Job Description

Job Requisition ID: 58383

Opening Date: 9/3/2026

Closing Date: 09/18/2026

​Agency: Department of Children and Family Services

Class Title: SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMIN (40070)

Skill Option: Health and Human Services

Bilingual Option: None

Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary $11,000 to $13,000 Monthly

Job Type: Salaried

Category: Full Time

County: Cook; Sangamon

Number of Vacancies: 1

Bargaining Unit Code: None

Merit Comp Code: Term Appointment/ Agency

A resume is highly encouraged to evaluate your qualifications and skills as part of your application. Please attach a DETAILED Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the MY DOCUMENTS section of your application if you decide to provide one.

Why Work for Illinois?

Working with the State of Illinois is a testament to the values of compassion, equity, and dedication that define our state. Whether you’re helping to improve schools, protect our natural resources, or support families in need, you’re part of something bigger—something that touches the lives of every person who calls Illinois home.

Position Overview:

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as Associate Deputy Director/Special Projects Administrator, Quality Assurance Administration. DCFS offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a pension program. The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and strong leadership and communication capabilities. We invite you to join our innovative team to help make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families of Illinois.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as Associate Deputy Director/Special Projects Administrator, Quality Assurance Administration
• Leads special projects as requested, including case reviews through the development of qualitative case review instruments, rating guides, training, reporting, and recommendations for improvement
• Serves as full line supervisor
• Provides professional technical assistance and consultation to teams of management staff and/or multidisciplinary teams comprised of Department staff and/or external stakeholders in programmatic and other evaluative reviews of the Department and/or child welfare contributing agencies (CWCA), to include administrative reviews of disputed cases, reviews of high profile cases, or cases involving deaths or serious abuse/neglect, as well as those identified for special reviews
• Monitors and reviews various project-specific databases to ensure they are fully functional and able to generate visual reports as needed via PowerBI
• Represents the Deputy Director and/or Director before other state agencies and governmental entities, private and public organizations, and other community and professional groups to explain and interpret Department policies, programs, and objectives
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a master’s degree in social work or a related human services field
• Requires four years of administrative child welfare experience with an MSW or five years of administrative child welfare experience with a master’s degree in a related human services field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3 years of professional experience conducting project management in a public or private organization
• 3 years of professional experience in the application of the child welfare requirements imposed by the Administration of Children and Families-Children’s Bureau
• 3 years of experience managing CQI programs, activities, and processes for a public or private agency using the Plan/Do/Check/Act cycles of improvement
• 3 years of professional experience evaluating program performance in a child welfare field in a public or private organization
• 3 years of experience reading, writing, and communicating data to various groups
• 3 years of experience managing staff engaged in Continuous Quality Improvement work in a public or private agency
• 3 years of professional experience serving as a representative of a public or private organization

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires ability to pass a background check
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties. Requires appropriate, valid driver's license
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics
• Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description

About the Agency:

DCFS is deeply committed to the welfare and protection of children. Our goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families. In every effort, from receiving hotline calls to reaching family reunification or foster care and adoption, children and families are our focus. The Office of Legal Services works in a supportive capacity to ensure Departmental adherence to all applicable laws, statutes, regulations, and court orders.

As a State of Illinois Employee, you will receive a robust benefit package that includes the following:

• A Pension Program
• Competitive Group Insurance Benefits including Health, Life, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 3 Paid Personal Business Days annually
• 12 Paid Sick Days annually (Sick days carry over from year to year)
• 10-25 Days of Paid Vacation time annually - (10 days in year one of employment)
• Personal, Sick, & Vacation rates modified for 12-hour & part-time work schedules (as applicable)
• 13 Paid Holidays annually, 14 on even numbered years
• Flexible Work Schedules (when available dependent upon position)
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Deferred Compensation Program - A supplemental retirement plan
• Optional Pre-Tax Programs such as Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP), Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP)
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility
• GI Bill® Training/Apprenticeship Benefits eligibility for qualifying Veterans
• 5% Salary Differential for Bilingual Positions
• Commuter Savings Program (Chicago only)

For more information about our benefits please follow this link: https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx

Work Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm

Work Location: 4415 Harrison St, Hillside, Illinois, 60162 OR 4500 S 6th St, Springfield, IL 62703 (depending upon proximity of chosen candidate)

Work County: Cook OR Sangamon

Agency Contact: Michael Bernardy

Michael.Bernardy@illinois.gov (for questions only)

Posting Group: Leadership & Management; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; Social Services

​

Revolving Door –

Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this

position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during

State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (“OEIG”) or may be subject to a fine.

Term Appointment:

Candidates hired into a term position shall be appointed for a term of 4 years and are subject to a probationary period. The term may be renewed for successive four-year terms at the Director of the Department of Children and Family Service's discretion.

The main form of communication will be through email. Please check your “junk mail”, “spam”, or “other” folder for communication(s) regarding any submitted application(s). You may receive emails from the following addresses:

• donotreply@SIL-P1.ns2cloud.com
• systems@SIL-P1.ns2cloud.com

This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.