Senior Director of Local Partnership Operations- 61097050

Are you an experienced professional looking for new opportunities to further your career? South Carolina First Steps is seeking a hardworking and dependable candidate just like you to apply! This position will offer great benefits with the state, including 15 days of annual and sick leave per year or more depending on applicable state service.

A cover letter and resume are required by the agency to be considered for this position.

The Responsibilities of the Senior Director of Local Partnership Operations: The Senior Director of Local Partnership Operations provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Local Partnership team, ensuring statewide alignment with agency goals, statutory mandates, and compliance standards. This role drives organizational effectiveness across governance, administrative, fiscal, and programmatic domains by leading the annual grant application and monitoring processes, guiding policy implementation, and designing tailored technical assistance for local First Steps partnerships. This position oversees staff supervision, continuous capacity building through targeted training initiatives and LMS integration and collaborates cross-functionally to support local leadership through strategic planning, data reporting, and operational transitions.

Under general supervision of the Chief Partnership Officer and must display the ability to work independently. Must have excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; attention to detail; reliable and prompt and able to work in a team environment. Knowledge of program administration, contract management, quality assurance, compliance monitoring, fiscal oversight, and continuous improvement practices. Demonstrated ability to develop and implement operational systems and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Advance, very strong writing skills. Ability to interpret laws, regulations, policies, and contractual requirements and translate them into effective operational procedures. Strong leadership, supervisory, and team development skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships across agencies, providers, community organizations, and stakeholders. Ability to manage organizational change, resolve complex issues, and make sound decisions that support program integrity and strategic goals.

• Manages local partnership team operational activities to include supervision of program and compliance team to ensure consistency in approach and ensure that services implemented by local First Steps Partnerships are aligned with agency goals, statutory, and other requirements. Works collaboratively with the Local Partnership team to provide thought leadership in the development and implementation of policies and practices related to operational domains including governance, administration, fiscal, and programmatic areas. Provides technical assistance to state-level staff and local First Steps Partnerships.

• Leads the development, execution, and review of the annual local partnership comprehensive grant application process including grant application development, monitoring, award determination review, annual reviews, corrective actions, and contract monitoring.

• Collaborates with Research and Evaluation, Local Partnership, and Strategic Implementation Teams to ensure strong design for First Steps Program Guidelines, including but not limited to the impact of revisions. Designs and co-implements tailored transition support for local First Steps partnerships navigating operational, strategic, and policy updates. Assists local leadership with strategic planning, community needs assessments, data reporting, and system management.

• Supports the development and delivery of targeted training content and drives organizational capacity to build core competencies for Local Partnership Executive Directors, board members, and program coaches. Designs and leads continuous training for these audiences at beginner, intermediate levels (both virtually and in person). Utilizes the agency’s Learning Management System (LMS) as one mechanism for on demand training options.

• Other duties as assigned.

• Supervises staff to include preparing performance planning and evaluation documents and related personnel paperwork. Coaches, counsels and trains employees. Establishes and monitors work processes. Implement management policies and initiatives and promote teamwork.

• A bachelor's degree and relevant program management experience in public administration, human services, nonprofit management, or related field. Experience must include leadership responsibilities involving program operations, compliance oversight, contract management, strategic planning, budget administration, and staff supervision. Demonstrated experience managing complex programs, developing and implementing policies and procedures and building collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Demonstrated budget development, and understanding of formal grants management with public funds.

Additional Requirements:• Position may require overnight travel.

• Position requires frequent stooping and/or bending.
• Position requires frequent lifting: 10 lbs.
• Position requires non-essential declaration.

SC First Steps is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including, but not limited, to lactation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted nor reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position. SC First Steps offers an exceptional benefits package for full time (FTE) employees:

• Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance for employees, spouses, and children. Click here for additional information.
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available (S.C. Deferred Compensation)
• Retirement benefit choices* • State Retirement Plan (SCRS)
• State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP)

*Enrollment in one of the listed plans is required for all FTE employees; please refer to the contribution section of hyperlinked retirement sites for the current contribution rate of gross pay.