The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is undertaking a multi-phase initiative to modernize its case management system to better support the agency's mission and operational needs. DFPS is seeking an internal communications professional to serve as a member of the Case Management Transformation Program (CMTP) team to lead communication planning and support organizational change management, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise readiness activities. The individual selected will represent the DFPS Communications Office and contribute to informational and communications work involving the collection of information to develop, create, and produce, content and materials for release to various communications media (broadcast, print, digital). This position is classified as a full-time position (40 hours a week). Work outside of regular hours may be required. Travel to other DFPS offices(s) may be required. Work will be performed under minimal supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

This position is a full-time position that includes other State of Texas benefits as described in this SAO site: http://www.sao.texas.gov/SAOReports/ReportNumber?id=18-704

Work location: 4900 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX. Position is eligible for hybrid work.

Why this work matters:

At DFPS, we build on strengths of families and communities to keep children and vulnerable adults safe, so they thrive. A modern, well-designed child welfare information system is essential to that mission-enabling frontline staff to spend more time supporting children, families, and vulnerable adults and less time navigating outdated processes and tools. This work directly contributes to improved decision-making, stronger accountability, better data quality, and more timely services, helping ensure DFPS can meet its responsibilities to Texas children, families, and vulnerable adults now and in the future.

Essential Job Functions:

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Develop communication strategies and plans to help achieve organizational change management, stakeholder engagement, and communication goals.
• Develop a channel strategy and maintain content across multiple platforms (intranet, SharePoint, public website.)
• Collaborate with DFPS program staff, IT teams, and vendors to support organizational change management, communications, and enterprise readiness activities.
• Conduct interviews and research, verify sources, and help ensure the completeness and accuracy of print and online materials.
• Develop newsletters, website copy, executive remarks, email status updates, and other written communications as part of communication calendars, supporting a steady cadence of communication.
• Develop presentations, publications, and audiovisual materials to support organizational change management and communication activities.
• Plan, develop, and facilitate live webinars and video recordings.
• Analyze content for accessibility and recommend changes to make content accessible and remediate accessibility issues.
• Produce analytics reports to measure the effectiveness of communication products and propose improvements to communication strategies and plans based on data.
• Research and respond to internal inquiries.
• Contribute to the business case process and develop corresponding documents as required.
• Develop and coordinate other special communication projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge

• Knowledge of news and communication media; editing and preparing informational material; design principles; and publishing and broadcast industries.
• Skill in writing in plain language and person-first language.
• Skill in editorial and design practices, and in the use of a computer and applicable software.
• Skill in audiovisual storytelling and in the use of video editing software.
• Skill in email design and the use of email design client software (eg, GovDelivery)
• Skill in project management software (eg Asana) for managing communication projects.

Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate with all stakeholder audiences to include technical, non-technical, management, executive staff, internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to translate program needs into clear business or functional communication.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to cross collaborate with program, technical, and vendor teams.

Abilities

• Ability to research and prepare information, to design communication plans and materials related to the goals and priorities of the agency, to compose usable content for websites, to prepare copy and scripts, to design broad communications plans and materials, and to communicate effectively.
• Ability to adhere to style and brand guides.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organizational environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced project setting.
• Ability to analyze problems, identify risks, and recommend practical solutions.

• Proven ability to contribute as a collaborative team member on large-scale, multi-program or cross-divisional initiatives.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working on large-scale IT, system modernization, or organizational change management projects.
• Experience supporting design, implementation, or readiness activities for technology solutions in child welfare or human services environments.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements, or Certifications:

• No licensure, certification, or registration is required for this position.

Initial Screening Criteria:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or equivalent professional experience may substitute for formal education on a year-for-year basis. (Example: Four years of relevant experience may substitute for a bachelor's degree, and vice versa.)
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional communications, stakeholder engagement, enterprise readiness, organizational change management, or learning and development position.
• Demonstrated knowledge and subject-matter expertise in communication strategy and planning relevant to assigned duties. Applicants will be asked to submit communication plan examples.
• Experience participating in business process, system, or IT modernization initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across program and technical teams.
• Quality and relevance of prior work supporting large-scale initiatives

Additional Information:

• This position is project-based and tied to the duration of the CCWIS transformation initiative ending FY 2032
• Work assignments may evolve as DFPS transitions from implementation readiness into phased deployment.
• Travel will be required to support stakeholder engagement, workshops, or project activities.
• Background checks and compliance with DFPS policies are required.

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Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified to fill this position. For more information please see the Texas State Auditor's Job Descriptions, Military Crosswalk and Military Crosswalk Guide at Texas State Auditor's Office - Job Descriptions. You may also contact the DFPS Military Liaison at [email protected] with additional questions.

Applicants selected for hire must pass a background check and if applicable a driver's record check.

State of Texas employees are required to maintain the security and integrity of critical infrastructure as defined in Section 117.001(2), State of Texas Business and Commerce Code. Applicants selected for hire comply with this code by completing related training and abiding by agency cybersecurity and communications system usage policies.

As a state agency, DFPS is required by Texas Administrative Code (TAC 206 and 213) to ensure all Electronic Information Resources (EIR) follow accessibility standards. The staff must be familiar with the WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 to create accessible content including but not limited to; Microsoft Office documents, Adobe PDFs, webpages, software, training guides, video, and audio files.