Staff Services Officer III

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:

Performs complex (journey-level) staff services work. Work involves planning, coordinating, and performing work in several staff services functions such as human resources, accounting, budgeting, purchasing, training, payroll, records management, and property management.

May provide guidance to others. Works under general supervision, with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.  

Essential Job Functions:

Plans, coordinates, and performs work in several staff services functions such as human resources, accounting, budgeting, purchasing, training, payroll, and records and property management.

•        Serves as a liaison between Workforce Development (WFD) Leadership, WFD team members, and other DFPS departments.

•        Coordinates, collaborates, and works with WFD, payroll, time labor and leave offices on assortment of projects.

•        Interacts with Finance/Budget regarding projections and expenses.

•        Handles purchasing needs and requests for the WFD division, as necessary.

Plans and coordinates special and administrative assignments and programs.

•        Coordinates the Workforce Director’s calendar and scheduling of meetings.

•        Represent workforce division in work groups as assigned by the director and deputy director.

•        Provides professional administrative and technical assistance to the WFD Director.

•        Coordinates meetings, conference calls and webinars for WFD division.

Coordinates varied records processing activities requiring the application of well-defined policies and procedures.

•        Prepares meeting agendas as assigned.

•        Manages the flow, tracking, and quality review of documents and correspondence for the WFD division while ensuring compliance with agency policies and procedures.

Provides technical assistance across several staff services functions; coordinates activities among management and staff in identifying issues and facilitates appropriate action.

•        Assist the workforce director and deputy director related to management analysis and reporting related to project management and logistics.

•        Prepares and tracks eMAC requests submittal and tracking for completion for workforce division staff.

•        Tracks assignments, provides reminders, and consolidates responses, as needed, to address and handle issues and facilitate appropriate action for the WFD division.

•        Tracks timelines and due dates for decision items, reports, memo, etc. as needed.

Prepares, edits, and distributes correspondence, reports, forms, and documents.

•        Prepares director and deputy director meeting notes.

•        Documents, tracks and reports on action items assigned to the WFD director and deputy director.

•        Drafts power point presentations for WFD Directors.

•        Management of various electronic WFD document libraries (keeping documents up to date in TEAMS and SharePoint).

•        Compiles and formats correspondence, and special reports as requested.

•        Prepares, routes, and tracks executive level correspondence for approval and dissemination.

Develops and maintains records and filing systems, which include performing records retention work and coordinating with staff on disposal of records according to the agency retention schedule.

•        Monitors and reports to the workforce director all workforce division’s budget for all workforce division units.

•        Monitors and reports to the workforce director all personnel activities including monthly vacancy rates and associated salary savings calculations.

•        Assists with monitoring of various WFD email boxes.

•        Ensures division compliance with the DFPS records retention schedule.

Assists in developing policies and procedures; and assists in interpreting and ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.

•        Assist with special projects, to include developing policies and procedures and to include data entry and interpretation, as needed.

•        Responds to inquiries to assist in interpreting and ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations, as requested.

Assists with analyzing internal processes and recommending and implementing procedural or policy changes to improve operations.

•        Drafts memos regarding staffing changes.

•        Collaborates with division management and staff to analyze internal processes to then recommend and implement changes that improve operations within the division.

•        Ensures any changes to procedural or policy changes to improve operations are documented and staff are trained accordingly.

Assists with developing programs and making adjustments to methods and procedures to comply with legislative or other changes.

•        Provides technical assistance to staff on administrative processes and procedures as a result of agency operational changes and or legislative implementation.

•        Assists with developing division processes and assists division management to ensure staff is informed of updated processes and procedures to comply with legislative or other agency changes.

May coordinate travel arrangements and serve as leave coordinator.

•        Coordinates travel arrangements and reservations for division staff.

•        Prepares Travel Claims preparation and tracking of expenses for division staff.

•        Completes travel authorization requests and tracking for division staff.

May coordinate and assist with developing job postings and screening applicants; and may advise management and answer policy and procedure questions on new hires, promotions, demotions, merit increases, disciplinary actions, transfers, and discharge of employees.

•        Assist with on-boarding activities of workforce and executive staff as needed, to include entering eMacs and following up with division new hires to ensure access is appropriate.

•        Assists with coordinating and screening applicants and setting up interviews, as needed.

•        Assists with answering policy and procedural questions or routing questions to applicable WFD staff.

May process purchase orders, coordinate and monitor expenditures, and maintain inventory.

•        Acts as the requisition/purchasing point of contact for the workforce division.

•        Enters and tracks all requisition requests and purchase orders.

May prepare and track all procurement requests in accordance with all state and agency requirements.

•        Acts as the accounts payable point of contact for the workforce division

•        Tracks invoices, encumbrances and payments, ensuring agency requirements.

May perform facilities management functions such as submitting work order requests, completing facilities reports, and monitoring the entry and security systems.

•        Submits and follows up on work order requests for WFD division, as needed

May perform records management work such as maintaining, coordinating, and implementing the approved records retention schedule and reporting.

•        Assists the workforce division by with keeping web content current on Safety Net pages.

•        Maintains, coordinates, and implements approved records retention schedule and reporting for the WFD division, as required.

•        Coordinates WFD division records retention schedules to ensure compliance with agency standards, laws, and regulations are met.

May plan and conduct workshops and/or training programs.

•        Assists with the planning and coordination of workforce meetings and conferences.

•        Plans or assists with training to WFD division and executive support staff, as needed.

May assist with developing the agency’s budget, policies, and procedures.

•        Assist in developing agency’s budget, policies, and procedures that apply to WFD division, as needed.

•        Assists in researching WFD division’s budget, policies, procedures that apply, as needed.

•        Assists with ensuring WFD division’s budget policies and procedures are maintained and updated and ensures WFD division staff are aware of any updates, as needed.

May provide guidance to others.

•        May train others on various workforce and DFPS processes and procedures including travel, provisioning, and electronic information systems changes.

•        Responds to inquiries on behalf of WFD division, as needed.

Performs related work as assigned.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:

N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of agency programs, policies, and procedures; the methods, principles, and practices of the agency; fiscal or budgeting techniques and practices; and office management and human resource administration.

Skill in coordinating activities, the use of a computer and applicable software, and critical thinking.

Skill in oral and written communication.

Skill in time management and planning.

Skill in data interpretation and entry.

Ability to study and evaluate programs and propose recommendations, to interpret and apply agency policies and procedures, to analyze and solve work problems, to communicate effectively, and to provide guidance to others.

Ability to take initiative to improve processes, respond to urgent issues, maintain confidentiality.

Ability to maintain calendars/schedule meetings

Initial Screening Criteria:

•    Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in human resources management, business or public administration, organizational development, or a related field is generally required.

•    Note: Full-time employment experience in office management, business or public administration, human resources management or related field may substitute for the required education on a year for year basis with a maximum substitution of four (4) years.

•    •Three years of full-time employment experience in office management, business or public administration, human resources management or related field required.

Preferred:

•    Experience in office management, business administration, information technology, human resource administration, or budget preparation work.
•    Experience in project coordination.
•    Experience preparing executive and administrative reports, studies, or specialized programs projects. •    Experience with complex, executive level coordination and written communications.
•    Experience coordinating work between organizational units preferred.
•    PC skills and experience using Word, Excel, and MS Outlook

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.