HHS Director

Apply by December 10, 2025, at 4:30 p.m.
$63.97 to $84.23 DOQ

Position Objective

Performs complex work administering and directing the Income Maintenance Programs, Social Service Programs, and Public Health Nursing Programs, overseeing departmental staff, participating with the community in developing and administering programs, providing reports and statistics required by federal, state, and county laws, rules, policies, and procedures, operating under the administrative supervision of the County Administrator and the County Board, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the general direction of the County Administrator and the County Board.                                  

Supervision is exercised over all department personnel.

Essential Functions

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Direct the strategic planning and development of health & human service programs in an effective manner to meet client needs within legal requirements.
• Interprets federal, state, and county administrative communications to staff, board, and community.
• Administers all agency programs by directing policy and procedures to be developed and maintained. Public Health programs will be done on a cooperative basis with health/nursing practice decisions made by the Director of Public Health and administrative decisions made jointly with the director.
• Directs the development of quality control systems to be used in the assessment of programs.
• Develop and implement agency goals and objectives on no less than an annual basis.
• Confer with the County Attorney about legal aspects of programs.
• Directs the preparation of financial, statistical, and activity reports for federal, state, and county requirements.
• Directs the negotiation of contracts as appropriate for services to be provided.
• Develops a monitoring and evaluation system for contract compliance.
• Directs the planning and implementation of computer and data collection.
• Directs the planning process for agency programs to include public input, board policy, fiscal accountability, quality service delivery, and program evaluation.
• To provide technical assistance to the County Administrator and the County Board to provide them with information on health & human service areas to assist them in setting budgets and determining policy.
• Direct and organize the presentation of information at county board meetings no less than one meeting per month.
• Serve as resource person for Commissioner who serves on the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) policy committee. Attend meetings as requested by Commissioner or Board.
• Represent Chisago County at the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA), Minnesota Inter-County Association (MICA), Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA), and other social service lobbying associations as appropriate.

Inform county board of legislative issues, potential problems, and the impact of proposed legislation on the county as appropriate.

• Manages the budget process to provide financial accountability.
• Direct the preparation and presentation of the annual budget, including budget assumptions, in the format determined by the County Administrator.
  • Develop and maintain reports that assist in the monitoring and control of expenditures with budget limits.
  • Recommend budget changes as changes occur in state and federal programs or funding, and as service demands change.
  • Delegate fiscal monitoring to supervisory levels as appropriate.
  • The established goal for the end of year fund balance is currently $1,500,000. This goal needs to be reviewed with recommended changes as appropriate.

• Adequately trained staff is maintained to provide quality health & human services to county residents.
• Evaluate staff needs and recommend changes as programs change or service demands increase.
  • Direct staff development plans completed by employees and supervisors in providing opportunities for employee career development.
  • Direct the hiring of personnel in accordance with appropriate rules, policies, and contracts. Requirements of Nursing education, experience will be determined by assigned nursing supervisor.
  • Direct the supervision of personnel files in cooperation with the personnel director.
  • Informs staff of affirmative action plan and implements as appropriate.
  • Manages the activities of supervisors and staff through adequate planning and goal setting.
  • Serve as resource to personnel director in managing labor relations and negotiations.

• Community involvement is developed and maintained to explain health & human services programs and needs to the community.
• Maintain liaison with service providers in the community.
• Direct the development of needs assessments and needs determinations in a planned manner.
• Provide public appearances and information to community groups as requested.
• Develop and implement a public information system.
• Meet and confer with local advisory committees, client or community groups, and service providers as time permits.
• Continue cooperative planning for both intra-agency and inter-agency to ensure continuity and avoid service duplication.
• Represents Chisago County on the regional Adult Mental Health Initiative (AMHI) Governing Board and represents regional Health and Human Services Directors on the AMHI Governing Board on rotation.
• Continue planning and implementation of prevention services in health & human services in collaboration with the public schools.
• Monitor implementation of the Family Services Collaborative Grants, both planning and implementation.
• Direct process to collect any health, human services, or special education funding that can assist in continuing positions.
• Develop plan to equalize funding responsibilities for students from other counties.
• Host the development of Interagency Administrative group and joint school board-county board group as governance structure develops.
• Other duties as assigned currently include:
• Administer Homeless Prevention grant awarded to Chisago-Isanti counties.
  • Direct the application and reporting for the FEMA grant.
  • Review grant applications available and implement as appropriate.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of the modern principles and practices of public welfare administration.
• Thorough knowledge of revenue available from federal, state and county sources.
• Thorough knowledge of the economic and social problems of a medium-sized urban county as well as its community resources.
• Thorough knowledge of federal and state laws, rules and regulations relating to social service and income maintenance programs as well as the function and organization of social service agencies at all levels of government.
• Considerable knowledge of the principles of sound fiscal management.
• Knowledge of non-welfare programs that depend on public welfare interaction and funding.
• Ability to effectively supervise staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff and board members and, as necessary, with outside groups and community resources.
• Must possess excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to analyze complicated issues and problems and make sound decisions and recommendations.
• Ability to formulate and direct the implementation of new methods and techniques to meet changing needs.

Desired Minimum Qualifications

Master's degree and considerable experience, or a combination of equivalent education and experience.

Special Qualifications

Valid driver’s license in the State of Minnesota.

Tools and Equipment Used

Personal computer, including work processing and permitting software; motor vehicle, 10 key calculators; phone.

Working Conditions

The characteristics listed below are representative of the physical demands, physical agility, sensory requirements, and environmental exposures required by an individual to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• This classification occasionally involves physical agility requirements such as: climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, pushing, pulling, repetitive motions and manual dexterity.
• Sensory requirements include standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing ideas by means of the spoken word; and hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally drives in outside weather conditions. Much of the time is spent in office settings.

Applicants for appointment to this position will be required to submit a formal application and may be subject to rating of education and experience, oral interview and/or reference check, background investigation, criminal history check, drug testing.  Job related tests may be required of any applicant.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee as is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Salary : $1,500,000