Director of Public Policy

About PCSAOPCSAO is a membership-driven association of Ohio’s county Public Children Services Agencies that advocates for sound public policy, promotes program excellence, and builds public value for safe children, stable families, and supportive communities. PCSAO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type in all aspects of employment. PCSAO employees are considered salaried, exempt, and at-will. PCSAO provides employees with a generous benefits package that includes paid leave, employer-portion contribution to health, dental, vision, and life insurance, retirement contribution, as well as parking and cell phone stipends. Position DescriptionThe Director of Public Policy works closely with the Executive Director, key association staff, contracted government relations firm, and the Board of Trustees to lead and oversee children services-related policies that impact county Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs), children, and families. Responsibilities Lead PCSAO’s public policy agenda (priorities, policy and budget initiatives, legislation, rules) and ensure it is member driven. This includes, but is not limited to: Lead and execute overall association strategy, executive and legislative outreach, and implementation of the association’s policy priorities Build meaningful and positive relationships with key policymakers and their staff, relevant state agencies’ leaders and their policy staff, and other partners to serve as a credible and accessible resource on child protection and children services system policy Develop and maintain active and positive relationships with members and equip them with knowledge and support to partner in collective advocacy to achieve the best outcome Staff and organize the PCSAO Legislative Committee, which monitors state legislation for its impact on children services and works closely with policymakers on developing proactive policy to improve PCSA resources, practices, and services for children and familiesStaff and organize the PCSAO Rules Committee, which monitors state rules for their impact on children services and works closely with the administration on streamlining and simplifying rules to improve PCSA practices and services for children and families Lead PCSAO’s biennial budget advocacy, including identifying and developing priorities, ensuring member input and involvement, crafting testimony and organizing panels, determining messaging and building support Represent the association’s position with policies that are member-informed in testimony, presentations, and meetings Strategically identify emerging trends and issues that may lead to future policy and resource needs for PCSAs, children, and families, building a campaign to support Work closely with the Administration on new and emerging policies and policy related initiatives or efforts that may affect county PCSAs, the children services system, and/or children and families, and identify issues that create barriers and challenges and solutions that may improve local implementation Supervise and work closely with the Policy Coordinator and the Association’s contracted government relations firm Participate in statewide coalitions and networks to expand grassroots and cross-system knowledge, interest, and involvement in health and human services policy advocacy Participate in PCSAO internal and external meetings and events, take a lead role in the PCSAO Annual Conference including presenting workshops and identifying policymaker and partner awardees, and provide overall office leadership, support, and assistance Gain a sound understanding of the PCSAO agency culture and participate in the ongoing effort to nurture an environment of shared learning, growth, safety, equity, and improvement among the team Any other duties as assigned Preferred Qualifications Juris doctorate in children and family law, or a master’s degree in public policy, public administration, social work, or related field Extensive experience with monitoring and addressing state administrative rules, legislation, and budgets Experience and deep knowledge of child protective services, children and families, and/or multi-system youth policies Lived experience in the field of children services or working directly with individuals with lived experience in children services Experience working with organizations and individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds including with a member association representing diverse counties and communities Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in social work, public administration, or related field At least five years of work experience with government affairs, legislative advocacy, rules administration, and/or public policyExperience and knowledge of broad health and human services policies Experience working with politically diverse constituencies, including elected officials, state and local government, private partners, and court personnel Experience working in a team environment while managing independently Ability to think strategically and creatively, anticipate emerging priorities and issues, and incorporate into proactive policies Ability to supervise and manage staff Strong written and verbal communication skills along with time management and ability to manage multiple projects Extensive experience and skills with MS office and cloud storage options (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive) Ability to travel the state