Senior Director, Seattle Field Office

Casey Family Programs, an Equal Opportunity Employer, is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families across America. Founded in 1966, we work in 50 states, the District of Columbia and two territories and with more than a dozen tribal nations to influence long-lasting improvements to the safety and success of children, families and the communities where they live. Casey Family Programs values diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and respect for individuals in the workplace. We encourage candidates with diverse lived experience and perspectives to apply.

Child and Family Services (CFS) of Casey Family Programs provides direct services and tribal consultation in pursuit of Casey’s mission to provide, improve, and – ultimately prevent the need for – foster care. CFS operates nine field offices in five states and an Indian Child Welfare Programs office that demonstrate direct service and ICW improvement models. We share our experiences and lessons learned with jurisdictions, tribes, providers, and communities in the spirit of mutual continuous learning. Our work is community and family centered, relationship-based, participatory, and culturally responsive. We recognize the dignity and strength of every individual, family, community and culture.

Job Summary

Utilizing a collaborative, innovative, evidence-informed, trauma and healing approach to practice, we engage families and community partners in the urgent, relentless pursuit of legal and relational permanency and well-being for all children and families so that no youth ages out of foster care. Our clinical case management and support activities primarily occur within homes and in the community, with virtual options available, as necessary. The Senior Director – Field Office is primarily responsible for all aspects of the field office operations. This includes a focus on prevention and permanency services and an emphasis on implementing, monitoring, and continuing the ongoing development of the local strategy for CFS direct practice and local systems improvement work. The Senior Director - Field Office is a matrix position assigned to a Strategic Consulting team with jurisdictional assignments. Responsibilities include advancing practices and policies that promote safe reduction of children and youth in foster care, prevent entry of children into care and promote child and family well-being, either as state, county or regional lead, with the public child welfare system as the primary partner. All assigned work is aligned with transformation efforts to Build Communities of Hope in partnership with community and other stakeholders.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provides vision, leadership and strategic direction through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion and continuous quality improvement, in collaboration with Field Office management team, staff, partners and stakeholders. Responsible for all field office operations including ongoing staff development, service delivery and innovative social work practice with youth and families, personnel actions, resource allocations, budget development and monitoring, facilities, and crisis and risk management. Assumes leadership role in practice and policy development through membership on CFS Leadership Teams and other ongoing and ad hoc practice groups.
• Directly supervises Field Office Director and Office Administrator to deploy work force and other resources to achieve CFS direct practice and organizational deliverables, along with ensuring that Field Office adheres to all policies and procedures. Provides leadership opportunities for employees that enable growth and encourage leadership development with the position. Ensures that employees receive appropriate training, coaching, feedback and performance evaluations.
• Provides vision, leadership and strategic direction and cultivates key relationships with local jurisdiction leaders in child welfare, community-based organizations, providers of child welfare and child and family well-being services and other pertinent stakeholders under the direction of the Managing Director - Field Offices, to advance practices and policies that advance CFP goals. Provides sound analysis and recommendations about system improvement and transformation efforts, and cultivates and facilitates strategies to support child welfare agencies in the prevention of entry and reduction of youth in foster care and advancing child and family well-being. Ensures local field office system improvement work is aligned with state Strategic Consulting plans.
• Develops and manages jurisdiction and community relationships and provides Strategic Consulting under the direction of the Managing Director - Strategic Consulting for assigned jurisdictions to advance organizational mission. Provides sound analysis and recommendations about system improvement and transformation efforts, and cultivates and facilitates strategies to support child welfare agencies in the prevention of entry and reduction of youth in foster care and advancing child and family well-being. Develops and communicates effective methods that assist child welfare systems in reinvestment strategies to support and strengthen families. Participates as a member of assigned Strategic Consulting Team and the Systems Improvement (SI) team; participates and/or leads special work groups as needed. Acts as liaison between SI and CFS.
• Develops business plans and budgets to effectively resource all direct service work and monitors service delivery and spending through organizational procedures. Also, for assigned jurisdictions through Systems Improvement, develops work plans and budgets that are strategic in advancing work efforts that further the goals of the strategic plan.
• Coordinates with Indian Child Welfare Programs unit to ensure that the work with Tribes and with American Indian/Alaska Native youth and families is integrated and supported within the Field Office and strategic consulting work.
• Partners with the Senior Director of Demonstration & Spread (D&S) and other stakeholders to support D&S practice consultation, technical assistance, peer shared learning opportunities, and dissemination of knowledge with local county, regional, tribal, and state child welfare jurisdictions and/or private providers to promote continued momentum towards Building Communities of Hope. Develops and maintains partnerships with community-based/community-led organizations that promote a racial justice well-being response through appropriate family-centered alternatives to public child welfare intervention. Promotes staff development through identification of D&S opportunities in local and broader jurisdictions to leverage staff knowledge, skill, and expertise. Manages capacity and staff resource allocation to D&S.
• Works closely with internal and external leaders, stakeholders from the public, business, philanthropic, nonprofit and community sectors, and including courts, private providers, schools, advocacy groups etc. to promote building Communities of Hope. Identifies public policy issues, develops strategies, and incorporates information from state policy makers or their staff to positively impact youth and family outcomes. Provides leadership in influencing child welfare and child and family well-being practices, policies, and procedures on a local and state level, including memberships on Boards, Court Improvement Committees and state Indian Child Welfare Committees. Maintains familiarity with pending state or federal legislation or county actions that may impact organizational strategies and goals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

