Deputy Assistant Director for Policy and Program Improvement

Location: Wake County, NC

Agency

Dept of Health and Human Services

Division

Child and Family Well Being

Job Classification Title

Human Services Program Manager II (NS)

Position Number

65044716

Grade

NC20

About Us

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is one of the largest, most complex agencies in the state, and has approximately 17,000 employees. It is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all North Carolinians, providing human service needs for special populations including individuals who are deaf, blind, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, and helping poor North Carolinians achieve economic independence.

Description of Work

The Deputy Assistant Director directs policy, training, and quality assurance work that connects statewide Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) requirements to decisions in 100 county departments of social services. This position supervises the SNAP Policy Manager, Policy Implementation and Training Manager and the FNS Quality Assurance Manager and indirectly supervises 18 new positions across the units. Ensures through three-unit heads, that an identified payment error rate leads to a clear response-a policy clarification, a system correction, a change in training or a county improvement measure supported by evidence.

Establishes priorities with the Assistant Director and Deputy Director of Nutrition. Assigns resources and holds the units accountable for completing critical FNS work. The position coordinates with the deputy coordinates with Quality Control and Quality Assurance and Data Analysis staff to assess results. Prioritizes lower error rates without avoidable relays, unnecessary verification demands or loss of benefits for eligible households.

Key responsibilities include

Program direction and staff management: Directs the SNAP Policy Manager, the Policy Implementation and Training Manager and the Statewide FNS Quality Assurance (QA) Manager. Establishes work plans, assigns responsibility for shared projects, reviews performance and develops the managers' ability to lead their units. Resolves competing priorities using the seriousness of the problem, effects on households, county capacity and available evidence. Exercises delegated operational authority and refers decisions reserved to division or departmental leadership.

Payment-accuracy strategy and evaluation: Sets improvement priorities from Quality Control (QC) findings, county assessments and research. Distinguishes problems that require statewide action from those that can be addressed through a county's improvement work. Requires each major intervention to identify its expected result and a practical way to measure it. Reviews effects on payment accuracy, timeliness, participant access and administrative burden before recommending wider use.

Policy, system change and training integration: Approves each proposed North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) change request and its policy requirements after the SNAP Policy Manager and the Policy Implementation and Training Manager prepare them jointly, before the request goes to the Assistant Director and the Deputy Director for Nutrition. Once approved, the request passes to Human Services Business Information and Analytics (HSBIA) for product development with NC FAST; the deputy sets the Section's change-request priorities with HSBIA, including work funded under S.L. 2026-41, section 9B.7(a)(1).

Decides program readiness before a change is released, on the advice of the Policy Implementation and Training Manager, with the FNS Manual aligned and county notice issued first. NC FAST keeps technical release authority. Convenes a review of results after release with QA, QC and the Quality Assurance and Data Analysis unit. Works with DSS leadership to align statewide and regional training with county assistance. Resolves issues that cross unit boundaries and keeps urgent policy questions from delaying needed county support.

County assessment and improvements: Establishes the QA operating process with DSS leadership, including common assessment tools, regional coordination and clear county contacts for findings and assistance. Develops proposed criteria for when a county needs a payment-accuracy improvement plan, reassessment schedules and completion standards for departmental adoption. Oversees the process under delegated authority and elevates matters requiring formal departmental action.

Resources and accountability: Manages approved staffing and operating resources. Documents implementation, unresolved risks and results for departmental decisions and legislative reporting. Coordinates program projects with HSBIA, the NC FAST eligibility system, the Data Office and DSS. Agrees on deliverables and schedules with their leaders and resolves delays that affect policy, training or county assessments.

Prefer applicants with SNAP experience or another state-supervised, locally administered benefit program and experience with directing program improvement, quality assurance or policy implementation across multiple areas.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

Salary Range: $70,487 - $123,336

Recruitment Range $70,487 - $96,908

The following Management Preferences are not required, but applicants that possess these skills are preferred: