Director, Child Welfare Compliance Office

This posting covers Santa Clara County. The location shown is the county; the work may be anywhere in it.

Description

Advance System Excellence. Elevate Child Welfare Practice.

The County of Santa Clara delivers critical safety-net services in health, public safety, social services, housing, and more to a population of more than 1.9 million residents. Santa Clara County is the largest of the nine Bay Area counties in Northern California, and larger than 12 states. With more than 23,000 employees across 30+ departments, our organization is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone in our community, and especially for those most in need.

In 2026, the County established the Child Welfare Compliance Office (CWCO) as an independent oversight office to strengthen performance accountability, transparency, collaboration, and system improvement in child safety-related decision-making and provide rapid response, independent findings, and corrective direction on emerging issues impacting child welfare services and child safety within the Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS). The CWCO will play a critical role in the County’s child welfare oversight framework. Through impartial review of key decision points, including removal recommendations, placement determinations, and case transitions, the CWCO will ensure policy alignment, regulatory compliance, and high-fidelity implementation and adherence to policies and best practices across DFCS, while identifying opportunities to improve training, procedures, and overall system performance. The CWCO will offer rigorous, unbiased monitoring that reinforces trust, assures County leadership that critical child welfare decisions receive thorough, high-quality oversight, and improves outcomes for children and families.

We are seeking an accomplished, strategic leader to serve as the Director, Child Welfare Compliance Office. This is a rare, blank-canvas opportunity to build a critical county office. As the inaugural leader, you will not just lead an office—you will shape its vision, establish its strategic framework, and design the compliance systems that ensure the safety, equity, and well-being of children. The successful candidate will build operational frameworks and set the blueprint for system accountability; cultivate a culture of continuous improvement; and design and oversee comprehensive review, audit, and quality assurance efforts that promote policy fidelity, elevate practice standards, ensure regulatory compliance, and support the safety and well-being of children and families who rely on County services.

Your Mission

Develop, lead, and refine the County’s child welfare oversight function by guiding a comprehensive, independent program focused on quality, accountability, and practice excellence. In this role, you will partner with County leadership to ensure that critical child welfare decisions are consistently aligned with policy, best practices, and the highest standards of child safety. You will oversee a multifaceted oversight operation responsible for targeted audits, case and incident reviews, policy fidelity assessments, and systemwide quality improvement efforts. Through impartial analysis and actionable recommendations, you will help elevate practice and support safe, effective services for children and families.

What Makes This Role Unique

• Architect of New County Office: You will shape the vision, build the operational framework, and design quality-assurance processes to identify and evaluate systemic trends, compliance risks, and practice gaps.

• Independent Oversight with Systemwide Reach: You will lead an accountability function that provides impartial review of high-stakes child welfare decisions across the Department of Family and Children’s Services, ensuring consistent application of policy and best practice.
• Critical Influence on Child Safety: You will guide audit, review, and analysis activities that directly support safe placements, informed case transitions, and strengthened decision-making for children and families—bridging regulatory mandates with human-centric outcomes.
• High-Visibility Leadership: You will advise County Administration and provide regular updates to the Board of Supervisors, offering clear, data-informed insights on system performance, compliance trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Unique Structural Independence: Positioned within the Social Services Agency to allow full access to confidential child welfare records and reporting directly to the County Executive, you will operate with the level of independence necessary to provide rigorous, unbiased oversight of child welfare practice and decision making.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Oversight & Accountability

• Develop the compliance and operational framework for the Office.
• Design and direct a risk-stratified annual audit plan covering all critical DFCS program areas based on feedback from the Board and County Administration.
• Lead structured audits; case reviews; critical incident analyses, including serious injury, near fatality, fatality or significant placement disruptions; and program assessments.
• Identify and evaluate systemic trends, policy breaches, compliance risks, practice gaps, and staff performance issues revealed through audits, complaints, or critical incident reviews; and develop practice improvement recommendations and policy change guidance.

Quality Assurance & System Improvement

• Establish standardized review tools, fidelity indicators, performance benchmarks, and continuous improvement cycles.
• Analyze adherence to the Core Practice Model, Family First Prevention Services Act, safety and risk assessment tools, and mandated federal and state outcome measures.
• Ensure trauma-informed, timely, and policy-aligned review processes.
• Oversee System Improvement Plans, Corrective Action Plans, CFSR/PIP requirements, and other federal/state oversight structures.

