Director of Workforce Solutions (Unclassified)
Full-Time Director of Workforce Solutions (Unclassified) at Ramsey County
Available Openings: 1
Posted Date: September 30, 2024
Pay Type: Salary
Compensation: $118,807.34 - $176,308.88 Annually
Education Preferred: Yes
Education Level: Bachelor's Degree
E-Verify: Yes
To Apply

Basic Function

Provide the overall vision, long-range strategic planning, leadership and direction for the Department of Workforce Solutions; serve as the Workforce Innovation Board (WIB) Executive Director; forge and maintain strong partnerships with a wide array of stakeholders.  This position reports directly to a Deputy County Manager and is part of the Economic Growth and Community Investment (EGCI) Service Team.
An ideal candidate will possess the following competencies:
 Leadership

Demonstrate a strong commitment to the vision, mission, and values of the Service Team and the County by fully supporting the department and County goals.

Demonstrate executive leadership experience and ability to quickly become familiar with operations and goals of a multifaceted department, identify links between departments and service teams, and identify opportunities, challenges and risks.

  • Demonstrate an expert ability to collaborate, establish and strengthen partnerships and build consensus with elected officials, governing boards, appointed leaders, staff, community stakeholders and other public, private and nonprofit organizational partners.
  • Demonstrate a high level of integrity and strong ethics and values.
  • Demonstrate qualities of adaptability, dependability, and accountability and encourages creativity and innovation in service delivery. Builds trust and a trusting environment by leading by example, displaying honest and ethical behavior in all interactions, ensuring that actions and words are consistent, and following through on commitments.
  • Demonstrate a strong ability to set expectations, delegate responsibilities, trust the leadership and abilities of individuals on their team to achieve results, while being accessible to problem solve and provide counsel.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively with organized labor and its representatives to achieve the County's vision, mission, and goals
  •  Motivational
  • Demonstrate an ability to create, communicate and advance a compelling and inspired vision and sense of purpose that will motivate individuals and positively influence the current and future state of Ramsey County.
  • Demonstrate an ability to hire, identify, and develop exceptional organizational leaders and productive workforce while appreciating the benefits of work-life balance for the organization and individuals.
  • Demonstrate an ability to foster a participatory work environment in which individuals collaborate in pursuit of a common mission and shared goals, promote innovation, change, and problem solving, and provide opportunities for staff to grow resulting in high morale and positive teamwork.Systems and Analytical Thinking
  • Demonstrate an advanced ability to participate in development and leadership of the strategic direction Ramsey County, connecting the work of all service teams to the County's strategic priorities to achieve the desired results.
  • Demonstrate a commitment and ability to formulate and implement organization-wide work and build cross departmental teams, identifying and eliminating artificial boundaries impacting departments and providers of County programs to ensure maximum effectiveness for users.
  • Demonstrate an ability to understand, analyze, prepare and manage a large complex comprehensive budget, including revenue forecasting.
  • Community Engagement and Racial Equity
  • Demonstrate substantial knowledge and understanding of race based disparities and the impact of these disparities on the development of a community, social justice, corrective justice, socio-economic statuses, and the affects to overall health and wellness of populations.
  • Demonstrate a personal passion for eliminating race based disparities and fostering a welcoming culture that engages the broad diversity of the community and ensures racial equity for populations engaged and served.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to and experience in creating a diverse, successful workforce in a large organization and respect for the diversity of customers and county employees, including individuals with a disability or whose first language may not be English.
  • Decision Making and Problem Solving
  • Demonstrate an advanced ability to facilitate problem-solving, recognize positive results, manage conflict, and negotiate satisfactory outcomes.
  • Demonstrate expert ability to oversee and direct multiple and simultaneous projects that have the highest organizational and community impact, and which may have changing priorities and require adjustments mid-stream.
  • Demonstrate an expert ability to lead the development, preparation, and implementation of budgets and oversee the management of associated funds. Use the County and Service Team's strategic direction to inform the development of the budget.
  • Communication
  • Demonstrate an advanced ability to effectively listen, speak, write, present, facilitate, interact in a persuasive manner and diffuse difficult situations and manage conflict appropriately with public and private individuals and groups.
  • Demonstrate an ability to produce timely, accurate, and easily-understood information to ensure effective communication with the intended audience.
  • Demonstrate an expert ability to establish and maintain effective relationships and communication with federal, state, regional and local governmental officials, and external agencies.
  • Demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate with small or large audiences, represent the County at designated venues, and develop appropriate presentations and responses.

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application to be considered for this position.
 For additional information about Ramsey County, MN visit our website and watch our community video series. 
Flexible Workplace
This position is identified under the designation of ‘flex work eligible’, meaning that the employee can formally opt to be in-office full-time or work a flex schedule in which at least two-days per week are performed in office and other days can be performed in a remote-first environment. Regardless of selection, the position carries expectations regarding on-site responsibilities and will require schedule flexibility beyond the minimum expectations set forth in the county’s flexible workplace policy. To view Ramsey County’s Flexible Workplace policy, go to: Flexible Workplace policy. 
 If an internal candidate is selected, salary will be set in accordance with the personnel rules (i.e., promotion, transfer, or voluntary reduction).
 To view or print a copy of the complete Ramsey County job (class) description for this position, go to: Job Descriptions. Once at this page, you can browse the alphabetical list or search for a job description

Responsibilities

Examples of Work Performed

Promote a diverse, culturally competent, and respectful workplace.

