DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES CAREER EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENT EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

DEPARTMENT:	DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES	RELEASE DATE:	Monday, April 8, 2013
POSITION TITLE:	BRANCH CHIEF, HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES BRANCH	FINAL FILING DATE:	Friday, April 19, 2013
CEA LEVEL:	CEA 2	EXTENDED FINAL FILING DATE:
SALARY RANGE:	$ 7,815.00 - $ 8,616.00 / Month	BULLETIN ID:	04022013_5

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Under the administrative direction of the Deputy Director, Administration Division, the Branch Chief is responsible for developing, administering, and evaluating departmental policy relative to the Department's human resource management functions and directs the activities of the Branch. The Branch Chief is responsible for identifying and implementing innovative personnel management practices and controls to address the Department's human resource needs necessary to support the Department's mission. The Branch Chief is a key advisor to the Department's Executive Leadership team in all areas of human resources. The Branch Chief is also responsible for successfully advising, collaborating, and coordinating with the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) and Health and Human Services Agency in the development of agency-wide strategic human resource initiatives.

The position is responsible for the policy development, planning, organizing, directing, and evaluation of the activities of the Branch, including the Department's classification plan, payroll and benefits transactions, recruitment and selection, labor relations, discipline, staff development and training and worker's compensation. This position also directs workforce management strategies and practices necessary to support the human resource needs of the Department.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Either I
Must be a current State civil service employee with permanent civil service status, as defined in Government Code Section 18546.

Or II
Must be a current or former employee of the Legislature, who resigned or was released from service within the last 12 months, and with two or more consecutive years of service as defined in Government Code Section 18990.

Or III
Must be a current or former nonelected exempt employee of the Executive Branch of government who resigned or was released from service within the last 12 months, and with two or more consecutive years of service (excluding those positions for which the salaries are set by statute) as defined by Government Code Section 18992.

Or IV
Must be a person retired from the United States military, honorably discharged from active military duty with a service-connected disability, or honorably discharged from active duty as defined in Government Code Section 18991.

(1) Knowledge of the organization and functions of California State Government including the organization and practices of the Legislature and the Executive Branch; principles, practices, and trends of public administration, organization, and management; techniques of organizing and motivating groups; program development and evaluation; methods of administrative problem solving; principles and practices of policy formulation and development; and personnel management techniques; the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives; and a manager’s role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program.

(2) Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of multidisciplinary professional and administrative staff; analyze administrative policies, organization, procedures and practices; integrate the activities of a diverse program to attain common goals; gain the confidence and support of top level administrators and advise them on a wide range of administrative matters; develop cooperative working relationships with representatives of all levels of government, the public, and the Legislature and Executive branches; analyze complex problems and recommend effective courses of action; and prepare and review reports; and effectively contribute to the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity objectives.

CEA Level A Responsible for broad administrative and program activities, including the execution and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level B Responsible for extensive managerial and program administration or broad program manager experience with substantial participation in the formulation, operation, and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level C Responsible for extensive highly professional influence and contributes to program, policy, and the methods to provide professional services needed to set policies, to meet the mission of the State department and often exercising technical and or professional skills that are required at this level.

(a) Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of state personnel management, including classification and compensation, selection, payroll and benefits transactions, progressive discipline, workers compensation, workforce management, and labor.

(b) Ability to effectively communicate with others as demonstrated by strong written and verbal communications skills.

(c) Demonstrated management and leadership skills, including the ability to facilitate the establishment of strategic objectives and priorities, and ensure obtainment of objectives.

(d) Demonstrated ability to build cooperative relationships with Department management and other state agencies including control agencies, particularly CalHR, the State Personnel Board, and the State Controllers Office.

(e) Demonstrated ability to gain the confidence of the Department's executive and management staff to provide them with sound and strategic personnel management advice on the most sensitive and complex issues.

(f) Demonstrated ability to develop and implement innovative and effective human resources strategies and practices aimed at process and system modernization.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION
A minimum rating of 70% must be attained to obtain list eligibility. Hiring interviews may be conducted with the most qualified candidates. All candidates will receive written notification of their examination results. The result of this examination will be used only to fill the position of BRANCH CHIEF, HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES BRANCH, with the DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. Applications will be retained for twelve months.

The Results of this examination will be used only to fill this position and may be used to fill subsequent vacancies for this position for a period of up to twelve months.

FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Interested applicants must submit:

• A completed Standard State Application (Form 678).
• A "Statement of Qualifications". The Statement is a narrative discussion of how the candidate's education, training, experience, and skills meet the minimum and desirable qualifications and qualify them for the position. The Statement of Qualifications serves as a documentation of each candidate's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing and should be typed and no more than two pages in length.
• Resumes do not take the place of the Statement of Qualifications.
• A copy of the DD214 or other official discharged documents, if qualifying under Pattern IV.

Applications must be submitted by the final filing date to:

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, Exam Unit/Administration Division
744 P Street, MS 8-15-59, Sacramento, CA 95814
Lisa Hudson | 916-657-3474 | lisa.hudson@dss.ca.gov

Questions regarding the position should be directed to Denise Mitchell at (916) 657-3266.

SPECIAL TESTING
If you have a disability and need special testing arrangements, mark the appropriate box in Part 2 of the "Examination Application." You will be contacted to make specific arrangements.

GENERAL INFORMATION
If you meet the requirements stated in this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described on this bulletin will be compared with the performance of others who take this test, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

The DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service law and rules and all competitors will be notified.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and ability to work cooperatively with others.

Class specs:  CEA and Exempt Appointees