to establish goals and objectives that support the strategic plan; to identify problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions; to communicate effectively; to develop and evaluate policies and procedures; to prepare clear and concise reports; and to supervise the work of others.

• Ability to lead through organizational change with high emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a focus on collaboration and results.

• Ability to maintain the integrity, consistency, and quality of statewide training and workforce systems in alignment with program mission and strategic plan.

• Ability to travel up to 35% of the time, including overnight travel, to provide onsite leadership, collaboration, and program oversight across regions.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or comparable professional licensure in social services, public administration, or workforce development is preferred but not required.

A valid Texas driver’s license is required, with the ability to travel independently throughout the state up to 35% of the time, including overnight travel.

Initial Screening Criteria:

• Minimum three years of full-time experience working directly with APS clients in Texas.
• Minimum two years of experience providing performance feedback to APS staff in Texas (mentoring, coaching, supervising, or training).
• Demonstrated experience facilitating workgroups, committees, or cross-functional meetings to support organizational goals.
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Five years’ full-time experience as an APS Supervisor or Manager in Texas (preferred).
• Experience in training and public presentations (preferred)

Additional Information:

This position can be housed in any 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.

State of Texas employees are required to maintain the security and integrity of critical infrastructure as defined in Section 117.001(2), State of Texas Business and Commerce Code. Applicants selected for hire comply with this code by completing related training and abiding by agency cybersecurity and communications system usage policies.

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.