  1. Provide leadership, vision and strategic direction to the creation and implementation of workforce programs, projects and other activities developed in partnership with businesses, foundations, education, labor, trade associations, community and economic development agencies, housing, transportation and child care agencies, workforce center partners and other jurisdictions.  Identify and articulate alternatives and opportunities to the Ramsey County Board that will facilitate the Board in achieving its mission and objectives.
  2. Build collaborative partnerships to support state, regional and local workforce initiatives.  Participate in an array of committees, boards, and task forces to enhance employment and training programs and development impacting Ramsey County and the metropolitan region.
  3. Direct the development of strategic goals, objectives and long-range planning for programs and operations within the department, across the EGCI Service Team, and county-wide.  Establish measurable program and service outcomes and oversee the development of continuous improvement and quality assurance measures.
  4. Administer and direct the delivery of department services, ensuring high quality, culturally diverse and respectful services that provide equitable outcomes and meets the needs of the county's residents.
  5. Direct and manage all department programs, services and operations in alignment with the county's mission, vision, and goals.
  6. Direct the development and management of the department's operating budget and capital improvement program budget.  Direct the monitoring of expenditures to ensure they are compliant with state and federal rules.
  7. Direct and oversee state, regional and federal contract and grant applications and monitor compliance with funding requirements.  Coordinate grant work with federal agencies and the Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development and Human Services.
  8. Supervise the preparation of requests for county board action and attend weekly meetings of the county board and its subcommittees to provide information and explain department proposals.
  9. Represent the county before the news media, elected officials, state and federal officials, local government officials, staff from other counties, and the community to present the county position on pending changes in laws, rules or regulations, to explain county policies and procedures and to negotiate satisfactory problem resolution.
  10. Direct, manage and oversee the selection of professional consultants and contractors, the negotiation and execution of contracts and agreements with vendors, and the monitoring of contracted services performance to ensure the delivery of effective services in compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies.
  11. Promote efficient, effective and collaborative service delivery. Participate in the county-wide Senior Management Team and perform related duties as assigned.
  12. (The work assigned to a position in this classification may not include all possible tasks in this work and does not limit the assignment of any additional tasks in this classification.  Regular attendance according to the position's management approved work schedule is required.)
     ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in public or business administration, human services, the social sciences or a related area.
Experience: Seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in a high level administrative or program capacity, including a minimum of three years in the employment and training field, or a closely related field.  Experience working in or with both the public and private sectors is desired.
Substitution:  None.
Certifications/Licensure:  None.
Exam/Screening Process Information

This position will remain open for application until filled; applicants should respond promptly as initial screening of resumes will occur November 27, 2018 with interviews likely occurring the week of  December 17, 2018.
Examination/Screening Process:  This is an unclassified, at-will position, holding a confidential relation to the department head or elected official.  This position requires an open screening and selection process.  There is no exam for this unclassified, at-will, position.  All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be forwarded to the department for consideration.  Please read below for further instructions.
 Definition of Unclassified from the Ramsey County Personnel Act:
Subdivision 1. General. "The appointing authority may discharge employees in the unclassified service with or without cause. Employees in the unclassified service have no right to a grievance appeal from discharge or other disciplinary action under sections 383A.281 to 383A.301. An employee in an unclassified position shall not have tenure but shall be entitled to all benefits associated with tenure such as vacation leave, sick leave, health insurance, and other benefits as determined by the county board."
 Interested candidates may apply by completing the online application and submitting a letter of interest and resume. Please complete an on-line application at Ramsey County Jobs and attach a resume and cover letter detailing your experience including the size of the organization, scope of budget and responsibility for staff supervision.
To print a paper application for this posting, click Paper Application (Download PDF reader).
 Criminal Background Checks: All employment offers are conditioned upon the applicant passing a criminal background check. Convictions are not an automatic bar to employment.  Each case is considered on its individual merits and the type of work sought. However, making false statements or withholding information will cause you to be barred from employment, or removed from employment.
 E-Verify Participation: Ramsey County participates in the federal E-Verify program.  This means that Ramsey County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.  If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Ramsey County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment.  Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.
 
Equal Opportunity Employer: Ramsey County provides equal access to employment, programs and services without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex (except when sex is a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification), disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, public assistance or national origin. 
To print a paper application for this posting click Paper Application (Download PDF reader). You will need to print this posting AND answer the supplemental questions associated with this exam and submit them with your completed paper application. All application materials must be submitted by the close date to be considered.
 For further information regarding this posting, please contact jessica.damm@co.ramsey.mn.us 
 

Ramsey County

Contact: Jessica Damm
Phone 651-266-2700
Email jessica.damm@co.ramsey.mn.us
121 East Seventh Place
Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota 55101
US
Transit: On bus line, On the Green Line