Working Title:
Office of Continuous Improvement Project and Consultation Supervisor
Job Class: Human Services Supervisor 3
Agency: Human Services Dept
Job ID: 95475
Location: St. Paul
Telework Eligible : Yes
Full/Part Time : Full-Time
Regular/Temporary : Unlimited
Who May Apply : Open to all qualified job seekers
Date Posted: 07/14/2026
Closing Date: 10/12/2026
Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit : Human Services Dept / DHS Central Office MMA
Division/Unit: DHS-Central Office / MS OCI Team
Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift / 8:00am to 4:30pm
Days of Work : Monday - Friday
Travel Required: No
Salary Range: $38.83 - $55.93 / hourly; $81,077 - $116,781 / annually
Classified Status: Classified
Bargaining Unit/Union: 216 - Middle Management Association/MMA
FLSA Status: Exempt - Executive
Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : Yes
The Department of Human Services is unable to provide sponsorship for work visas. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States at the start of employment. DHS does not participate in E-Verify.
The work you'll do is more than just a job.
At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.
This position is eligible for telework (https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/policies/1422-telework.pdf) for applicants who reside in Minnesota or in a bordering state, with supervisory approval and satisfactory performance. If you live in a state bordering Minnesota, you must live within 50 miles or less from the primary work location to be eligible for telework.
This position exists to supervise, lead and support Department of Human Services (DHS's) efforts in continuous improvement and innovation. This position is responsible for the DHS Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) project portfolio and supports the internal continuous improvement and innovation training program. This position consults with DHS units and all levels of agency personnel to provide advice, assistance and leadership on continuous improvement efforts. The incumbent also serves as liaison between MSD management and DHS OCI staff and represents DHS OCI in various settings. The incumbent guides the activities of the DHS OCI Projects Team (OCI-P) and monitors performance to ensure the team is meeting deadlines and work is aligned with the guiding principles of DHS OCI. This position conducts novel management analyses on departmental and statewide programs and provides recommendations to DHS leaders and staff about how to streamline operations and redesign business processes to meet customer and operating needs. It will initiate and support specific improvement efforts (e.g., DMAIC, LEAN and rapid improvement projects that will yield departmental benefits in cost savings, efficiencies, and improved designs). The position will also deliver departmental reports and analyses to agency leadership and other state officials. The position will be responsive to division and senior leadership requests and help build staff capacity enterprise-wide, ultimately helping to institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in the department. This position responds to customer needs and departmental priorities laid out in DHS's Strategic Plan.
Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:
Provide supervisory oversight and guidance to DHS OCI staff on the Improvement Project Leadership team. Exercise supervisory authority so that applicable labor agreements and plans are equitably administered and employees effectively perform assigned job duties to achieve the annual objectives of DHS PPIS.
Manage the DHS OCI project portfolio and reporting of portfolio results; ensure alignment with DHS and MSD strategic goals.
Direct the development of new, improved work procedures across the department by leading the most complex and/or sensitive improvement and innovation projects as needed.
Implement OCI long-range service and operational plans and provide leadership for continuous improvement (CI) functions within MSD.
Serve as DHS OCI liaison with MSD/DHS management and representative of DHS OCI within DHS and in the statewide CI community.
**All DHS Leaders are expected to demonstrate and develop the five (5) competency themes from the Enterprise-wide Leader Competency Model:
Leading Self
Leading Others
Leading the Organization
Leading Outside the Organization
Getting Work Done
Minimum Qualifications:
To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.
Demonstrated leadership experience. Leadership experience can include:
Experience as a supervisor, lead worker, team leader, project lead;
Completion of a State of Minnesota leadership program (e.g., ELI, L4);
A paid/unpaid position leading a program or chairing a committee (e.g., ERG) - Experience must include: 1+ year of experience identifying issues, goals and strategic actions.100+ hours per year commitment.
AND
Four (4) years of working experience providing advisory, consultancy, or strategic insight related to continuous improvement and/or project management demonstrating the following:
Six Sigma Black Belt-level certification in Continuous Improvement practices or equivalent experience to train, coach, and manage staff with advanced continuous improvement expertise.
Thorough knowledge of state-of-the-art methodologies related to LEAN, Six Sigma and other continuous improvement methodologies to serve as the department expert in continuous improvement methodologies and management analysis.
Application of Lean, DMAIC, DMADV, PDSA and/or other continuous improvement or innovation methodologies and principles.
Experience analyzing, designing, documenting, and improving complex business processes or operational workflows, including identifying root causes and developing solutions.
General knowledge of project management theories and practices with project management skills sufficient to monitor and manage the DHS OCI portfolio of projects for purposes of reporting, evaluating team performance and meeting divisional goals.
Experience using data and performance measures to identify improvement opportunities, develop recommendations, evaluate outcomes, and communicate findings to leaders and operational stakeholders.
Advanced knowledge of adult learning theory sufficient to coordinate and oversee DHS OCI training and development initiatives in meeting the needs of adult learners across the agency with varying learning styles and aptitudes.
Leadership and facilitation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively, engage stakeholders, build alignment, and solve problems across organizational DHS units working with all levels of agency personnel.
Experience communicating with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
Demonstrated ability to create a positive work culture.
Ability to create and communicate a strategic vision for the organization and a roadmap to achieve the vision.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate conversations and actions to build consensus even at times where stakeholders may have conflicting interests.
Demonstrated ability using customer-centered approaches to improve procedures, operations or services.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience advancing a public sector continuous improvement, operational excellence, or business process improvement portfolio function, including building organizational capability through coaching, facilitation, and training.
Advanced training in and/or experience with SharePoint including site ownership-level responsibilities.
Experience assessing, modifying and presenting CI training to groups of varying sizes.
Public speaking experience and presentation skills to effectively present complicated information in a simple, understandable way (plain language) while emphasizing the value to the audience.
Formal training or certification in project management tools or methodology.
Project experience that includes using project management tools (e.g. Smartsheet, Gantt charts, communication plans, task tracking and project plans, etc.).
Project portfolio management experience that demonstrates efficient and effective management of a portfolio of complex CI Projects.
Strong understanding of or experience in data analysis, interpretation, and synthesis to present accurate and useful information.
Familiarity with DHS and/or state government systems and processes.
Strategic initiative and/or organizational development experience.
Bachelors or advanced degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Management, Organizational Development, or related field.
Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures.
Additional Requirements:
The Minnesota Departmentof HumanServices(DHS) will conduct criminalbackgroundchecksonallfinalistsforthis position. Finalistsmustpassthe DHS backgroundcheck.
Employee reference checks will be conducted on all finalists. This may include a review of documentation related to job performance. It alsoincludescontact withtheapplicant'sformer employer(s).
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.
Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. Please indicate what assistance is needed.
