REGION PROGRAM DIRECTOR - ESS - 60012811 - ESS Program - Suncoast Region

Salary: $95,000 minimum annual. The DCF Salary Policy will apply.  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Must be a current DCF Employee.
• Minimum three years of senior-level management experience, including: 
  • Leading large teams through organizational change.
  • Interpreting and applying rules, policies and regulations.
  • Managing multi-site operations.
  • Utilizing strong analytical skills and data-driven decision-making.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the region and to DCF Headquarters as needed. 

PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE FOLLOWING: 

• Experience with government assistance programs, including program eligibility policies and procedures.
• Experience managing budgets, contracts and financial responsibilities.
• Experience developing operational strategies for large-scale service delivery environments.
• Experience setting and monitoring performance measures and quality assurance standards.
• Experience identifying and evaluating teams and processes to develop and implement solutions.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Note: Be prepared to provide a copy of your degree/diploma or request official transcripts from your school in a sealed envelope. All documents must be in English, clear, and legible, showing all signatures and pertinent details. Foreign degrees must be validated by a third party to meet the US equivalency requirements. All costs are the responsibility of the applicant. 

About the FL Department of Children and Families: 

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency providing services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and government assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.  

Within DCF, the Economic Self Sufficiency (ESS) Program helps to promote strong and economically self-sufficient families by determining eligibility in Florida for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid for individuals and families on the road to economic recovery.  

To learn more please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/. 

About the role: 

The Regional Director leads all ESS operations across the Suncoast Region (Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties). This senior role focuses on service delivery, operational improvement, efficiency, and high‑quality client service.  

What You Will Do: 

• Reports directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for ESS Operations
• Leads and manage multi‑site ESS operations across 11 counties
• Drives performance using data analysis and trend evaluation
• Oversees accuracy, timeliness, and service quality for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid eligibility
• Leads organizational change and implement statewide initiatives
• Supervises regional leadership teams and support workforce engagement
• Ensures compliance with all applicable rules, policies, and regulations
• Collaborates with senior executives, program offices, and community partners 
• Coordinates regional projects and special assignments 

The ideal candidate for this position will: 

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships and foster a collaborative work environment among staff to ensure outstanding customer service and the achievement of program goals.
• Have strong leadership and management skills with the ability to effectively lead and motivate a large workforce.
• Possess excellent active listening, oral and written communication skills to include the ability to effectively articulate and convey information so that it is readily understandable.     
• Be comfortable speaking in public and to diverse individuals at all levels.
• Be solutions oriented with the ability to use critical thinking, judgement and discretion to make sound decisions, solve problems and make effective recommendations.   
• Be able to understand, interpret and apply a comprehensive knowledge of applicable laws, agency policies and procedures.
• Possess strong computer application skills with the ability to effectively utilize applications related to business operations and human resource administration. 

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida: 

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including: 

• No state income tax for residents of Florida.
• Annual and Sick Leave benefits.
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year.
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options.
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com).
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Tuition waivers.
• And more! 

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com. 

Candidate Profile (application) fields must be completed in its entirety. 

• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for all periods of employment.
• Account for and explain any gaps in employment so that the hiring process is not delayed.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications. 
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of entering work history. 

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.  Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you will be required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement. 

The position will perform all job tasks in accordance with laws, rules, regulations, policies, and requirements applicable to state and federal laws or procedures. 

We hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. 

Participation in the State of Florida Direct Deposit Program is required as a condition of employment per F.S. 110.113, and enrollment must be completed within the first 30 calendar days of your appointment.