Program Manager – Family Support and Assistance

Recognized as one of the best places to work in Southeast Minnesota for three consecutive years, Olmsted County fosters a vibrant community where every role drives public service excellence and community well-being. Employees are at the heart of our mission, offering a career filled with purpose, growth, and fulfillment. Our benefits package supports your wellbeing, while career advancement and professional development opportunities empower you to reach your full potential.

About the role

Under general supervision, this position supervises staff in assigned programs and teams, manages current programs, and develops and implements new initiatives. The role involves monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating program standards to ensure goals are met, training and orienting new staff, and interviewing clients for complex cases. The Program Manager may act as a mentor or lead worker for other Program Managers, leveraging team strengths, clarifying roles, and fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace.

Responsibilities

• Leads individuals and teams, builds and maintains engagement, and nurtures a culture of growth to promote a work environment where every employee can reach their full potential.
• Recommends hiring, promotions, and assignments for team members, and provides regular and timely feedback.
• Manages employee performance, documentation, and disciplinary actions.
• Monitors legislative changes impacting public assistance or child support, interprets and implements state and federal policy and procedure, and collaborates with community partners and local, state, and federal agencies.
• Provides consultation and oversight in eligibility, training, program integrity, and workflow processes.
• Assists with the development and oversight of contractual agreements with private and public vendors, identifies operational objectives, ensures compliance, and monitors performance and progress.
• Approves exceptions to public assistance payments.
• Assists in the development and monitoring of annual budgets, contracts, and grant expenses, participates in special projects or work groups, and resolves problems and complaints.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience in a similar position.
• OR Master’s degree from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of experience in a similar position.
• OR Combination of education and experience equivalent to eight (8) years of experience in a similar position.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Valid driver’s license and free of any major traffic violations for the last three (3) years (required for use of County vehicles and equipment).

Skills

• Thorough knowledge of federal and state public assistance programs, laws, regulations, and policies governing them.
• Thorough knowledge of eligibility determination processes, verification requirements, case management systems, and quality assurance standards.
• Knowledge of program integrity principles, fraud prevention practices, and audit expectations.
• Considerable knowledge of social and economic problems and laws relevant to social service programs.
• Knowledge of basic project management principles, supervision, and personnel management.
• Skill in analytical thinking, problem solving, systems thinking, teamwork, and interpersonal interaction.
• Skill in the use of computers and technology, de-escalation, and conflict resolution.
• Ability to supervise and direct the work of others, evaluate performance, and foster professional development.
• Ability to effectively organize and prioritize workload, establish and maintain effective working relationships, and analyze process functions to develop and implement solutions.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented, collaborative environment and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Primarily office environment with sedentary work (exerting up to 10 pounds of force).
• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching, crouching, kneeling, and repetitive hand movements (typing/data entry).
• Regular talking, hearing, and close vision (color, depth perception, and field of vision).
• Occasional operation of a vehicle and exposure to weather/extreme temperatures (24% or less of the time).

Pay

Expected starting salary is $43.96 to $58.70 hourly. Full salary range is $43.96 to $73.44 hourly.

Schedule

Full-time, regular position with hours of work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Employees over 0.5 FTE accrue PTO based on length of service:
  • 1 to 5 years: up to 23 days
  • 6 to 10 years: up to 25 days
  • 11 to 15 years: up to 27.5 days
  • 16 to 20 years: up to 30 days
  • 21 to 26 years: up to 32.5 days
  • Over 26 years: up to 35 days
  PTO accrues from the first day of work and can be used as soon as accrued with supervisor approval.
• Flexible Time Leave (FTL): Full-time employees and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week receive up to 28 hours of paid FTL annually (prorated by FTE). Hours are allocated based on start date:
  • January 1 – June 30: 28 hours
  • July 1 – August 31: 16 hours
  • September 1 – November 30: 8 hours
  • December 1 – December 31: 0 hours
• Paid Holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (4 hours when December 24 falls on a Monday–Thursday), and Christmas Day.
• Health Insurance: Self-insured plan administered by Medica, offering comprehensive coverage including:
  • 80% co-insurance on most services after deductible.
  • In-network deductible: $1,500/person, $4,500/family (opportunity to lower to $500/person, $1,500/family with reward).
  • In-network out-of-pocket maximum: $3,000/person, $6,000/family (with reward).
  • Access to Nice Healthcare for no-cost virtual and in-home appointments, labs, x-rays, and more.
  Monthly employee costs:
  • Single: $110/month ($55 per pay period)
  • Employee + Children: $500/month ($250 per pay period)
  • Employee + One: $546/month ($273 per pay period)
  • Family: $690/month ($345 per pay period)
• Prescription Drug Plan: Administered by Alluma with co-insurance of 25% (formulary) or 40% (non-formulary). Retail and mail order prescriptions apply toward an annual out-of-pocket limit of $2,400/person or $4,800/family.
• Dental Insurance: Self-insured plan administered by Delta Dental, covering:
  • Diagnostic & Preventive Services: 100%
  • Basic Services: 80%
  • Major Restorative Services: 50%
  • Orthodontics: 50% (lifetime maximum of $1,500 per eligible dependent child)
  Monthly employee costs:
  • Single: $14/month
  • Employee + One: $25/month ($12.50 per pay period)
  • Family: $56/month ($28 per pay period)
• Life Insurance: County-paid Basic Life Plan providing group term life insurance up to two times the employee’s annual salary (rounded to the nearest $1,000, maximum $300,000). County covers 100% of dependent coverage costs:
  • Spouse: $2,000
  • Children up to age 26: $1,250
• Vision Insurance: Offered through EyeMed, providing discounts on frames, lenses, and other vision correction materials.

This is a Rochester, MN-based position and is not remote-eligible. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States; Olmsted County does not sponsor visas for this position. Provisional employees are eligible for benefits if employment is projected to be 12 months or longer and they work at least 40 hours per pay period.