Public Policy & Government Affairs Specialist Closes 11/9/2024

Job Description

Job Description

Salary : $71,055-$78,895 Per year

In Allegheny County, we appreciate people who think big, act boldly, and care about making a difference. You don’t have to be from here to feel at home, or to make your mark.

With only 1.3 million people in the County, it’s small enough for motivated people to get things done. Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS) is a perfect place to get things done that directly affect people in need of a positive and lasting way.

The Public Policy & Government Affairs Specialist ensures the Department of Human Services (DHS) is equipped to navigate and respond to impactful policy and legislative changes.

This role monitors federal, state, and local government agencies / legislative bodies' actions to identify and analyze implications for human services clients, programs, and funding.

The position is highly visible within DHS, having responsibility for informing the Director, Deputies, and other leaders about public policy impacts and coordinating DHS’s response.

Equally important, this position helps to manage DHS’s relationships with key government officials and staff. The Public Policy & Government Affairs Specialist is part of the Planning and Innovation team within DHS’s Office of Analytics, Technology and Planning (ATP), reporting to the Chief Planning Officer.

Please provide a cover letter, customized to this role, that explains your interest in the job and why you are well-suited for it.

About ATP and working at DHS

DHS’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the county’s most marginalized residents. ATP supports this mission by helping to facilitate evidence-based decision-making in human services we research, collect, and analyze information that supports local leaders in designing effective services and improving program quality.

The Planning and Innovation team is responsible for aligning DHS’s strategies and resources with its goals and priorities.

The team spurs innovation and improvement in a number of ways we research best practices DHS can model; we secure new funding from government agencies and philanthropic partners;

and we develop plans for system and process improvements. Planning and Innovation team members are results-focused and have a rare combination of skills they can plan, write, analyze, organize, and coordinate projects.

They also are highly-adaptable and collaborative.

Working at Allegheny County DHS puts you on a rich and rewarding professional path. You will work directly with the organization’s leaders, program staff, and service providers, as well as with state and federal agencies.

You will be part of a highly-motivated, hard-working team that focuses each day on ensuring a safe, healthy, and thriving county.

We take pride in being able to support human services programs in leveraging government policy to serve as many children, youth, and families in need as possible.

The Public Policy Analyst will be critical to helping DHS achieve this aim.

Duties

• Manages the systems and relationships needed to anticipate, analyze, and respond to administrative and legislative policy changes. This includes :
• Developing working relationships with government officials and staff, affinity organizations and associations, other human services agencies, and DHS Deputies and other leaders; and
• Establishing mechanisms for quickly identifying, and organizing DHS’s response to, changes in federal / state policy and legislation impacting human services (e.

g., Family First and IV-E waiver; privacy laws that affect data management; etc.).

• Organizes DHS’s response to administrative and legislative changes, by sharing information about their anticipated impact with DHS leaders and helping them plan for resultant impacts to practice, processes, and revenue.
• Presents policy analyses to DHS leaders and other stakeholders.
• Represents DHS in communications with other County Departments and state (e.g., PA DHS) and federal agencies (e.g., HHS and HUD), as needed.
• Maintains a current understanding of DHS’s revenue sources and supports budgeting and accounting functions at DHS with information about relevant policy frameworks and funding rules and regulations.
• Contributes expertise and specialized skills (writing and analysis) to key Planning team deliverables, including proposal development and the preparation of state-required plans and budgets.

Knowledge

The ideal candidate for this role will possess thorough knowledge of :

• State and federal policymaking processes
• Appropriations and authorization legislation
• Relevant advocacy channels and organizations
• Functions and operations of publicly-funded human services
• State and federal legislative authorities and funding mechanisms relevant to human services
• The organization and structure of governments within Allegheny County (e.g., County, City, other municipal)

Abilities

The ideal candidate for this role will be able to :

• Analyze, synthesize, and translate complex information to inform decisions
• Conduct detailed policy research
• Prepare written summaries and reports
• Create new processes and procedures to enable position objectives
• Work well with minimal supervision
• Ask questions and dig deeper to build understanding
• Establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with DHS leaders, staff and partners
• Manage multiple projects and complete them accurately and on time
• Publicly present and write with clarity

Education / Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college / university in public policy, public administration, political science, or a related field, plus 2+ years of relevant experience.

Master’s degree from an accredited college / university in public policy, public administration, political science, or a related field.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that meets the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

If hired for a position, candidates would work for Allegheny County, Department of Human Services and be employed by Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute.

Why DHS?

It is innovative. Most recently, the national attention and awards we’ve gotten are for how DHS integrates data and uses it to improve the safety and well-being of children through tools that support front-line staff in making decisions (using predictive analytics).

DHS strives to be the kind of place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come to grow and do their best work.