Executive Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide executive-level direction to managers and analysts specializing in review methodology, investigation, and performance evaluation.
• Build collaborative relationships with DFCS leaders, oversight entities, community stakeholders, and advocacy organizations.

Data-Driven Insight & Reporting

• Produce executive reports on audit findings, complaint patterns, incident trends, equity concerns, and systemic performance gaps.

• Present findings to County leadership, the County Executive, and the Board of Supervisors.

More About Our Competitive Executive Benefits

Strategic Financial and Retirement Benefits

• CalPERS pension with reciprocity across most California public agencies (2.5% @ 55 for Classic Members, 2% @ 62 for Non-Classic Members)
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan with both pre-tax and Roth options, up to IRS limits
• $325,000 in term life insurance plus $300,000 in accidental death and disability coverage
• Eligible employer under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

Executive-Level Health, Wellness, and Family Support

• Premium health insurance options (Kaiser, HealthNet, Valley Health Plan) with up to 96% County-paid coverage
• Fully covered dental (Delta or Liberty) and vision (VSP) plans for individuals and families
• Employee Assistance Program, Dependent Care Assistance, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• Access to wellness and leadership development programs designed to support executive performance and resilience

Leadership Mobility, Time Off, and Professional Growth

• 39 days of annual leave with a cash-out option, plus 13 paid holidays
• Relocation assistance to support seamless transitions
• Tuition reimbursement and internal executive development programs
• To learn more about benefits, check out our dedicated page

Ready to join the leadership team? Apply now.

Learn more about the County and the impact you can have as a leader.

Application Process and Key Dates

This recruitment will be open on a continuous basis until the position is filled. The first review of applications will be Monday, November 2. This recruitment may close or be extended as early as 10 days after posting. Early application is strongly encouraged. Please check the website regularly for updates. 

Apply at: 

What to include in your application:

1. Résumé
2. Cover Letter (maximum 3 pages)
   Describe why you are the ideal candidate, highlighting relevant leadership experience and accomplishments.

Next steps in the process:

Following mutual interest, a comprehensive background investigation and reference check will be conducted. Finalists will be asked to provide at least five professional references, with prior authorization obtained by Executive Services.

Questions regarding this Executive recruitment may be directed to Kendra Conrad, Executive Services at.

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Qualifications

What You Bring:

• Progressive leadership experience in child welfare or human services programs, including management, administration, compliance, auditing, investigations, or related regulatory oversight.
• Deep knowledge of child welfare mandates, laws, regulatory frameworks, case review methodologies, safety and risk assessment tools, and federal/state monitoring processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex reviews with independence, neutrality, and sound professional judgment.
• Expertise in systemic analysis, corrective action planning, performance measurement, and continuous quality improvement.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to translate highly complex findings into clear, actionable information.
• Political acumen, situational judgment, and resilience when navigating complex organizational dynamics, media or public attention, and high visibility accountability processes.
• Strong leadership capability in building analytical teams, developing staff, and establishing high standards for evidence-based decision-making.

To view the full job specification, including the employment standards, click the link below:

What Success Looks Like:

In the first 3-6 months, you will:

• Launch a strengthened, risk-based audit and review plan for DFCS.
• Build trust with internal and external stakeholders by providing timely, independent, and transparent findings.
• Establish clear reporting standards, review protocols, and metrics for tracking systemic improvement.

In the long term, you will:

• Improve child welfare practice fidelity and compliance across DFCS.
• Advance systemic quality assurance, reducing recurring deficiencies and strengthening safety decision-making.
• Help position Santa Clara County as a statewide leader in child welfare oversight, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?:

• Contribute to a mission-driven public agency committed to protecting children, supporting families, and creating safe, healthy, and equitable communities.
• Influence the future of child welfare practice in one of California's most impactful governmental agencies.
• Work in a collaborative environment that values integrity, professionalism, innovation, and transparency.

Work for Warriors is a no-cost employment program of the California Military Department for Service Members, Veterans, and military family members. The Veteran Staffing Consultant for County of Santa Clara is Philip Downs.