Senior Subject Matter Expert – Child Welfare Systems

Location: Washington DC / Baltimore Metro Area

Work Arrangement: In-Person

About the Role

We seek a Senior Subject Matter Expert to join our leadership team working on child welfare modernization initiatives. You will serve as the bridge between policy, business, and technology teams, translating complex health and human services program requirements into actionable technical solutions.

This role requires deep expertise in Child Welfare programs and the ability to guide multi-disciplinary teams through large-scale system modernization efforts for state agencies.

What You’ll Do

• Translate federal regulations and state program policies into technical requirements and solution strategies
• Lead cross-functional design sessions with architects, developers, product owners, and data teams
• Define end-to-end functional and non-functional requirements that align business needs with technical standards
• Guide solution design across Child Protective Services (CPS), Foster Care, In-Home services, Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP), Adoption, and Title IV-E programs
• Identify solution gaps, integration points, and risk areas across enterprise platforms
• Review business rules implementation to ensure program compliance
• Represent technical delivery teams in planning sessions with state agencies and policy leads
• Coordinate with Quality Assurance (QA), Dev Ops, and Security teams to ensure compliance with standards including Section 508 and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Develop modernization roadmaps, solution blueprints, and impact assessments

What You Bring

Required Experience:

• 12+ years in public sector technology with health and human services programs
• 10+ years of Information Technology (IT) experience directly related to child welfare or eligibility systems
• 5+ years working with state or federal eligibility systems and program modernization
• Proven track record leading enterprise-scale technical and business teams
• Deep expertise in CPS, Foster Care, In-Home services, GAP, Adoption, and Title IV-E programs

Domain Knowledge:

• Strong understanding of child welfare laws and federal regulations
• Experience interpreting policy documents and program manuals
• Knowledge of rules-based systems and service-oriented architecture
• Understanding of modular platform design and data governance

Technical Skills:

• Familiarity with Node.js, Java, .NET, Corticon, Postgre
  
  SQL/Aurora, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Informatica
• Experience documenting functional requirements, user stories, and system interaction diagrams
• Understanding of modern application architecture and integration patterns

Leadership Abilities:

• Lead and influence cross-functional teams on complex initiatives
• Manage stakeholder expectations across multiple organizational levels
• Navigate policy constraints while advocating for feasible technical solutions
• Facilitate collaboration between business and technical teams

Communication:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Experience facilitating workshops and design sessions

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (required)
• Master’s degree or Ph.D. preferred