Executive Deputy Director, Allegheny County, Department of Human Services                                           L0231

Definition:

This is highly responsible management work as the staff assistant to the Executive Director, Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

The employee in this class is responsible for carrying out a wide variety of staff assignments in assisting the Executive Director, Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) in expediting the flow of administrative work throughout the Department. Work involves the coordination of executive staff functions and activities, the coordination of intradepartmental projects, assigning areas of responsibility among various staff, ensuring completion of projects, facilitating positive working relationships among staff, developing information and preparing discussion papers on critical issues for the Executive Director, and completing a variety of special projects as assigned. Work also involves developing and implementing procedures for expediting the flow of administrative work through the executive offices; coordinating the staff activities of the executive, operational and support offices; reviewing and coordinating policies, orders and instructions necessary to implement DHS policies and decisions of the Executive Director, maintaining records of executive staff activities; participating in the development of recommendations concerning administrative policy and standards for the Executive Director's consideration; reviewing and replying to correspondence with considerable latitude; preparing staff studies; assisting in liaison with representatives of other governmental agencies and public and private organizations; and representing the Executive Director at assigned functions. The employee in this class is also responsible for ensuring that internal staff training needs are met; managing the agenda for executive staff meetings; assuming managerial/administrative responsibility for special projects assigned by the Executive Director, and coordinating and collaborating with key DHS staff regarding the accomplishment of objects on a daily basis.

Supervision is exercised over a small professional staff. Work is assigned in the form of project objectives and expected outcomes and is reviewed by the Executive Director through written reports, conferences, and an evaluation of overall results.

Examples of Work:

Develops and carries out procedures for expediting the flow of administrative work through the executive offices by coordinating the administrative activities of the Executive Director's office and the other executive offices; furnishes the Executive Director and Senior Management DHS staff with information and recommendations on all matters within their respective functional areas and ensures the systematic internal channeling of information and documents.

Coordinates the staff activities of the executive offices and the operational and support offices within the DHS; reviews and coordinates policies, orders and instructions necessary to implement DHS policies and decisions of the Executive Director.

Maintains records of executive staff activities and prepares quarterly reports covering the activities of the Department of Human Services.

Participates in the development of recommendations concerning administrative policy and standards for the Executive Director's consideration.

Reviews and replies to correspondence with considerable latitude; composes letters for the signature of the Executive Director; prepares staff studies in fiscal, human relations, public relations, and other areas.  that internal staff needs are regularly assessed and appropriate programs and opportunities are made available to staff.  

Assesses the extent and effectiveness of the execution of orders and instructions and, if necessary, recommends to the Executive Director supplemental or corrective action.

Manages the agenda for Executive Staff Meetings; ensures that Executive Staff are alerted to the actions required of them and that they receive timely, accurate and complete information; ensures that all agenda issues are sufficiently prepared in advance in order to facilitate discussion and decision making.

Assumes managerial/administrative responsibility for special projects assigned by the Executive Director, and for situations requiring immediate action and response.

Coordinates the functions assigned by the DHS Executive Director regarding the Intellectual Disability, Behavioral Health; Children, Youth and Families and Community Services programs and collaborates with deputies, managers and administrators for accomplishing desired objectives on a daily basis.

Serves as a conduit for providing program information to the Commonwealth's Departments of Public Welfare, Education, Labor & Industry, Community & Economic Development and State Civil Service Commission field office in Pittsburgh.

Represents the Executive Director at meetings, conferences, and public forums to articulate DHS policy and program objectives; and performs public speaking assignments to market and engender public support for programs and to provide information on program objectives and accomplishments.

Serves as authorized signatory for the Department as needed for the Executive Director.

Approves leave, schedules personnel and authorizes or assigns overtime for subordinate staff.

May participate in the performance of work done by subordinate staff consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration.

Knowledge of the theory and modern techniques of governmental fiscal management, budgeting, personnel administration and administrative analysis.  

Knowledge of current social, economic and health problems and available resources relating to community human services programs.  

Knowledge of the principles of public relations.  

Knowledge of modern office management methods.

Knowledge of federal and state regulations as they relate to community human services programs.  

Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying and interpreting departmental policies and procedures.

Ability to prepare professional reports of a complex nature and to write and speak effectively.  

Ability to read, comprehend and interpret complex legislative proposals, program evaluation reports, policy issuances, and related materials.  

Ability to analyze, evaluate, and interpret complex data involving program plans and operations and make recommendations leading toward policy and method determination.

Ability to carry out assignments requiring the obtaining of facts, organization of material, evaluation of data obtained, and preparation of pertinent recommendations.  

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with local, state and federal officials, community organizations, staff and the general public.

Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in varied office management or staff work in a public or private organization, including experience in financial management, contract administration and performance monitoring, three years of which were in an administrative or supervisory capacity in a social service program agency, and a masters degree.

Or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST10