GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS CONSULTANT III - 60034684

Requisition No: 876851 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS CONSULTANT III - 60034684

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 60034684 

Salary:  $50,584.67 - $65,000 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 06/07/2026 

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.

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

THIS IS NOT A TELEWORK POSITION.  CANDIDATE WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK IN THE TALLAHASSEE (HQ) OFFICE.

This is a highly responsible and professional position serving as a Prevention Specialist within the Prevention unit. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player who works seamlessly across all sections within the program office. This role requires the use of independent judgment, a proactive approach to responsibilities, and exceptional attention to detail. If you are driven, organized, and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as a Prevention Specialist. This position will collaborate with each section within the program office and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented. 
• Provide programmatic oversight to prevention related contracts.  Monitor prevention activities entered into the prevention data system to ensure compliance with the contract and prevention-related guidance documents.
• Maintain and update prevention related guidance documents and program one-pagers.
• Responsible for providing related technical assistance to Regional SAMH staff, prevention providers and coalitions as well as managing entities, relevant stakeholder, professional organizations, and other state agencies.
• Complete annual reports related to prevention.
• Participate in prevention related workgroups.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess the Ability To:

• Engage cooperatively and professionally with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously with agility and precision.
• Demonstrate flexibility and the ability to succeed both independently and with minimal direction.
• Understand and align with the vision of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program, executing projects, assignments, and policy updates accurately and on time in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborate effectively within a team while also excelling when working independently.
• Analyze challenges and propose thoughtful, practical solutions to complex problems.
• Conduct thorough research to identify and recommend the most strategic and effective course of action—the best “yes.”

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of basic management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection and analysis.
• Ability to coordinate a consultative program designed to ensure the resolution of managerial and operational problems.
• Ability to determine work priorities and ensure proper completion of work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to assess budgetary needs.
• Ability to formulate policies and procedures.
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures relating to operational and management analysis activities.
• Ability to organize data into logical format for presentation in reports, documents and other written materials.
• Ability to collect, evaluate and analyze data to develop alternative recommendations, solve problems, document work and other activities relating to the improvement of operational and management practices.
• Ability to conduct fact finding research.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from a college or university is preferred and four years of professional experience in behavioral or public health. 
• A master's degree from a college or university can substitute for one year of the required experience. 
• Professional experience as described above can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the preferred college education. 
• Two years’ experience in implementing and managing complex projects. 
• Two years of experience with academic, business, or technical writing. 

Candidate Profile (application) Requirements:

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

• Work History - entered with the most recent/current listed first:
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.
• *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps.
• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• If claiming Right to First Interview, candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

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:

• Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits.
• 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.

#SAMH

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.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.