Human Services Specialist III; Project and Operations Manager

overview

howard county conveniently located in the heart of central maryland between baltimore and washington, howard county offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

howard county government howard county government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, howard county government received a record-breaking 83 achievement awards from the national association of counties (naco) – the most in the state of maryland. Naco is the leading organization representing county-level government operations.

These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policy making.

this position is a critical leadership role within the office of human rights and equity (ohre) that provides strategic, administrative, and operational oversight to ensure the effective execution and sustainability of the office’s mission, programs, and statutory responsibilities. Under general supervision from the administrator of the office of human rights and equity, this position performs advanced professional level human services work providing administrative, operational, and programmatic support to a major functional office.

The role supports and coordinates a significant phase of the office’s service delivery and internal operations, including supervision of administrative staff and interns, coordination of special programs and events, and implementation of office-wide initiatives. The position directly supports the administrator by managing cross-functional projects and initiatives across the organization, with a focus on strengthening internal infrastructure, operational consistency, and long-term continuity.

The position serves as a central coordination role for the office, supporting leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of program policies, procedures, and initiatives related to human rights and equity, and ensuring continuity, accountability, and effective internal operations.

this position is essential to the long-term sustainability, scalability, and effectiveness of the office of human rights and equity. By providing dedicated leadership for operations, project management, and infrastructure development, the role allows the administrator to focus on strategic leadership, policy direction, and external engagement while ensuring the office’s day-to-day and long-term operational needs are met.

• provide centralized project management oversight for all ohre programs, initiatives, and county-wide events led by the office, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and outcomes are met.
• oversee the internal operations, governance support, and event coordination for all commissions under ohre, ensuring consistency, compliance, and operational excellence.
• manage ohre’s administrative functions, workflows, and internal processes to improve efficiency, accountability, and service delivery.
• lead the development, documentation, and implementation of ohre standard operating procedures to institutionalize best practices and ensure operational consistency.
• establish and maintain an administrative and operational leadership bench within the office to ensure continuity of operations, institutional knowledge retention, and uninterrupted service delivery in the absence of the administrator.
• lead the development and implementation of the youth commissioner training program, including program structure, curriculum coordination, onboarding, and ongoing support.
• supervise and provide work direction to administrative staff and interns, including assigning work, monitoring progress, and supporting training and development.
• assist with grant-related activities, including coordination, compliance support, reporting, and liaison with internal and external partners, as applicable.
• support budget preparation and monitoring for assigned programs or initiatives, including tracking expenditures and assisting with fiscal…