Associate Director Of Safety (senior Public Service Administrator)

Associate Director of Safety (SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR)

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as the Associate Director of Safety – Background Checks. Subject to management approval, this position will provide oversight of statewide background check processes for IDEC, including statewide checks for license exempt facilities. IDEC offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a pension program. The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and strong leadership skills. We invite you to join our innovative team to help make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families of Illinois!

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the Associate Director of Safety for the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC).
• Serves as a full line supervisor.
• Provides consultation and interprets requirements of criminal statutes and IDEC licensing rules for IDEC in appropriately applying evaluative criteria.
• Facilitates effective communication with the Illinois State Police and the fingerprint service vendor to ensure cooperation and refine the processing of background checks.
• Develops training manuals and training programs.
• Prepares statistical and narrative reports on background checks and results, etc. for the Director of Safety and the Chief Quality & Safety Officer.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four (4) years of college, preferably with courses in business or public administration.
• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or private organization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Four (4) years of professional experience conducting statewide employment background checks.
• Three (3) years of professional supervisory experience assigning work, providing guidance to subordinates, recommending counseling and/or discipline following collective bargaining agreements, training staff, and approving time off.
• Three (3) years of professional experience interpreting and implementing policies, procedures and goals for early childhood services.
• Three (3) years of professional experience communicating with both internal and external stakeholders daily ensuring detailed and critical analysis of work performed.
• Three (3) years of professional experience preparing and presenting training materials for a public or private entity.
• Three (3) years of professional experience training staff.

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires a criminal history check through the Illinois State Police.
• Requires the ability to use agency-supplied equipment (e.g., laptop, monitor, personal computer, and work cell phone).
• Requires the ability to work regularly on site at the designated work location.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver's license.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime, including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest.
• The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.

About the Agency:

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) was signed into law in June of 2024 with the focus of making early childhood education and care services simpler, better and fairer for families with young children across the state. During fiscal years FY25 and FY26, IDEC will be working through transitioning data, programs and services from three state agencies – the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), – to IDEC in order to be fully operational by July 2026. Illinois strives to be the best state in the nation to raise a family with young children and IDEC is committed to continue putting children and families center while reducing complexities and finding efficiencies in the system and advancing equity.

Work Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:00pm

Headquarter Location: 115 S Lasalle St, Chicago, Illinois, 60603

Work County: Cook

Agency Contact: Melissa Long Email: dec.jobs@illinois.gov