Chief Strategist, Forensic Programs & Public Safety

MnATSA; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) Executive Director leads the program under Direct Care and Treatment (DCT), ensuring constitutionally sound, evidence-based treatment while safeguarding public safety. The role provides strategic direction for clinical, operational, fiscal, and administrative functions and serves as MSOP’s principal advisor to DCT, the Governor, Legislature, and the public.

The position requires strong leadership of multidisciplinary teams, budget management above $50M,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required.
• Minimum 5 years of executive leadership experience in complex behavioral health, forensic services, secure treatment, or corrections.
• Experience with budgeting, compliance, stakeholder engagement, and leading multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for clinical, operational, fiscal, legal, and administrative functions.
• Oversee development and management of the biennial operational budget and monitoring expenditures.
• Serve as primary liaison with DCT, Governor’s Office, Legislature, judiciary, and the public.
• Direct human resources activities through a subordinate management team.
• Foster positive interpersonal relationships and ensure a respectful work environment.

Skills

Executive leadership

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

People management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

TheExecutive Directorserves as the executive leader of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) and is responsible for ensuring the program fulfills its statutory mission to provide constitutionally sound, evidence-based treatment to individuals civilly committed as sexually dangerous persons or persons with a sexual psychopathic personality while protecting public safety. The Executive Director provides strategic leadership for all clinical, operational, fiscal, legal, and administrative functions of MSOP; ensures compliance with state and federal law, court orders, accreditation standards, and professional best practices; advances treatment effectiveness and successful community reintegration where appropriate; and serves as the principal advisor and representative of MSOP to Direct Care and Treatment (DCT), the Governor’s Office, Legislature, judiciary, local governments, regulatory bodies, and the public.

The clients we serve arecivilly committed to Direct Care and Treatment, including an estimated 760 clients in facilities and 75 provisionally discharged clients in the community in 2026, as well as clients in contracted correctional facilities. Other clientele include internal MSOP management and DCT agency-wide staff; Federal, County, and State legislative, judicial, and governmental agencies (State and County), professional/technical services vendors and consultants, victims’ advocates, and community advocates and providers; Office of the Ombudsman for Mental health and Developmental Disabilities, media and community-at-large, and the public.

Responsibilities will include:

• Oversee the on-going implementation of client deinstitutionalization and reintegration services to promote successful community transition while maintaining public safety.
• Oversee the purpose and vision of MSOP to provide direction for organizational structure, policy development and maintenance, and service delivery within established budgets.
• Direct the development of MSOP’s biennial operational budget, post-allocation spending plan, and monitoring of actual expenditures to ensure cost-effective use of resources within the limits of legislative appropriations.
• Oversee development and delivery of clinical programming to ensure the provision of appropriate research-based treatment, rehabilitation opportunities, and medical services.
• Oversee the operational activities of MSOP’s secured facilities to ensure the provision of a safe and therapeutic environment for staff and clients.
• Provide on-going thought leadership in the oversight of MSOP operations and clinical services to maximize program effectiveness and client outcomes.
• Provide consultation, education, and serve as primary MSOP liaison with DCT staff, other state agencies, the legislature, the legal community, and the public to promote an understanding of MSOP services and purpose.
• Direct and lead the human resources activities of MSOP through a subordinate management team.
• Influence and shape the strategic and tactical direction of MSOP to support to overall ability to achieve short and long-term objectives.
• To be deliberate in fostering positive interpersonal relationships with coworkers, managers, and customers, so all are treated in a respectful, professional, and humane manner.

All DCT leaders are expected to demonstrate and develop the competencies from theenterprise-wide leader competency model, which includes:

• Leading Self
• Leading Others
• Leading the Organization
• Leading Outside the Organization
• Getting Work Done

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in behavioral health/science, psychology, social work, public administration, public health, criminal justice, business or health care administration, or a closely related field.
• 5 years executive leadership experience leading an organization that supports complex behavioral health, forensic services, secure treatment, or corrections.

Experience must demonstrate the following:

• Managing multidisciplinary teams by communicating with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives
• Experience in managing team members and engaging in performance management-based conversations
• Organizational strategy and the ability to influence others and/or compel changes throughout an organization.
• Experience operating within a highly regulated or legal environment
• Experience with budgeting and financial management, exceeding 50 million dollars
• Experience working with internal and external stakeholders to identify areas that impact or may impact the organization and finding ways to navigate such areas

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in behavioral health/science, psychology, social work, public administration, public health, criminal justice, business or health care administration, or a closely related field.
• Knowledge of the civil commitment process and/or Minnesota’s Commitment Act, specifically Chapters 253B and 253D
• Experience with a unionized workforce
• Working directly with courts or the judicial system
• Experience with accreditation, licensing, and corrective action
• Experience leading a 24-hour, secure facility