RESEARCH AND TRAINING SPECIALIST-SES - 60011301

Requisition No: 854987 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: RESEARCH AND TRAINING SPECIALIST-SES - 60011301

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 60011301 

Salary:  $44,060.11 - $80,000 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 07/06/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a mental health treatment facility owned and operated by the State of Florida and is part of the Department of Children and Families. The department’s mission is to “work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.”

FLORIDA STATE HOSPITAL IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Research and Training Specialist – SES. This position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• This is work compiling, analyzing, researching, developing, and conducting training programs.
• Manages all levels of staff in the department by acting as hiring authority, reviewing or conducting performance evaluations, directing workloads, workflows, deadlines, work objectives and time utilization. Monitors all aspects of delivery of training assuring management excellence through best practices, and adherence to department standards, supporting facility strategic objectives, including customer satisfaction and treatment excellence and efficiency. Monitors leave and attendance, assures coverage in all operational units and plans for best use of employee resources. Ensures coverage and availability of required offerings to all three shifts within the facility.
• This is advanced professional work supervising and directing employees. The primary duty of the incumbent in this position is to spend the majority of their time communicating with, motivating, training and evaluating employees, planning and directing their work; and having the authority to effectively recommend actions such as: hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, promote, discharge, assign, and reward or discipline direct reports. Evaluates employees against established standards and takes appropriate actions when necessary (i.e. recognition, reward, corrective action, etc.).
• Researches, develops, and evaluates new methods and techniques of training in support of analysis, career development, and/or training goals and initiatives. Compiles, develops, evaluates, and maintains statistical data relating to the training of employees. Coordinates research involving the development of new methods and techniques. Manages contracts. Confers with management and staff in determining training and staff development requirements, needs, priorities, objectives, and resources. Establishes, monitors, and enforces training standards. Reviews, evaluates, and coordinates the development of programs syllabi, curricula, and lesson plans. Develops instructional methods and techniques for the implementation of new and revised methods, procedures, or standards. Serves as an expert consultant in areas concerning new or revised methods of needs assessment and analysis, instructional design, and impact evaluation. Provides technical assistance in the preparation, design, development, implementation, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of training programs and activities.
• Develops policies and procedures, coordinates department activities with other departments and units, maintains effective communication with subordinate and superior staff, represents on hospital wide committees, taskforces and program planning groups.
• Recommends revisions to statutory training requirements. Prepares, reviews, and approves training manuals. Prepares budget requests. Coordinates program and classroom schedules. Evaluates the effectiveness of training programs. Reviews teaching strategies, techniques, and procedures. Prepares reports and correspondence. Directs the activities of other training personnel.
• To ensure progress on the facility Strategic Objective for management excellence, the director is responsible for maintaining performance indicators for the department, including current posting of results and review of indicators for processes at the monthly department meeting. Develops Unit Summary of Performance in conjunction with AIS for Programs and distributes on a monthly basis. Contributes data and improvement initiatives to Strategic Objectives for the facility as assigned. Monitors progress of department CQI projects, in support of facility 10 Step problem solving methodology or innovation approach.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of effective communication.
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection.
• Knowledge of the principles of human behavior, learning, and communication.
• Knowledge of instructional design, research, and implementation methodologies.
• Ability to compile and analyze data relating to the development of training and evaluation programs.
• Ability to conduct research.
• Ability to develop new methods and techniques of training and evaluation.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures relating to the development of training programs.
• Ability to prepare professional papers, research studies and evaluation and investigative reports. 
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is preferred and four years of professional experience in training, education, staff development, personnel or an agency program area.
• Two years of experience supervising or serving in a leadership role.
• A master's degree from an accredited college or university can substitute for one year of the required experience.
• A doctorate from an accredited college or university can substitute for the required experience.
• Professional experience as described above can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the preferred college education.

Candidate Profile (application) must be completed in its entirety.

• Include supervisor names and phone numbers for all periods of employment.
• Account for and explain any gaps in employment so that the hiring process is not delayed.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications. 
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of responding to qualifying questions and entering work history.
• If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at (877) 562-7287.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance; $25,000 policy is free plus option to purchase additional life insurance
• Dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
• (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Tuition waiver for public college courses

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.