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To apply for an open position, please provide a cover letter, three references, and resume to the Children’s Alliance to apply@childally.org.

Director of Workforce Development

Child Welfare Workforce Development Specialist

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

The Children’s Alliance of Kansas drives systems-level change to strengthen children and families through advocacy, networking and education. A key initiative of the Alliance is to develop supports for child welfare professionals working in the child and family well-being continuum of care. Our KanCoach and Resilience Alliance workforce development programs offer supportive strategies to improve organizational practices by enhancing supervisory capacity and skills through a strengths-based coaching model. Resilience Alliance is uniquely designed to educate child welfare leaders and workers about secondary traumatic stress (STS) and train them in techniques to mitigate and cope with symptom

The Director of Workforce Development is a new role at Children’s Alliance responsible for leading a team of Workforce Development Specialists in honing their leadership skills to deliver high-level workforce development strategies to supervisors in the child welfare system. This position requires an experienced leadership coach with a deep understanding of personal and professional development, advanced coaching techniques, and the ability to influence and inspire growth at all levels. The Director will also play a key role in shaping and growing our coaching approaches, mentoring Workforce Development Specialists, and contributing to the expansion and development of training programs that align with our organizational goals.

The hybrid role requires an understanding of adult learning principles, strong communication skills, and the ability to motivate and support learners as they develop critical competencies. This position is ideal for someone passionate about leadershipdevelopment and helping others reach their full potential. It requires someone who is results-driven with a proactive approach to coaching and problem-solving, and able to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

  • Provide Expert Coaching to Senior Leaders and Teams: Lead high-level, one-on-one coaching sessions with executives, senior leaders, and management teams to enhance their leadership, decision-making, and interpersonal skills. Tailor coaching approaches to address strategic challenges and business priorities.

  • Design and Facilitate Leadership Development Programs: Develop and implement leadership and team building programs that align with the company’s vision and goals. Facilitate workshops, seminars, and group coaching sessions focused on building leadership skills, collaboration, and high-performance cultures.

  • Mentor and Develop Alliance KanCoaches: Provide guidance and mentorship to associate coaches, offering support in their professional development and ensuring consistency in coaching standards. Assist in training and onboarding new coaches.

  • Measure and Report Coaching Impact: Manage measurement systems to assess the effectiveness and continuous quality improvement of coaching interventions. Track progress through feedback, surveys, and performance metrics, and provide regular reports to leadership on program outcomes and impact.

  • Foster a Coaching Culture: Advocate for a coaching culture across the child well-being system, promoting coaching as a tool for professional growth and organizational success. Educate teams and leaders about the benefits of coaching and how it can enhance individual and team performance.

  • Stay Abreast of Industry Trends and Best Practices: Continuously enhance coaching skills and knowledge of leadership trends by attending relevant conferences, workshops, and obtaining certifications. Apply best practices and innovative approaches to meet evolving organizational needs.

  • Develop and Refine Coaching Methodologies: Regularly review and refine coaching methods and tools to ensure they are aligned with organizational objectives and leading-edge practices in the coaching industry.

  • \Build Relationships and Influence Stakeholders: Build strong relationships with senior leaders, key stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to ensure coaching programs are aligned with the business’s strategic vision and goals. Influence decision-makers to prioritize leadership development.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business or related field.

  • Advanced certifications in coaching (e.g., ICF, ACTP, MCC, EMCC, etc.) and/or leadership development.

  • Background in child welfare or closely related field, required.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 3-5 years of professional coaching experience, with at least 3 years of experience coaching leaders, or high-performing teams.

  • Proven track record of helping leaders and organizations achieve measurable success through workforce development strategies including, coaching as demonstrated in cover letter, interview, and references

  • Experience mentoring and leading other coaches or developing coaching teams is preferred, as demonstrated in résumé, cover letter, and interview.

  • Familiarity with family centered coaching and/or trauma-informed coaching, preferred, as demonstrated in résumé, cover letter, and references.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Master’s degree in human services related field

  • Experience in organizational transformation, change management, or strategic leadership roles, as demonstrated in résumé, cover letter, and interview.

  • Advanced coaching certifications (e.g., Master Certified Coach (MCC), Executive Coaching certification) are preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Work Environment: Primarily remote/hybrid with some in person meetings required.

  • Schedule: Flexibility in working hours may be required, including occasional evening or weekend hours to accommodate executive schedules.

  • Travel: Some in state and domestic travel may be required. Monthly in-person work at Children’s Alliance in Topeka.

COMMITMENT TO DEIB

Children’s Alliance of Kansas is committed to supporting an inclusive work environment for all employees, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, where individuals are valued, respected, and empowered. Our work is highly personal, and we believe that diversity in our workforce enhances connection, community, and understanding.

