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, July 20, 2015
POSITION TITLE:	Branch Chief, Child and Youth Permanency Branch	FINAL FILING DATE:	Monday, August 10, 2015
CEA LEVEL:	CEA A	EXTENDED FINAL FILING DATE:
SALARY RANGE:	$ 6,296.00 - $ 9,051.00 / Month	BULLETIN ID:	06182015_5

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Under the direction of the Deputy Director of the CFSD, the Branch Chief of the Child and Youth Permanency Branch is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating the activities of the Branch which have statewide, intergovernmental, and direct public impact.

The Branch Chief provides management direction and leadership for policy, procedure and systems development for all programs that serve and support children and youth in out-of-home care. The Branch Chief represents the Department in negotiations with federal agencies, other intergovernmental state agencies, county welfare departments, county probation departments, adoption agencies, legislative staff, child advocates, client organizations, foster parent associations, private foundations, and other child welfare associations.

The Branch Chief influences, directs, and authors program policies to ensure, to the extent possible, that children and youth in out-of-home care are in a safe, stable and loving home that can meet their well-being needs and that they have the best chance for a permanent family, including returning to their family of origin. Primary statewide policy focuses are those program regulations and directives that support the California Title IV-B and Title IV-E Plans.

The Branch Chief is responsible for influencing policy decisions adopted by the federal government, the State, and counties/local governments for reunification services, foster care and adoptions services (including agency, inter-country and inter-state adoptions); kinship care program, foster and adoptive parent recruitment activities, transitioning foster youth services and other children's programs. This position also advises and recommends policy directives and changes to the Deputy Director of CFSD in all aspects of these and other related program areas.

The Branch Chief must be able to establish and maintain credibility among high level public and private sector officials, the management of other State agencies, and other divisions in 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) Knowledge of the public child welfare system, including practice, policy and funding, desired program performance and outcomes; and an understanding of federal/state/county/Tribal government relations.

b) Knowledge of policy-making and administrative processes including state and federal legislation, regulatory and budgetary processes and the roles of the various branches and levels of government, including control agencies.

c) The ability to communicate, in person and in writing, the department’s mission and priorities and the roles of the division and branch in meeting that mission to staff, stakeholders and others, anticipating audiences’ needs and interests.

d) The ability to lead a diverse staff, foster collaboration, mutual respect and teamwork, and maintain a balance of assertiveness and diplomacy in meeting common goals.

e) The ability to seek mutually-acceptable solutions and to identify and develop strategies to address complex public policy issues.

f) The ability to communicate orally and in writing in a well-organized, accurate, clear and concise manner and confidence in communicating with a broad range of stakeholders with diverse opinions.

g) The ability to plan implementation of and manage complex projects to completion within specified timelines, including stakeholder and partner involvement and communication.

h) Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills and effective editing skills; competent with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)

i) The ability to maintain poise and good humor while working in a time-sensitive, deadline-driven, results-oriented environment.

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, Child and Youth Permanency 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.
• E-mailed applications will not be accepted.
• Hand delivered applications must be delivered prior to 5pm on the final filing date.
• 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, PERSONNEL/EXAMINATION UNIT
744 P STREET, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
Antonio Aguilar | 916-653-5362 | Antonio.Aguilar@dss.ca.gov

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