Washington State Department of Services for the Blind
Position: Assistant Director – Employment Services
(Permanent, Full-Time, Exempt)
Annual Salary: $75,000 -- $83,000
Location: Seattle, Washington
Closes: February 29, 2008
Do you want to join an agency that has consistently been a national leader among blind agencies in competitive employment? And ranks #2 in Washington State’s Employee Climate Survey? Join us in the advancement of our mission—“Inclusion, Independence, and Economic Vitality for People with Visual Disabilities”—and you’ll help lead the way.
Washington State offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance and retirement. Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) employees enjoy extensive opportunities for professional and personal development. The Seattle office is located in a vibrant historic community minutes from Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and Downtown Seattle.
The Assistant Director of Employment Services serves at the pleasure of the Executive Director who reports directly to the Governor of the State of Washington.
Essential Activities
- Interprets and implements the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and as amended, and the federal regulations governing the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. Develops VR program policies.
- Acts as the principal liaison for the VR program and the Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Develops and implements the State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation and submits annual updates to RSA along with statewide needs assessments and performance data.
- Participates with the Director, Executive and Management team in the development and implementation of the agency’s Strategic Plan.
- Leads VR field service teams statewide. Leads the Orientation and Training Center (OTC).
- Manages an annual operating and client services budget of $6.6 million.
- Directs five cross-functional teams and the OTC (53 full-time employees).
- Manages program activities using the principles of the Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) measures.
- Develops program initiatives and identifies measurable outcomes for the VR program to improve performance. Identifies and disseminates “best practices.”
- Develops and manages stakeholder relationships including consumer groups, partner agencies, vendors, institutions of higher education, WorkSource partners, tribes, and the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC).
- Acts as the hiring authority within VR for recruitment, assessment and hiring of VR professionals.
Required Qualifications
A minimum of 5 years of experience as a manager in a leadership role, including executive level budget and human resources management and accountability.
Desired Qualifications
A Master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling AND/OR a current Certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification AND a minimum of 5 years of experience as a manager of Vocational Rehabilitation services AND knowledge and experience dealing with the complex and specialized vocational rehabilitation needs of Blind, Low Vision and/or Deaf Blind individuals.
To Apply
Initial screening will be based solely on the information contained in your application materials.
- Submit a completed Washington State Employment Application by using the following link and resaving the document in MS Word which ensures that all accessibility features work (http://dsb.wa.gov/documents/DSBGeneralEmploymentApp2007Accessible_005.doc).
- Attach a letter of interest which states how you meet the qualifications as shown on this announcement.
- Attach a copy of your resume.
- Include photocopies of college transcripts.
- Be prepared to provide references at the time of interview.
Only the most qualified applicants will be considered for an interview and further assessment. If you will need reasonable accommodation in the application/assessment process, please submit your request in writing along with your application.
Electronic application materials in Word format are preferred and can be emailed to elldrumheller@dsb.wa.gov.
Hard copies of transcripts and/or application materials can be mailed to:
Department of Services
for the Blind
Attn: Ellen Drumheller
PO Box 40933
Olympia, WA 98504-0933
Phone: 360-725-3836
Fax: 360-407-0679
NOTE: The Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) is an equal opportunity employer. Women, persons over 40 years of age, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, Vietnam era veterans, and disabled veterans are encouraged to apply. Washington’s Law Against Discrimination prohibits discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Background checks, to include fingerprinting, are required for employees and applicants considered for positions within DSB when the employee will have unsupervised access to customers who are considered vulnerable adults or children. DSB employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Accommodations for applicants who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act are available upon request.