Director of Human Services

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Company: Pierce County

Location: Tacoma, WA 98444

Description:

Salary: $158,257.22 - $213,640.91 Annually
Location : Tacoma, WA
Job Type: Regular - Other
Job Number: 25-00199
Department: County Executive
Opening Date: 02/21/2025
Closing Date: 3/17/2025 6:00 PM Pacific

Description
Learn more about the Director of Human Services and Pierce County here

Position Summary

Pierce County is looking for a dedicated Human Services Director who has:
  • Deep knowledge of comprehensive human services programs and regional service systems supporting veterans, homelessness and housing, aging and disabilities, early childhood, developmental disabilities, and community action programs.
  • Skilled in leading teams, social service contracting, grants, budgeting, and making sound, independent decisions on complex issues.
  • Demonstrated experience navigating relationships with diverse community partners, including public and nonprofit organizations, and maintaining strong working relationships with interagency partners and key stakeholders in all aspects of program delivery.
  • Devoted to ensuring all of Pierce County has equitable access to and a voice in community-based services that honor each person's diverse experiences.

A complete classification can be found

Our strategic leaders will focus on:
  • Continuous improvement for themselves and their organizations
  • Fostering growth mindset and life-long learning
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Consideration for customer perspectives and impacts
  • Collaboration across large, diverse work environments
  • Ensuring equity and inclusion in all facets of work
  • Policy and guideline development; turning ideas into action
  • Championing the streamlining processes to create positive change

Human Services Highlights:
  • Mission and Vision: Pierce County Human Services (PCHS) strives for equitable access to community-based services, ensuring empowered individuals, thriving families, and inclusive communities.
  • Comprehensive Support: As the county's primary human services provider, the department funds and partners with nearly 170 agencies and oversees over 400 contracts to create an integrated regional support system.
  • Programs and Services: Offers essential services including veterans' assistance, aging and disability support, housing and homelessness prevention, early childhood education, behavioral health coordination, and transportation for underserved areas.
  • Commitment to Equity: Dedicated to eliminating structural and institutional racism, PCHS prioritizes diverse staffing, equitable service delivery, and fostering inclusive community partnerships.

Learn more about the Human Services Department
Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in business, public administration, or in a field directly related to community services and human services; and considerable experience with human services programs, delivery of direct client services, including management of grants and contracts or any comparable combination of related experience and education.
  • Six (6) years of responsible leadership and supervision experience.
  • Additional education or experience which clearly indicates the ability to perform the essential functions of this position may substitute on a year for year basis.
  • Attach a substantive cover letter as writing sample with your resume.

Additional Information:
  • As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

About Pierce County:
Pierce County is a vibrant region where career opportunities intersect with an exceptional quality of life. With stunning natural landscapes, from the shores of Puget Sound to the majestic Mt. Rainier National Park, the area offers endless outdoor activities, including hiking, boating, and golfing on nationally ranked courses. Urban amenities abound as well, with thriving arts, cultural, and culinary scenes that complement the area's natural beauty. As one of the fastest-growing counties in Washington State, Pierce County is a hub of innovation and community collaboration, making it an exciting place to grow your career and make a lasting impact.

Pierce County is committed to a "Forward Together" mission that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion while tackling critical community challenges. The focus on affordable housing, reducing homelessness, expanding behavioral health services, and creating good-paying jobs ensures a high quality of life for all residents. This dedication to fostering inclusive communities, safe infrastructure, and equitable access to opportunities makes Pierce County a place where careers thrive, and individuals can make meaningful contributions to a resilient, vibrant future.

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our , and a County Book Club.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of and , , staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits:

Vacation (Annual Leave)
After approximately six months, employees receive six days of vacation leave.
Since we value your experience, the amount of vacation you can accrue increases the longer you work with us. Vacation accrues on a bi-weekly basis for full-time employees as follows:

Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days
During years 4-7, 16 Days
During years 8-13, 20 Days
During years 14-18, 23 Days
During years 19, 24 Days
During years 20, 25 Days
During years 21, 26 Days
During years 22, 27 Days
During years 23, 28 Days
During years 24, 29 Days
During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.
Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:
New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January
President's Day - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Juneteenth - June 19
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after
Christmas Day - December 25

Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.
Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.

Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.

Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the website.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security:
All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The county and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Miscellaneous Benefits:
Please visit website for more information.

Telework/Remote Options:
Some departments allow for telework or work-from-home options dependent on the body of work. Learn more about our telework policy
**All employees are required to be WA State residents after 30 days of employment.
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How did you hear about this opportunity?
  • Pierce County Website
  • governmentjobs.com
  • Indeed
  • Saw on LinkedIn
  • LinkedIn Recruiter Conversation
  • Glassdoor
  • Other Website
  • Job Fair
  • Pierce County Employee
  • Other

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