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and socioeconomic status. Our commitment to equity ensures our entire team has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

TO APPLY

Please submit your résumé (2 pages maximum) and cover letter (2 pages maximum) through this link: https://forms.gle/NbamH92FWKAq4t2XA

Questions? Please email sophie@coneflower.org

CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Application Deadline: Rolling, applications reviewed from November 25, 2024

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Children’s Alliance of Kansas drives systems-level change to strengthen children and families through advocacy, networking and education. A key initiative of the Alliance is to develop supports for child welfare professionals working in the child welfare continuum of care. One way we intend to accomplish this is through implementation of the KanCoach and Resilience Alliance programs. The KanCoach program focuses on improving organizational practices by enhancing supervisory capacity and skillsthrough a strengths-based coaching model. Priority topics for KanCoach include safety/risk assessment and case planning, parent and youth engagement, relative/kin connections, and secondary traumatic stress. Resilience Alliance is designed to educate child welfare leaders and workers about secondary traumatic stress (STS) and train them in techniques to mitigate and cope with symptoms.

The Workforce Development Specialist is a hybrid position that will coordinate and deliver program objectives to child welfare supervisors working in public and private agencies. In addition to providing coaching and training to child welfare supervisors, thisposition will actively assist with the promotion, evaluation, and enhancement of the program. This position requires a strong understanding of the child welfare system, a commitment to building a learning culture within the child welfare workforce, and demonstrated success in teaching, training, and/or coaching.

Additionally, this position requires flexibility, creativity, team-building skills, ability to provide strengths-based feedback, and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

  • Virtually lead the KanCoach and Resilience Alliance programs with supervisors in Kansas child welfare agencies

  • Train supervisors and other program staff to support KanCoach implementation

  • Promote and establish buy-in for the vision and planning related to building a learning culture and implementing the coaching program

  • Participate actively in training, meetings, and coaching sessions

  • Advocate, promote, and practice cultural sensitivity and responsiveness in all interactions

  • Work collaboratively with team to develop and modify coaching curriculum and related transfer of learning supports

  • Conduct ongoing fidelity assessments to ensure coaching is provided with accuracy

  • Work collaboratively with fellow coaches, Children’s Alliance team, and member agencies to support the expansion of KanCoach into supervisory practices within all Kansas child welfare agencies

  • Ensure evaluation data is documented and reported regularly and accurately according to established protocols

Additional duties may include:

  • Monitoring national and Kansas state developments in child welfare systems

  • Staying up to date on innovative learning strategies and best practice in child welfare workforce development

  • Collaborating with Alliance instructional design staff to ensure curriculum is high quality, relevant to the current practice environment and implemented with fidelity

  • Coordinating with team members, partners and stakeholders to ensure project task implementation is on schedule and to address and remove any barriers to project implementation

  • Overseeing and supporting program fidelity, quality, and efficient implementation

  • Ensuring program curriculum, support and delivery methods meaningfully impact child and family well-being

  • Utilizing the Children’s Alliance learning management system, communications and data management processes and platforms to support project implementation

  • Ensuring compliance and reporting processes for assigned projects

  • Developing and maintaining effective policies and guidelines for program implementation and ongoing evaluation

  • Monitoring committees and special projects as assigned during Kansas legislative session

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in social work or related human services field

  • Five (5) or more years of professional experience in child welfare with a deep understanding of the Kansas child welfare system.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills as demonstrated in cover letter, interview, and references

  • Strong emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills and ability to work productively as part of a team as demonstrated in cover letter, interview, and references

  • Project management and program implementation skills as demonstrated in résumé

  • Comfort with and ability to learn and manage new technology platforms and tools as demonstrated in résumé

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master's degree in social work, Master's degree in counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Human Services or related field

  • Two (2) years of experience in child welfare supervision

  • Familiarity with the KanCoach progra

Working Conditions:

  • Work Environment: Primarily remote/hybrid with some in person meetings required.

  • Travel: Some in state and domestic travel may be required. Monthly in-person work at Children’s Alliance in Topeka.

Commitment to DEIB

Children’s Alliance of Kansas is committed to supporting an inclusive work environment for all employees, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, where individuals are valued, respected, and empowered. Our work is highly personal, and we believe that diversity in our workforce enhances connection, community, and understanding.

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, and socioeconomic status.

Our commitment to equity ensures that our entire team has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

To Apply:

Please submit your résumé (2 pages maximum) and cover letter (2 pages maximum) through this link: https://forms.gle/jCieZqVGNHQhq49z5

Questions? Please email sophie@coneflower.org