Policy Initiatives Advisor

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), Secretary’s Office is currently recruiting to fill a Policy Initiatives Advisor position in Madison or Milwaukee, WI.The location will be determined based on the location of the selected candidate.

DCF offers great benefits, personal growth opportunities and work-life balance as a State of Wisconsin employee; and the intrinsic reward associated with serving the children and families of Wisconsin.

Come see why DCF is such a great place to work!

DCF is committed to the important work of helping children, youth and families become safer, more secure and progress down the road to true independence. For more information about DCF, visit our website at http://dcf.wi.gov/. 

Position Summary:  The Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary reports to the Assistant Deputy Secretary and functions as a key policy advisor to the Department Secretary. This position is responsible for guiding and implementing the department’s strategic vision and goals utilizing available resources and time of the Secretary. The responsibilities of this position involve cross-division and cross-systems collaboration at the senior management level, including coordination with other state agencies and other external stakeholders, such as counties, providers, and constituents.

This position requires extensive knowledge and understanding of the department’s programs and policies, strategic vision and goals, and stakeholder asks and needs to effectively deploy department resources and the Secretary in implementing department policies and goals. This position functions as a high-level project manager for internally focused SO projects and initiatives. This role will oversee agency workforce culture change initiatives consistent with the agency’s Mission, Vision and Values. They will coordinate existing intra-agency efforts (Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Trauma Informed Care, Employee Engagement and others) to develop, execute and lead change initiatives to support a diverse, talented, and engaged employee community. Key areas of responsibility include employee development, change management, organizational development and project management.

This position functions as a senior policy advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary with substantial authority to develop and advise on the formulation and implementation of policies, procedures, and programs to carry out the Department’s and Governor’s strategic objectives, including both internal organizational objectives and external programmatic objectives. This position deals with publicly sensitive issues.

Under the general direction of the Assistant Deputy Secretary, this position works independently and with the authority to guide the work of staff across divisions to implement major department policy initiatives, goals, and asks. This position works closely with the Secretary's Office, division administrators, policy and budget staff, and communications staff as needed to guide and/or coordinate activities and achieve goals. 

Qualifications:   Please address the following in your cover letter and/or resume:

Minimally qualified applicants will have:

How To Apply:   If you haven’t already done so, you will need to create an account and apply online. You must apply online to be considered for this position. Application materials will not be accepted if received in an e-mail, as a hard copy or a fax.

After you are logged in and are viewing the announcement, click “Apply Now.” You will be asked to provide your personal information, attach a resume and cover letter, and then complete one assessment question, indicating your interest in consideration for this position. Online applications that do not include all of the requested materials will not be considered.