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Director of Social Services Page 1 I 2 Jurisdiction: Cortland County Jurisdictional Class: Competitive Adopted: 10/20/05 Amended: 10/01/15; 11/01/22; 9/22/23; 5/29/25; 2/23/26 DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The work involves responsibility for managing various units or divisions in the Department of Social Services. The incumbent in this position develops policies and procedures, in accordance with State and Federal laws and rules, relative to standards and practices in service delivery in the child welfare services area. The work also involves planning and coordinating service delivery of several units. The work is performed under the general supervision of the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Social Services with wide leeway allowed for the exercise of independent judgment in planning and carrying out the details of the work. Works closely with other members of a small administrative team for the purpose of short and long term planning and general agency operation. Supervision is exercised over the work of subordinate staff. Does related work as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative only) Develops and recommends policies and procedures to comply with State and Federal laws, regulations and mandates with regard to the delivery of social services programs in a county; Plans, organizes, directs and coordinates the various functions of the Division; Interprets State and Federal laws and regulations as they relate to service programs and advises the Commissioner of Social Services for budget purposes; Supervises subordinate staff in administering casework and income maintenance services which are consistent with laws and regulations. This includes fielding problem situations 24/7 hours and days given the life and safety nature of programs; Acts for the Commissioner in his/her absence; Conducts individual and/or group conferences with Case Supervisors to discuss updates and revisions to the laws and regulations and the impact such revisions may have on the policies and procedures relative to social services programs; May write and submits grants for programs that will assist in the provision of services; Formulates, recommends staffing plans and resource allocation for the Division; Conducts interviews with potential employees, makes recommendation for hiring and subsequent unit assignments; Meets with other public and non-public agencies and advises them regarding program development, gaps in service, and service delivery; Identifies key department issues and develops strategies and implements plans to address them, including making projections for budget planning purposes; Oversees and/or manages special departmental projects; Monitors service contracts and plans by maintaining on-going contact with agencies and obtains status reports on programs administered; Cooperates with representatives of the State agencies as needed in the operation and development of local district projects, and directs the preparation and submission of required reports to the state; Determine staffing needs and conduct performance evaluations of department staff; ---PAGE BREAK--- Director of Social Services Page 2 I 2 Ensures adherence to specified timelines by implementing processes in accordance with laws and regulations; Conducts performance evaluations of subordinate staff; Assess training needs of staff and coordinates training programs for them by scheduling and making the necessary arrangements for the training; Maintains cooperative working relations with Family Court and other community providers by offering on-going training with respect to changes in laws and rules and any other issues affecting service delivery. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of modern principles and practices of social casework; Thorough knowledge of State and Federal laws and rules governing social services programs; Thorough knowledge of community service agencies and programs; Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, administer and evaluate the effectiveness of program plans and provision of services related to social services; Ability to plan and supervise the work of others; Ability to prepare budgets, operating reports and a variety of other reports relative to program activities; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; Ability to formulate a local government needs assessment for program areas; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; Ability to operate a personal computer and utilize common office software programs; Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Possession of Bachelor’s degree or higher and four years of case management experience, two years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity. NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.