All of these essential responsibilities necessitate the ability to work and communicate effectively across differences with diverse services, populations, staff and stakeholders to advance diversity, equity and inclusion; to work effectively in a team environment as well as work autonomously and exercise independent judgement as required; to demonstrate effective organizational, analytical, critical thinking, and problem solving skills; to collaborate with management and staff to ensure alignment with organizational values, goals, and directives in all work performed.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Work or related field from an accredited institution and a minimum of ten years of combined progressively responsible experience in management, administration, or clinical supervision in a public or private child welfare or other child and family service-related practice is required. Demonstrated experience serving in a strategic role and/or providing strategic consultation required.
• Demonstrated skill in community engagement strategies, working in a collaborative community environment, building relationships, and managing expectations within those relationships is required. Ability to provide technical assistance, make presentations, work independently, take initiative, provide assessments and system evaluation. Excellent adaptive and technical leadership skills including training, group facilitation, and supervision are required.
• Knowledge of prevention services and strategies, foster care and permanency services, kinship care, transition services and clinical social work within the child welfare system is highly desirable, along with experience in strategic planning, systems integration, systems change and an in-depth understanding of State, County and Tribal jurisdictions.
• Experience in strategic planning, systems integration, systems change and an in-depth understanding of multi-state child and family well-being systems required. Knowledge and experience of current community, tribal, state and jurisdiction needs, and influential contacts is strongly preferred.
• Experience in successfully developing and managing complex budgets, experience with contracting procedures and general resource management is required.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, respect for tribal sovereignty, and respect for cultural, racial, and gender difference is required. Personal qualities demonstrating adaptability, curiosity, collaboration and a capacity for self-reflection and commitment to lifelong learning are a must. Ability to contribute effectively with and across teams and with external partners necessary.
• Ability to perform effectively in high pressure and stressful work environment. Ability to manage stress and self-care.
• This position is full-time requiring time in the field and the office, therefore full-time teleworking is not an option. Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• This position that requires travel on average of 40-50% of the time.
• Physical requirements include the ability to lift and reach for light objects; ability to type and work at a computer for extended periods of time as a primary job function.
• Ability to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information by learning and following all relevant policies and protocols and using sound judgment in the handling and sharing of that information.
• Local travel as well as occasional out of town travel may be required. Driving on Casey business may require use of personal vehicle; adherence to vehicle safety guidelines and qualification for insurance is require.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  
  

This position is based in Seattle, WA. The typical hiring range is $150,450 to $177,000. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $203,550, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role. Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future.

Casey Family Programs offers comprehensive benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, accrual of 12 days of vacation, 12 days of sick time, 10 paid holidays per year, and each employee receives one personal holiday to use each calendar year. Employees that meet certain tenure qualifiers are eligible for up to eight weeks of parental leave for the birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care. After the completion of 10 years of continuous, full-time regular employment, employees in good standing are permitted for a three-month sabbatical with pay. CFP also offers many opportunities for continued learning, training, and development.

This position will remain open until the needs are met and is subject to closure at any time without notice. It is to your advantage to file your application early as you will not be able to apply once the position has closed.