Salary: $67,728.00 - $121,890.00 Annually
Location : Richland County, SC
Job Type: FTE - Full-Time
Job Number: 192346
Agency: First Steps
Division: SC First Steps
Opening Date: 09/08/2026
Closing Date: 9/22/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Class Code:: AH45
Position Number::
Normal Work Schedule:: Monday - Friday (8:30 - 5:00)
Pay Grade: GEN11
Hiring Range - Min.: $66,400.00
Hiring Range - Max.: $92,900.00

Job Responsibilities
Are you an experienced professional looking for new opportunities to further your career? South Carolina First Steps is seeking a hardworking and dependable candidate just like you to apply! This position will offer great benefits with the state, including 15 days of annual and sick leave per year or more depending on applicable state service.

A cover letter and resume are required by the agency to be considered for this position.
The Responsibilities of the Senior Director of Local Partnership Operations:

The Senior Director of Local Partnership Operations provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Local Partnership team, ensuring statewide alignment with agency goals, statutory mandates, and compliance standards. This role drives organizational effectiveness across governance, administrative, fiscal, and programmatic domains by leading the annual grant application and monitoring processes, guiding policy implementation, and designing tailored technical assistance for local First Steps partnerships. This position oversees staff supervision, continuous capacity building through targeted training initiatives and LMS integration and collaborates cross-functionally to support local leadership through strategic planning, data reporting, and operational transitions.

Under general supervision of the Chief Partnership Officer and must display the ability to work independently. Must have excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; attention to detail; reliable and prompt and able to work in a team environment. Knowledge of program administration, contract management, quality assurance, compliance monitoring, fiscal oversight, and continuous improvement practices. Demonstrated ability to develop and implement operational systems and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Advance, very strong writing skills. Ability to interpret laws, regulations, policies, and contractual requirements and translate them into effective operational procedures. Strong leadership, supervisory, and team development skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships across agencies, providers, community organizations, and stakeholders. Ability to manage organizational change, resolve complex issues, and make sound decisions that support program integrity and strategic goals.

• Manages local partnership team operational activities to include supervision of program and compliance team to ensure consistency in approach and ensure that services implemented by local First Steps Partnerships are aligned with agency goals, statutory, and other requirements. Works collaboratively with the Local Partnership team to provide thought leadership in the development and implementation of policies and practices related to operational domains including governance, administration, fiscal, and programmatic areas. Provides technical assistance to state-level staff and local First Steps Partnerships.
• Leads the development, execution, and review of the annual local partnership comprehensive grant application process including grant application development, monitoring, award determination review, annual reviews, corrective actions, and contract monitoring.
• Collaborates with Research and Evaluation, Local Partnership, and Strategic Implementation Teams to ensure strong design for First Steps Program Guidelines, including but not limited to the impact of revisions. Designs and co-implements tailored transition support for local First Steps partnerships navigating operational, strategic, and policy updates. Assists local leadership with strategic planning, community needs assessments, data reporting, and system management.
• Supports the development and delivery of targeted training content and drives organizational capacity to build core competencies for Local Partnership Executive Directors, board members, and program coaches. Designs and leads continuous training for these audiences at beginner, intermediate levels (both virtually and in person). Utilizes the agency's Learning Management System (LMS) as one mechanism for on demand training options.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Supervises staff to include preparing performance planning and evaluation documents and related personnel paperwork. Coaches, counsels and trains employees. Establishes and monitors work processes. Implement management policies and initiatives and promote teamwork.

Minimum and Additional Requirements

• A bachelor's degree and relevant program management experience in public administration, human services, nonprofit management, or related field. Experience must include leadership responsibilities involving program operations, compliance oversight, contract management, strategic planning, budget administration, and staff supervision. Demonstrated experience managing complex programs, developing and implementing policies and procedures and building collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Demonstrated budget development, and understanding of formal grants management with public funds.

Additional Requirements:

• Position may require overnight travel.
• Position requires frequent stooping and/or bending.
• Position requires frequent lifting: 10 lbs.
• Position requires non-essential declaration.

Additional Comments
Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted nor reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position.

SC First Steps offers an exceptional benefits package for full time (FTE) employees:

1. Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance for employees, spouses, and children. Click for additional information.
2. 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
3. 15 days sick leave per year
4. 13 paid holidays
5. Paid Parental Leave
6. S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available
7. Retirement benefit choices*
   1. State Retirement Plan
   2. State Optional Retirement Program

*Enrollment in one of the listed plans is required for all FTE employees; please refer to the contribution section of hyperlinked retirement sites for the current contribution rate of gross pay.
Benefits for State Employees
The state of South Carolina offers eligible employees generous benefits, including health and dental insurance; retirement and savings plan options; and paid vacation and sick leave. Plus, work-life balance programs such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules are available to employees of some state agencies.

Insurance Benefits
Eligible employees may enroll in health insurance, which includes prescription coverage and wellness benefits. Other available insurance benefits include dental, vision, term life insurance, long term disability and flexible spending accounts for health and child care expenses.

Retirement Benefits
State employees are also offered retirement plan options, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Additionally, eligible employees may elect to participate in the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program, which is a voluntary, supplemental retirement savings plan offering 401(k) and 457 plan options.

Workplace Benefits
State employees may also be eligible for other benefits, including tuition assistance; holiday, annual and sick leave; and discounts on purchases, travel and more.

Note: The benefits above are available to most state employees, with the exception of those in temporary positions. Employees in temporary grant and time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some or none of these benefits as benefits are associated with each position type. For these positions, contact the hiring agency to determine what benefits may be available.
01

Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted or reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position. I have read and acknowledge the above statement.

• Yes
• No

02

I understand that a resume and a cover letter are required by the agency to be considered for this position. By selecting "yes" I am confirming that I have attached all of the required documents to this application.

• Yes
• No

03

Do you at least possess a bachelor's degree and relevant program management experience in public administration, human services, nonprofit management,or related field?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have experience in leadership responsibilities involving program operations, compliance oversight, contract management, strategic planning, budget administration, and staff supervision?

• Yes
• No

05

Please briefly describe your experience as it relates to this position.
06

Do you have experience managing complex programs, developing and implementing policies and procedures and building collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders?

• Yes
• No

07

Do you have experience in budget development, and understanding of formal grants management with public funds?

• Yes
• No

08

Do you possess a valid Class D driver's license, or if you do not already have one, do you have the ability to obtain a Class D driver's license?

• Yes
• No

09

Are you willing to travel overnight?

• Yes
• No

10

Are you able to frequently lift up to 10 lbs. with or without an (ADA) accommodation?

• Yes
• No

11

How did you hear about this position?

• SC State Jobs Website - jobs.sc.gov
• Indeed.com
• LinkedIn.com
• A current employee
• A former employee
• Other (please specify below)

12

If you answered "other" to the question above, please specify where you heard about this position below.
Required Question