About the OCA

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk children can thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth.

Office of the Child Advocate | Mass.gov

Commitment to Diversity

The OCA actively seeks to increase the diversity of its workforce and is interested in candidates whose experiences, skills, and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Applicants are invited to include a statement within their cover letter describing how diversity, equity, and inclusion factor into the candidate's work and/or life experiences.

The OCA values diverse perspectives, including candidates with lived experience in the child protective and/or juvenile justice systems.

Application Instructions

All applications are to be submitted on the MassCareers website.https://www.mass.gov/guides/masscareers-create-a-profile-guide

A cover letter and resume are required parts of the application. Review of applicants will start immediately and continue while the position is posted, with first consideration given to those received within the first 14 days.

General Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

The CFO manages the financial affairs of the agency and is responsible for overseeing all accounting and day-to-day operations regarding OCA administration, HR, IT, and finance activities.

The CFO prepares annual and supplementary budget requests on behalf of the agency, prepares short- and long-term budget forecasting, ensures compliance with state finance laws, supervises staff and advisors, and coordinates with other state resources on general administrative matters like procurement, purchasing, billing, contracts, human resources, and information technology.

Detailed Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

· Financial Management: Develop, supervise, and manage day to day financial operations of the agency. Manage the OCA budget including the preparation and submissions of all budgets and spending plans of the OCA. Monitor spending and ensure all bills are paid.

· Procurement and Contract Management: - Responsible for all aspects of procurements. Organize the contracting process and review of ISAs and maintain contract records.

· Auditing: Represent the Office in all audits, both internal and external. Serves as liaison to the Office of the State Comptroller. In accordance with Chapter 647 of the Acts of 1989, serve as internal control officer and collaborates with the General Counsel on the internal control plan. Function as Records Coordinator and Single Audit Liaison to the Office of the Comptroller.

· Human Resources Management: Organize and oversee the job posting process, onboarding and exit processes, consulting with the General Counsel and/or Senior Managers as necessary. Provide operational support to the employee performance review process and maintenance of personnel records. Oversee the OCA relationship with HRD. Oversee employee payroll and benefits administration.

· Leadership Management: Responsible for the supervision and evaluation of staff and the management of the day-to-day operations regarding OCA administration, HR and finance. Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance for staff reporting to this position.

· Records Management: Responsible for creating and overseeing the filing system and organization and maintenance schedule of all internal and external records created or obtained by the OCA. Identify vendors to help organize, store and dispose of paper records in accordance with state records retention requirements, including digitizing the Office’s paper records.

· Operations Management: Develop, supervise, and manage day-to-day administrative operations of the agency. Manage office space leases and procure new space as needed. Develop safety protocols in partnership with Building Security. Serve as Department Security Office to ensure OCA is compliant with EOTSS IT security standards. Responsible for operational functions and high-level project management related to execution of the OCA’s work.

About the OCA

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk children can thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth.

Office of the Child Advocate | Mass.gov

Commitment to Diversity

The OCA actively seeks to increase the diversity of its workforce and is interested in candidates whose experiences, skills, and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Applicants are invited to include a statement within their cover letter describing how diversity, equity, and inclusion factor into the candidate's work and/or life experiences.

The OCA values diverse perspectives, including candidates with lived experience in the child protective and/or juvenile justice systems.

Application Instructions

All applications are to be submitted on the MassCareers website.https://www.mass.gov/guides/masscareers-create-a-profile-guide

A cover letter and resume are required parts of the application. Review of applicants will start immediately and continue while the position is posted, with first consideration given to those received within the first 14 days.

General Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

The CFO manages the financial affairs of the agency and is responsible for overseeing all accounting and day-to-day operations regarding OCA administration, HR, IT, and finance activities.

The CFO prepares annual and supplementary budget requests on behalf of the agency, prepares short- and long-term budget forecasting, ensures compliance with state finance laws, supervises staff and advisors, and coordinates with other state resources on general administrative matters like procurement, purchasing, billing, contracts, human resources, and information technology.

Detailed Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

· Financial Management: Develop, supervise, and manage day to day financial operations of the agency. Manage the OCA budget including the preparation and submissions of all budgets and spending plans of the OCA. Monitor spending and ensure all bills are paid.

· Procurement and Contract Management: - Responsible for all aspects of procurements. Organize the contracting process and review of ISAs and maintain contract records.

· Auditing: Represent the Office in all audits, both internal and external. Serves as liaison to the Office of the State Comptroller. In accordance with Chapter 647 of the Acts of 1989, serve as internal control officer and collaborates with the General Counsel on the internal control plan. Function as Records Coordinator and Single Audit Liaison to the Office of the Comptroller.

· Human Resources Management: Organize and oversee the job posting process, onboarding and exit processes, consulting with the General Counsel and/or Senior Managers as necessary. Provide operational support to the employee performance review process and maintenance of personnel records. Oversee the OCA relationship with HRD. Oversee employee payroll and benefits administration.

· Leadership Management: Responsible for the supervision and evaluation of staff and the management of the day-to-day operations regarding OCA administration, HR and finance. Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance for staff reporting to this position.

· Records Management: Responsible for creating and overseeing the filing system and organization and maintenance schedule of all internal and external records created or obtained by the OCA. Identify vendors to help organize, store and dispose of paper records in accordance with state records retention requirements, including digitizing the Office’s paper records.

· Operations Management: Develop, supervise, and manage day-to-day administrative operations of the agency. Manage office space leases and procure new space as needed. Develop safety protocols in partnership with Building Security. Serve as Department Security Office to ensure OCA is compliant with EOTSS IT security standards. Responsible for operational functions and high-level project management related to execution of the OCA’s work.

· Experience creating and managing agency budgets, interpreting financial data, and spending projections.

· Knowledge of State budget process; ability to make persuasive budget presentations to various interdisciplinary audiences.

· Experience creating and managing operations, including employee payroll and benefits administration, records management, and purchasing and procurement. Ability to work with and manage the use of outside consultants.

· Experience monitoring and managing physical office space and developing safety protocols.

· Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office-Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and/or other software.

· Ability to organize, prioritize and manage multiple projects and programs.

· Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

· Master’s degree with 10 plus years relevant experience.

· Experience working in a related field (e.g. child welfare, economic self-sufficiency programs, public policy development, public administration, education).

· Experience managing diverse teams, including at least 5 years of direct supervision experience.

· Experience creating and managing agency budgets, interpreting financial data, and spending projections.

· Knowledge of State budget process; ability to make persuasive budget presentations to various interdisciplinary audiences.

· Experience creating and managing operations, including employee payroll and benefits administration, records management, and purchasing and procurement. Ability to work with and manage the use of outside consultants.

· Experience monitoring and managing physical office space and developing safety protocols.

· Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office-Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and/or other software.

· Ability to organize, prioritize and manage multiple projects and programs.

· Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

· Master’s degree with 10 plus years relevant experience.

· Experience working in a related field (e.g. child welfare, economic self-sufficiency programs, public policy development, public administration, education).

· Experience managing diverse teams, including at least 5 years of direct supervision experience.