Program Administrator

COMPANY INFORMATION

Rockford Township General Assistance is a local government agency, required by the State of Illinois to provide General Assistance welfare to qualified individuals. General Assistance is provided for eligible individuals living within Rockford Township who have no minor children in the household and little to no income.

It is our mission to treat all people with respect, dignity, and compassion in providing basic human needs, while on the road to self-sufficiency.

The Township is seeking a qualified individual to administer the General Assistance program.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As the Program Administrator, you’ll be the leader who directly supervises the General Assistance (GA) program and the staff that administers the program. You will ensure compliance with Illinois Township Code, General Assistance Handbook requirements, applicable state and federal regulations, and Township policies. You will report to the Township Supervisor, turning ideas into operational reality – implementing updated workflows, strengthening staff knowledge and ensuring compliance of all services with the General Assistance Handbook.

This role is built for someone who is seeking a leadership role and is willing to take the initiative to build relationships with the staff and work collaboratively on improving workflows and services. You don’t have to walk in already knowing the GA Handbook cold – we have training to help get you there. What you do need is real experience leading people: someone who can exercise sound judgment, build trust with a team, and grow into interpreting GA policy, conducting appeal reviews, and resolve complex client situations. You’ll collaborate with the team to make the program and its processes the most efficient they can be, and become a champion of Rockford Township’s General Assistance mission.

What kind of leader are we looking for?

Because you may be coming into this without GA or social services background, we’re weighting leadership qualities heavily:

• You coach people up rather than just telling them what to do
• You read a room well and give feedback that actually lands
• You can make a call without every fact in hand, then adjust as you learn more
• You own outcomes for your team instead of pointing fingers
• You’re comfortable saying “I don’t know that yet” without losing your team’s confidence
• You follow through on what you say you’ll do
• You lead by removing obstacles for your people, not creating them
• You treat clients facing hardship with genuine empathy and zero judgment
• You can introduce change to an established team without steamrolling them

Responsibilities:

• Learn, understand, interpret and apply the General Assistance Handbook
• Train and mentor staff so they understand how our processes are supported by the GA Handbook
• Review office policy and procedures by observing staff processes
• Develop and implement improvements to office policy and procedures based on what you observe
• Coach and mentor staff as a group outside of our monthly staff meetings, through additional weekly or bi-weekly meetings
• Plan monthly staff meetings in conjunction with the Director of Accounting and HR
• Coach and mentor staff one-on-one wherever you see room for improvement or extra instruction
• Provide regular supervision and performance feedback
• Conduct case reviews to monitor quality of case files, narratives and documentation
• Perform informal review conferences for clients who appeal a case closure decision
• Cross train all social service positions
• Represent the Township in the local social services network, including the monthly Northern Illinois Homeless Coalition meetings, identifying community needs and how Rockford Township can help fill gaps in area services
• Create and maintain specialized reports, records and files for internal statistics and as required by the State of Illinois

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Office-based
• Frequent interaction with clients experiencing financial hardship, homelessness, unemployment and other social challenges
• Regular attendance at community meetings and external agency events

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Human Services or related field preferred
• 3-5 years of management or supervisory experience is required – this can come from any industry, as long as you’ve directly managed people
• Social services experiences is a real plus, but not required – you can learn the program and network
• Excellent leadership, communication (oral and written), and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of local community resources is a bonus
• Comfortable with computers and relevant software applications
• Willingness and openness to working with a diverse range of individuals and situations

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Leadership and team development
• Program administration
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• A real sense of initiative and independence
• Ability to organize and plan
• Attention to detail
• Empathy for the population we serve
• Program development and evaluation skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office

Pay: $28.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Management: 3 years (Required)

Language:

• any other foreign language or know ASL (Preferred)

Work Location: In person