UI Administration and Operational Support Deputy Director (Austin)

WHO WE ARE: The Texas Workforce Commission connects people with careers across the state. While we are based in Austin on the north lawn of the Texas State Capitol, we have offices statewide. We're a Family Friendly Certified Workplace with great work-life balance, competitive salaries, extensive opportunities for training and development, and fantastic benefits. To support TWCand#226;and#128;and#153;s mission, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division is seeking an accomplished leader to serve as the UI Administration Operational Support (UIAOS) Deputy Director (Director I). Serving as the essential operational backbone of the UI Division, the UIAOS department provides the foundational administrative, financial, technical, and operational support that empowers all division branchesand#226;and#128;and#148;including Client Services, Tele-Centers and Taxand#226;and#128;and#148;to succeed. This position is located at 1411 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas. TWC is not considering applications from individuals who require sponsorship for an employment visa, now or in the future, for this position. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals currently on H-1B, F-1 (OPT/CPT), or H-4 visas. You must be a Texas resident to work for the Texas Workforce Commission or willing to relocate to Texas. WHO YOU ARE: You are a visionary operational architect and collaborative leader who thrives on building the resilient, behind-the-scenes systems that empower an entire division to succeed. You understand that front-line operational excellence depends upon a robust, reliable, and responsive back-office support system. You thrive in complex, high-stakes environments, possessing the executive presence and diplomatic skill to navigate state bureaucracy, break down administrative silos, and forge cohesive partnerships with central agency divisions/departments (Finance, Procurement, HR, and IT) and UI operational departments alike. You are both a strategic thinker and an active problem solver who anticipates bottlenecks, standardizes workflows, and ensures fiscal and statutory compliance without sacrificing responsiveness. Above all, you are an empowering, people-first leader committed to cultivating talent, championing accountability, and mentoring teams to deliver exceptional, customer-focused support across the UI Division. WHAT YOU WILL DO: The Deputy Director (Director I) performs advanced (senior-level) managerial work providing direction and guidance in strategic operations and planning. Supervises the work of others. Under the general direction of the UIAOS Director, this high-level executive is responsible for directing, planning, and optimizing the divisionand#226;and#128;and#153;s administrative, fiscal, and supportive operational systems. This position provides strategic oversight for a multi-million-dollar division operating budget, procurement and emergency requisitions, division-wide standard operating procedures, and legislative bill implementation as well as guiding special claims and technical business functions. The Deputy Director plays a pivotal role in strengthening and advancing UIAOS as an agile, high-performing support system that ensures the UI Division operates seamlessly and reliably in full compliance with state rules and federal Department of Labor (DOL) mandates. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. YOU WILL BE TRUSTED TO: - Drive Financial Fiscal Operations: Direct the formulation, allocation, and active monitoring of the UI Divisionand#226;and#128;and#153;s multi-million-dollar administrative operating budget, ensuring compliance with federal Department of Labor (DOL) grant cycles, state funding streams, and expenditure milestones. - Streamline Procurement Emergency Requisitions: Oversee divisional procurement, contract management, and vendor oversight, enforcing a standardized, auditable workflow for requisitions to ensure rapid ulfillment of mission-critical needs. - Empower Divisional Departments: Partner with UI Division operational leaders as key internal stakeholders, designing responsive administrative workflows, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and service delivery models that directly support front-line UI operations. - Standardize Workforce Architecture: Collaborate with Human Resources to design and implement consistent career ladders, job classifications, and development pathways across UI operational units to enhance morale and talent retention. - Lead Business Continuity Process Modernization: Identify single points of failure and operational bottlenecks, establishing robust cross-training protocols, centralized coverage structures, and modern automated workflows to guarantee uninterrupted operational continuity. - Direct Specialized Claims Technical Teams: Provide leadership and strategic direction to the departmentand#226;and#128;and#153;s specialized claims units, technical support teams, and operational business functions. - Ensure Regulatory Audit Compliance: Serve as the divisionand#226;and#128;and#153;s primary liaison for internal audits, State Auditorand#226;and#128;and#153;s Office (SAO) reviews, and federal DOL administrative evaluations, proactively building an audit-ready culture and driving corrective action plans. - Oversee Legislative Policy Implementation: Direct the analysis of state and federal legislation impacting UI operations and spearhead the rapid administrative and operational rollout of enacted statutory mandates. - Mentor Cultivate Leadership: Supervise, evaluate, and mentor senior managers, budget analyst, and operational staff, establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. - Perform other duties as assigned. YOU QUALIFY WITH: - Five years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency program; or in strategic planning and policy development and implementation, two years of which must have been in an administrative management or supervisory capacity. - Relevant academic credits may be applied toward experience qualifications for this position. YOU ARE A GREAT FIT WITH: - Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a closely related field. - Knowledge of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act, federal UI administrative funding mechanisms, and U.S. Department of Labor regulations. - Comprehensive understanding of state and federal public-sector budget formulation, grant administration, and fiscal monitoring. - Experience in public procurement, state contract management, and expedited/emergency purchasing workflows. - Demonstrated skill in organizational design, workflow engineering, and standardizing job classifications/career ladders within a large agency. - Advanced ability to evaluate administrative and technical systems, identify operational bottlenecks, and execute scalable, sustainable solutions. - Strong leadership capability to supervise managerial and professional staff, foster cross-functional collaboration, and manage organizational change. - Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with proven ability to present complex fiscal, technical, and operational data to executive leadership and oversight bodies. - Ability to handle multiple high-priority initiatives under statutory deadlines and rapidly shifting operational conditions. - Willingness to evaluate and leverage modern technology and process-automation solutions to enhance administrative efficiency. YOU GAIN: - A Family Friendly Certified Workplace - Competitive salary: $8,581.67/month - Defined Retirement Benefit Plan - Optional 401(k) and 457 accounts - Medical Insurance - Paid tim