Current employees: Please apply through the employee portal to be considered for this opportunity.
Pay Range:
$132,703.77 - $212,326.20 Annual
Department:
Department of County Human Services (DCHS)
Job Type:
Regular Non-Represented
Exemption Status:
United States of America (Exempt)
Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):
August 18, 2026
The Opportunity:
Multnomah County is seeking a Department of County Human Services (DCHS) Deputy Director that will be responsible for assisting the Department Director with the leadership, vision, direction and accountability for activities and operations of the department’s divisions. You will assist the Director in leading a dedicated workforce of approximately 1,140 employees, currently organized into four main divisions, and manage a budget of approximately $559 million. This position provides support to the Department Director and the four Divisions of DCHS: Aging, Disability, and Veterans Services; Intellectual and Development Disabilities Services; Youth and Family Services; and Preschool and Early Learning. This position also provides support to the areas of Business Services, Human Resources, and the Director’s Office. It directs the daily administrative operations of the department and leads day-to-day functions, the Strategic Engagement Team (SET), Trauma Informed Practice, Emergency Management & Mass Care Coordination, and any other functions as assigned by the Department Director. It provides leadership and policy direction as DCHS liaison to Central County services such as IT, Facilities, Talent Development, Privacy/HIPAA, Government Relations and Communications.
The DCHS Deputy Director has both internal and external facing responsibilities ranging from client and project management, business development, framing policy approaches, administration and facilities management, budget and fiscal responsibility oversight, and overseeing department human capital. It represents the department to the public, community based organizations, the Board, Chairs' Office and the community at large. We are looking for a strategic, empathetic leader, dedicated to centering community needs and addressing the root causes of inequity. A Deputy Director who leads through a trauma informed approach with the ability to work alongside others, empower them, and operate with maximum impact, dignity, and efficiency to keep the Department focused on its North Star: the belief that in Multnomah County, every person, at every stage of life, has equitable opportunities to thrive. DCHS designs programs, services and funding to provide stability for Multnomah County residents across the lifespan. DCHS strives to not only uplift our community members in times of need – but to invest in innovative, strategic, future-oriented approaches to human services that prevent crises, build assets and nurture self-determination within our communities by addressing and readdressing the root causes of racism and all other forms of inequity.
Responsibilities in this role will include a combination of the following:
As the DCHS Deputy Director you will provide support to the Department Director and our current four primary divisions: Aging, Disability & Veterans Services (ADVSD); Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services (IDDSD); Youth and Family Services (YFS); and Preschool & Early Learning (PEL)
Department Administration
Direct the daily business and administrative operations of the department by managing and coordinating operational activities and leading day-to-day functions that are carried out by the DCHS divisions, as assigned by the department director.
Provide leadership and policy direction as DCHS liaison to central County services such as IT, Facilities, Fleet, Records, Communications, Distribution services and others.
Participates in committees both internal and external as the DCHS Director's representative.
Direct the daily administrative operations of the department and lead day-to-day functions performed by Performance and Data Management, The Strategic Engagement Team (SET), Trauma Informed Practice, Emergency Management, and any other functions as assigned by the department director.
Direct the centralized leadership for emergency preparedness, severe weather response, and federal action emergency activations.
Oversee the execution of Mass Care (Emergency Support Function 6 / ESF-6) services, including shelter, food, water, and life-safety distribution systems for unhoused and vulnerable populations.
Ensure the Department Strategic Plan is embedded and implemented across each Division and intersects with the Countywide Strategic Plan.
Budget Administration
Provide oversight and direction in the development, administration and ongoing management of the DCHS $559 million budget in partnership with the Department Director and Finance Director.
Provide policy direction for determining priorities for the department in contracted services and staffing.
Review, monitor and approve expenditures in partnership with the Finance Director.
Implement related budget modifications.
Serves as Departmental management liaison to the DCHS Citizen Budget Advisory Committee.
Department Leadership
Guide internal teams to engage in department-wide high priority initiatives and work collaboratively with senior leaders to identify process improvement opportunities addressing efficiency, effectiveness, customer focus, data driven and with equity lens.
Guide and provide oversight to ensure enterprise-wide initiatives are realistically scoped, fiscally responsible and operationally sustainable.
