Deputy Bureau Director of Research, Analytics, and Programs - Career Executive

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), Division of Milwaukee Child Welfare, Bureau of Research, Analytics, and Programs is currently recruiting to fill a Deputy Bureau Director position in Milwaukee, WI. 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. To learn more about DCF’s complete compensation package, please visit our Total Rewards Calculator!

This position is headquartered at our Milwaukee Office and will have the option to work hybrid 50 -80% of the week.  This schedule may change based on training or operational needs.  Employees need to report to the 635 N 26 St. Milwaukee, WI office on their first day for onboarding and orientation. 

High speed internet access is required to meet the needs of hybrid work.

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 Bureau Deputy Director reports to the Director of the Division of Milwaukee Child Welfare (DMCW) Bureau of Research, Analytics and Programs (BRAP) and serves as a member of the Division's executive team with primary responsibility for directing and overseeing its child welfare case management services, out-of-home care placement activities, DMCW contract services and operations and specified program and policy initiatives relevant to child welfare and protective services’ operations. There are numerous community partners under contract with DMCW supported by, and requiring, the Division's oversight that include performance management and service outcomes. This combination of private agencies along with state operations and standards add considerable monitoring, reporting administration complexity for all involved staff. The Bureau Deputy Director, with the BRAP Director, is responsible for administration of Division policies and protocols for child welfare case management as well as the coordination of contract operations with DMCW and DCF procurement and contract specialist staff. The Deputy Director will also ensure that proper contractor performance measures are in place. 

The Division has approximately 190 state FTE positions and oversees approximately 600 private agency contracted staff. The Bureau Deputy Director is responsible for overseeing the Division's child welfare operations across all programs including out-of-home care placements procurement/purchasing, grants and contracts management, rate monitoring and development. This position advises the BRAP Bureau Director and the Division Administration and ensures proper policies and procedures are in place regarding matters of procurement and contract operations, child welfare administration-and oversight and participates in pertinent areas of personnel management. This position directly supervises the Child Welfare Program and Policy Section Manager, Contract Specialist, Auditor and a contracted Office Assistant.

View the complete position description. 

SALARY: The classification title for this position is DCF Manager. The starting salary is between $50.32 and $55.67 per hour ($104,665 and $115,793 annually), depending on qualifications. Pay for current State of WI employees will be based on the compensation plan in effect at the time of the appointment. Pay for current state employees who are transferring will be determined based upon the pay on transfer rules (higher level duties or equity) as outlined in the compensation plan in effect at the time of appointment.

The pay schedule/range is 81-01. A two-year career executive trial period may be required.  

Job Details: Due to the nature of the position, final candidates may be required to allow DCF to conduct a security background check to determine whether the circumstances of any pending charges or convictions would be substantially related to the job being filled.

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident, an alien authorized to work in the U.S. without DCF sponsorship.) The Department of Children and Families does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.

Qualifications: 

Minimally qualified applicants will have:

• Experience supervising professional staff including (evaluating staff performance, coaching, training, mentoring, hiring, problem resolution, etc.).
• Experience organizing and leading meetings for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience applying data analysis and application to make informed decisions or action plans for policies, procedures and practices.
• Experience working with contract development and oversight.
• Experience and/or knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Well-qualified applicants will have:

• Management or supervisory experience specific to child welfare programs.
• Experience developing policies for operational and professional procedures and practices.
• Experience developing Requests for Proposal and evaluating the services requested.
• Experience working with fiscal or budget review and management; monitoring an agency or program revenues and expenditures.
• Experience working with change management and/or quality improvement initiatives (identifying best practices, developing goals, Lean, Six Sigma, etc).
• Experience in public speaking and presentations.

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. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

After you are logged in and are viewing the announcement, click “Apply Now.” You will be asked to provide your personal information and required materials.  Online applications that do not include all of the requested materials will not be considered. 

Both a resume and letter of qualification are required.  If both documents are not submitted during the application process, your application will be disqualified.  Your letter of qualifications and resume are very important parts of your application at DCF and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. View instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications for your DCF application and what should be included in these materials. 

Submitted materials will be evaluated by one or more subject matter experts and qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. 

The State of Wisconsin is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to applicants of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national original, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

 

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability.  If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer, voluntary demotion, or former employees as a reinstatement) must complete the application process to apply.

Deadline:

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM on July 13, 2026. If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact, Angela Cox at 608-422-6422 or via email at angela.cox@wisconsin.gov. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions for general wisc.jobs user information and technical assistance.