Associate Director, Permanency

Associate Director, Permanency

The Associate Director, Permanency provides strategic and operational leadership for key placement, permanency, family connection, and assessment functions within Texans Together Community Based Care. This position oversees Intake & Placement, Child Watch & Placement Support, Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE), Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS), Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), and Family Finding. Working in partnership with the Director, Permanency, the Associate Director ensures these functions operate as an integrated system focused on timely and stable placements, family connections, child well-being, and permanency outcomes.

The position provides continuity of leadership and operational direction while evaluating and improving systems, processes, partnerships, and performance. The Associate Director ensures compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, agency policies, contractual obligations, Community Based Care expectations, and Texas Child-Centered Care principles while promoting family-centered, evidence-informed practices that support safe, stable, connected, and permanent outcomes for children and families.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Intake & Placement, Child Watch & Placement Support, TARE, CANS, ICPC, and Family Finding programs.
• Oversee integrated service delivery to strengthen placement stability, family connections, adoption recruitment, and permanency outcomes.
• Lead strategies to address complex placement needs, reduce placement disruptions, and improve child- and family-centered services.
• Evaluate program performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure compliance with regulatory and contractual requirements.
• Supervise and develop program managers and leaders, promoting accountability, collaboration, and operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with DFPS, caregivers, providers, and community partners to strengthen placement resources and permanency outcomes.
• Lead process improvements and innovative strategies to enhance service coordination, program efficiency, and outcomes for children and families.
• Serve as a key operational partner to the Director of Permanency, providing leadership, consultation, and decision-making support.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in social work, human services or closely related field. Relevant experience considered in lieu of education requirement.
• Eight (8) years' professional experience in child welfare, social services, behavioral health, or a related human services field.
• Four (4) years' management or supervisory experience, preferably managing multiple programs, teams, or operational functions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Community Based Care, Texas Child Centered Care, or a similar child welfare system.
• Experience with placement, permanency, family finding, adoption, kinship care, or related child welfare functions.
• Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, or system transformation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge of child welfare practice, permanency planning, foster care, placement, adoption, kinship care, and family engagement.
• Knowledge of federal and state child welfare laws, regulations, and applicable court procedures.
• Knowledge of Community Based Care and Texas Child Centered Care.
• Knowledge of placement resources, placement matching, placement stability, and caregiver support strategies.
• Understanding of family finding and family connection practices.
• Understanding of adoption recruitment and permanency strategies.
• Familiarity with CANS and the use of assessment information to inform service and placement decisions.
• Familiarity…