Oversee and implement the department’s Strategic Plan and framework to align with the DCHS North Star, the DCHS Work Force Equity Strategic Plan and the County's Strategic Plan and mission and equity goals.
Work with division leadership to identify mission critical initiatives and priorities that central services can support.
Establish a multi-dimensional approach to delivering services and achieving mission using Quality Improvement tools, Innovation practices, Equity centered, and Human centered Design and research.
Designs, aligns, and evaluates cross-divisional human-centered service systems across the Department of County Human Services (DCHS); Guides programmatic equity and innovation for core divisions; Leads programmatic and funding alignment across the Department.
Provide leadership and oversight for all special projects that come from the Board of Commissioners and the Chair’s Office.
Provide executive direction over the centralized Data and Evaluation Services team to improve transparency, track outcome metrics, and advance continuous quality improvement. Oversee research designs, gap analyses, and community-centered evaluations (e.g., Decline Studies, focus groups) to align program hours and services with family preferences.
Finance and Personnel Management
Create and support talent management strategies to support diversity and backfill requirements.
Develop department-wide staff performance management that ties to department goals and its strategic plan.
Assist Department Director in reviewing recruitment strategies and processes.
Develop grant/foundation strategy for each fiscal year.
Oversee the Leadership development and training initiative for the department.
Provide oversight and policy direction for DCHS fiscal systems development and planning. Lead, coordinate and participate in the development of departmental work plans, strategic plans, goals and objectives.
Direct and approve through subordinate managers the planning, prioritizing, assigning, supervising, training, review, and the daily administrative and transactional business workflows of the department, ensuring strict compliance with all County procurement and contracting policies. Act as a resource, and provide direction, guidance, and leadership to staff; advise on the more complex and sensitive concerns and issues; may select, direct, and manage the work of consultants.
Develop, administer, assist, and monitor budgets in partnership with the Finance Director; develop justifications for budgetary recommendations and/or adjustments; participate in forecasting additional funds for staffing and resources; identify, obtain, and manage funding from grants and community partners; participate in the interpretation, negotiation, management, and enforcement of contracts; coordinate the finalization of budgets to ensure timely submission of the department budget.
Equity, Partnerships & Innovation
Apply an equity lens to all decision-making, actively identifying and dismantling policies and practices that create unnecessary barriers and perpetuate unlawful discrimination.
Enforce policies that protect marginalized employees and ensure equitable service delivery for the community.
Cultivate deep partnerships with specialized housing providers and advocacy groups to design and implement residential programs that specifically support individuals with diverse needs.
Strengthen data privacy to ensure DCHS safeguards client information.
Cultivate deep partnerships with city officials, school districts, and community groups to create a functional system of care.
Develop and conceptualize new enterprises or joint ventures among various agencies, both internal and external to the County, to create innovative, or more efficient or effective services.
Innovate internal policies and practices to ensure strong financial stewardship of public funds, contracts, and resources.
Serve as a primary liaison and authorized representative for DCHS to public officials, Board Commissioners, government relations bodies, and media outlets.
We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant in your cover letter.
Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills:
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent related work experience
Minimum of 6 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in Human Services
Minimum of 6 years experience managing and working in a public sector unionized (represented) environment.
Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills: You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider some or all of the following when identifying the most qualified candidates. Please clearly explain on your application how you meet any of the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills.
Master’s Degree
6 years of Experience in Senior Level role focused on Human Services
Substantial experience in budget planning, financial management, and resource optimization. Examples include managing multi-million dollar (i.e., $300 Million +) departmental budgets, forecasting personnel costs, and overseeing capital expenditures.
Public Sector/Governmental Experience: Direct, substantial experience in a large county (i.e., 5,000 + employees), state, or municipal government or other comparable complex public-sector entity.
Demonstrated experience communicating complex human capital strategies and organizational data clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, ranging from frontline employees and union representatives to executive leadership and the Board of Commissioners
Experience in promoting a culture of respect, inclusiveness, and appreciation of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and values.
- Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.
Your completed application must include the following items:
Required: A completed online application.
