[Blindtlk] Assistant Director, Employment Services, Seattle

[David Andrews]

Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Position:                          Assistant Director – Employment Services
(Permanent, Full-Time, Exempt)

Annual Salary:                 $75,000 -- $83,000

Location:                         Seattle, Washington

Closes:                             February 29, 2008

Do you want to join an agency that has 
consistently been a national leader among blind 
agencies in competitive employment? And ranks #2 
in Washington State’s Employee Climate Survey? 
Join us in the advancement of our 
mission­“Inclusion, Independence, and Economic 
Vitality for People with Visual Disabilities”­and you’ll help lead the way.

Washington State offers a generous benefits 
package including medical, dental, vision, 
long-term disability, and life insurance and 
retirement.  Department of Services for the Blind 
(DSB) employees enjoy extensive opportunities for 
professional and personal development.  The 
Seattle office is located in a vibrant historic 
community minutes from Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and Downtown Seattle.

The Assistant Director of Employment Services 
serves at the pleasure of the Executive Director 
who reports directly to the Governor of the State of Washington.

Essential Activities
·       Interprets and implements the provisions 
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and as 
amended, and the federal regulations governing 
the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program.  Develops VR program policies.
·       Acts as the principal liaison for the VR 
program and the Department of Education 
Rehabilitation Services Administration 
(RSA).  Develops and implements the State Plan 
for Vocational Rehabilitation and submits annual 
updates to RSA along with statewide needs assessments and performance data.
·       Participates with the Director, Executive 
and Management team in the development and 
implementation of the agency’s Strategic Plan.
·       Leads VR field service teams 
statewide.  Leads the Orientation and Training Center (OTC).
·       Manages an annual operating and client services budget of $6.6 million.
·       Directs five cross-functional teams and 
the OTC (53 full-time employees).
·       Manages program activities using the 
principles of the Government Management 
Accountability and Performance (GMAP) measures.
·       Develops program initiatives and 
identifies measurable outcomes for the VR program 
to improve performance.  Identifies and disseminates “best practices.”
·       Develops and manages stakeholder 
relationships including consumer groups, partner 
agencies, vendors, institutions of higher 
education, WorkSource partners, tribes, and the 
State Rehabilitation Council (SRC).
·       Acts as the hiring authority within VR 
for recruitment, assessment and hiring of VR professionals.

Required Qualifications
A minimum of 5 years of experience as a manager 
in a leadership role, including executive level 
budget and human resources management and accountability.

Desired Qualifications
A Master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation 
Counseling AND/OR a current Certification as a 
Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) by the Commission 
on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification AND a 
minimum of 5 years of experience as a manager of 
Vocational Rehabilitation services AND knowledge 
and experience dealing with the complex and 
specialized vocational rehabilitation needs of 
Blind, Low Vision and/or Deaf Blind individuals.

To Apply
Initial screening will be based solely on the 
information contained in your application materials.
*       Submit a completed Washington State 
Employment Application by using the following 
link and resaving the document in MS Word which 
ensures that all accessibility features work 
(<http://dsb.wa.gov/documents/DSBGeneralEmploymentApp2007Accessible_005.doc>http://dsb.wa.gov/documents/DSBGeneralEmploymentApp2007Accessible_005.doc).
*       Attach a letter of interest which states 
how you meet the qualifications as shown on this announcement.
*       Attach a copy of your resume.
*       Include photocopies of college transcripts.
*       Be prepared to provide references at the time of interview.
Only the most qualified applicants will be 
considered for an interview and further 
assessment.  If you will need reasonable 
accommodation in the application/assessment 
process, please submit your request in writing along with your application.
Electronic application materials in Word format 
are preferred and can be emailed to 
<mailto:elldrumheller at dsb.wa.gov>elldrumheller at dsb.wa.gov.

Hard copies of transcripts and/or application materials can be mailed to:

Department of Services for the Blind
Attn: Ellen Drumheller
PO Box 40933
Olympia, WA  98504-0933
Phone:  360-725-3836
Fax: 360-407-0679

NOTE:   The Washington State Department of 
Services for the Blind (DSB) is an equal 
opportunity employer. Women, persons over 40 
years of age, racial and ethnic minorities, 
persons of disability, Vietnam era veterans, and 
disabled veterans are encouraged to apply. 
Washington’s Law Against Discrimination prohibits 
discrimination based on a person's sexual 
orientation or gender identity.  Background 
checks, to include fingerprinting, are required 
for employees and applicants considered for 
positions within DSB when the employee will have 
unsupervised access to customers who are 
considered vulnerable adults or children.  DSB 
employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully 
authorized non-U.S. citizens.  All new employees 
must show employment eligibility verification as 
required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Service.  Accommodations for applicants who 
qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act are available upon request.