Assistant Director of Social Services for Family Services Division

ABOUT THE ROLE The Assistant Director for Family Services provides strategic, operational, and visionary leadership for all family services programs at the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services. Programs include Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption, Prevention, Adult Protective Services, Employment Services, and Crisis Assistance. This executive leader partners with the Director and senior leadership team to ensure regulatory compliance, advance innovation, develop the workforce, and cultivate a high-performance culture that delivers measurable outcomes for children and families. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Lead the development and execution of a clear strategic vision for Family Services aligned with agency priorities and community needs - Champion innovation, continuous improvement, and data-driven practices to improve service delivery - Identify emerging trends, regulatory changes, and best practices and translate them into actionable strategies - Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including Virginia Department of Social Services standards and court mandates - Oversee quality assurance, performance management, audits, and corrective action planning - Strengthen internal controls, policies, and procedures to promote accountability and consistency - Build, mentor, and sustain a high-performing leadership team and frontline workforce - Develop succession plans, leadership pipelines, and targeted professional development opportunities - Foster a culture of trust, transparency, collaboration, and results-oriented performance - Partner with Benefits, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, community agencies, and other stakeholders - Represent the department with courts, community partners, VDSS, and regional leadership groups - Contribute to budget planning, forecasting, and resource allocation to ensure effective use of public funds - Monitor program expenditures, grants, and performance metrics to ensure sustainability and efficiency MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Master's degree in social work, a behavioral science, counseling, business, public administration, or a related field - Professional experience in social work or other human services field with some supervisory or management work experience - Or any equivalent combination of training and experience providing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities - Current valid driver's license and good driving record (must not reflect 6 or more demerit points within the preceding 24 months, or one major violation of 6 demerit points within the preceding 36 months) SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS - Preferred qualifications include a Master's degree in Social Work, Public Administration, or Human Services, extensive management experience in public social services or child welfare, Virginia Social Work License or eligibility, and experience leading large, complex divisions - Out-of-state driving records must be obtained by the applicant and presented at the time of interview (must reflect at least 3 years of history and be dated within 30 days of the interview) - Pre-employment drug testing, FBI criminal background check, and education/degree verification are required - This position is Critical Safety Sensitive and is subject to random drug and alcohol testing; medical marijuana use is prohibited - This position is part of the supervisory team for Emergency Shelter during natural disasters, requiring reporting to shelter duty as needed SELECTION PROCESS - Chesterfield County is an Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Incentives may be offered to candidates hired who possess additional relevant training, skills, and experience, such as a Master's or Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Master's in Human Services, LCSW, Child Welfare Stipend participation, completion of COVLC new worker training, or bilingual skills in Spanish and ASL HOW TO APPLY - Complete and submit a Chesterfield County application online by the deadline at careers.chesterfield.gov - For questions, contact the Human Resources Department at 9901 Lori Road / P.O. Box 40, Chesterfield, Virginia, 23832 EMPLOYMENT DETAILS - Status: Full-Time - Location: Chesterfield, VA - Department: Social Services, Family Services Division - Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with after hours and weekends as necessary - Opening Date: August 17, 2026 - Closing Date: September 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) - Job Number: 27-00156 - Additional Note: Working for a local government may provide credit towards the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)