Required: A resume covering relevant experience and education. Please be sure your resume includes the following for each employer: name of employer, location, dates of employment, your title, a brief summary of your responsibilities, the number of employees under your supervision.
Required: A cover letter that expands on your resume, addresses why you are interested in this position and demonstrates how your experience and skill set are relevant and align with the requirements described in the “Overview” and “To Qualify” sections above.
Note: The application, resume, and cover letter should clearly demonstrate your work experience/skills and how they relate to the descriptions provided in the ‘Overview’ and ‘To Qualify’ sections of this job posting. Please be thorough, as these materials will be used to determine your eligibility for an interview. We will not review attached files that are not your resume, your cover letter, or documentation that establishes your eligibility for veterans' preference. The recruiter as listed on the job announcement must receive all attachments by the closing date of the recruitment.
Please attach veterans' preference documentation to the separate Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire, not the regular application. Please contact the recruiter as soon as possible if you experience complications uploading your attachments.
Internal candidates: After you have applied, you will receive the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire in your Workday inbox. Your application as an internal candidate is not complete until you fill out and submit the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire.
External applicant: When completing the application on Workday as an external candidate (including volunteers, unpaid interns, contractors, and community partners) through https://multco.us/jobs, you will come to a page where you will see the "Resume/CV" section. This is the place where you may upload your resume and cover letter by clicking the “Upload” button for EACH document you’d like to upload. There will be no other prompts for you to upload your resume and cover letter.
Do not click the “Submit” button before you upload your documents.
After You Apply:
Please save a copy of this job posting for your reference, as it will not be available for you to view online after the job posting closes.
Log in to your Workday account before the job posting closes to see if you have any pending tasks or actions to complete. These can be found under the “My Applications” section. You must complete these tasks or actions before the job posting closes.
Check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.
For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:
Initial review of minimum qualifications: We may do an additional preferred review and/or send out additional supplemental questions to identify those highest qualified.
Consideration of top candidates: We will consider qualified candidates in order of rank and score from the list of eligible candidates. This may include but is not limited to panel interview(s), a hiring interview, meet and greet, and/or additional testing to determine the best candidates for a position.
Background check and reference checks: All finalists must pass a thorough background and reference check. Finalists will also be required to fill out the County’s Code of Ethics Disclosure Form that lists any ongoing outside employment or other income producing activities and potential or actual conflicts of interest.
This recruitment may be used to fill full-time, part-time, temporary, limited duration and on-call positions.
Type of Position: This is an Unclassified Executive position that is at-will, salaried, FLSA Exempt, and not eligible for overtime pay.
Multnomah County offers an exceptional benefits package, including employer-funded retirement savings; health and dental insurance at very low cost to full-time employees and their dependents; paid parental leave; wellness programs; a focus on work-life balance; and much more. Find more details on our benefits website.
Equal Pay Law: Please be advised that the pay range listed for this position is intended to provide general guidance on the earning potential for the role. However, actual compensation will be determined in accordance with the Oregon Equal Pay Law and will take into account factors such as the candidate's relevant experience, education, seniority, training, and/or tenure. Candidates should expect that initial offers will be made within the listed pay range and may not be at or near the top of the range.
Work Location: This position works onsite at the Five Oak Building 209 SW 4th Ave Portland, OR 9720. All employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; the county cannot support ongoing telework from other locations.
Serving the Public During Disasters: All County employees have a role in serving the public during inclement weather, natural disaster, or other types of community emergency response. During these emergency responses, county employees may ultimately be reassigned from their current position to a role in the emergency response to support the critical needs presented by our communities.
In accordance with Oregon Law, Multnomah County is not collecting school attendance dates in the initial application process; please do not include these dates in your resume, cover letter and other application materials.
Diversity and Inclusion: At Multnomah County, we don't just accept difference; we value it and support it to create a culture of dignity and respect for our employees.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO Know Your Rights poster is available for your reference. Multnomah County is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We request priority protected veteran referrals.
Veterans’ Preference: Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility and how to apply.
Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act: We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter below in advance to request assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may contact the recruiter through the Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711.
Questions?
Recruiter:
Crystal Swain
Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
+1 (971) 3256361
Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.
Disclaimer: This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.
Job Profile:
9619 - Deputy Director
