Child Support Lead Worker

St. Cloud Live; Fergus Falls, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 57,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

PERA retirement

Paid leave

Job summary

Otter Tail County in Fergus Falls, MN is hiring a Child Support Lead Worker within the Human Services Department. Under general supervision, you will lead the Child Support team, train staff, and draft complex actions for the County Attorney’s office, including preparing legal recommendations for district court.

You will maintain a small caseload, coordinate with courts and other agencies, supervise staff, promote equity, and help implement unit goals while ensuring high-quality client service.

Qualifications

• Two years of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent.
• Eighteen months of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent, and completion of two years of study in behavioral sciences, business, or closely related subjects.
• One year of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent, and completion of a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences, business or closely related subjects.

Responsibilities

• Provide in-person and virtual training for new child support staff and onboarding.
• Prepare and maintain written procedures for processing legal actions and enforcement activities.
• Establish and enforce child support orders; maintain a small caseload and communicate with clients.
• Represent the Child Support team with courts, county agencies, and external partners.

Skills

Child Support experience

Staff training

Team leadership

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Otter Tail County is now accepting applications for a Child Support Lead Worker with the Human Services Department. Under general supervision, acts as lead worker for the Child Support team; provides training and onboarding support to Child Support staff; performs complex work in the drafting and review of child support actions to the County Attorney's office; prepares and submits legal recommendations in private actions for submission directly to the district court; reviews the work of other Child Support staff in the agency; and performs intermediate administrative and paraprofessional related work and other related work as apparent or assigned. This position also carries a specialized caseload of child support, conflict, and paternity cases. Incumbents are expected to establish collaborative relationships, participate with and assist with the implementation of unit and agency goals, policies and procedures so that optimum client services can be efficiently provided based on resources available to the agency. Applications for this position will be accepted until 4:30pm on September 9th, 2026.

Examples of Duties

• Provide in-person and virtual training for new child support staff, provide onboarding, support ongoing training and development for the Child Support team (including providing feedback to the unit supervisor in individual staff accomplishments, opportunities, and overall training needs as well as Technical Quality Reviews).
• Prepare and maintain written procedures for Child Support staff to use as guidance in processing legal actions and enforcement activities.
• Establish, modify, and enforce child support orders; maintain a small, generalized caseload of child support cases; make frequent telephone and personal contact with clients to maintain accurate information related to case management; prepare correspondence and respond to inquiries related to child support cases; refer clients to community agencies as needed.
• Represent the Child Support team and the Human Services department when coordinating casework with other units, county agencies, courts, and other counties or states, while serving as a resource for staff, clients, court personnel, attorneys, and other organizations by answering questions, addressing case‑specific concerns, researching issues, interpreting rules, policies, and manuals, and explaining policy and procedures to the public, clients, and staff.
• Support and carry out decisions, policies, and directives of supervisors, leadership, and directors.
• Help create and maintain a positive and healthy work environment, even during busy and stressful periods, while demonstrating, practicing, and promoting cultural competency, inclusivity, and equity within the workplace and set and motivate staff to achieve individual, team, division, and department goals.
• Administrative tasks: attend staff meetings as scheduled; attend conferences as scheduled or agreed upon with supervisor; attend trainings as related to job responsibilities; complete documentation, timesheets, and employee records in a timely manner; communicate schedule changes with supervisor; utilize the status (In/Out) Board consistently to keep agency staff aware of availability; utilize Prism as the case management system, including time documentation, case notes, documents and other systems as applicable; may assist with duties and responsibilities as outlined in the County Emergency Operations Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan; perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Valid Driver’s license.

Qualified applicants must also have one of the following:

• Two years of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent.
• Eighteen months of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent, and completion of two years of study at an accredited two- or four-year college or similar institution, with emphasis in the behavioral sciences, business, or closely related subjects (completion of at least 23 quarter credits or 16 semester credits).
• One year of successful experience as a Child Support worker or the equivalent, and completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or similar institution, with a major in the behavioral sciences, business or closely related subjects.
• Or any combination of the above that provides equivalent knowledge, skills and abilities.

Otter Tail County provides an attractive benefit package for regular full-time employees, including health, dental, life, long-term disability, and retirement benefits through the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). Regular full-time employees can expect to accrue holiday, sick, and vacation leave benefits. In addition, employees receive professional development opportunities.

Supplemental Information

This position is regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 8:00a -4:30p. The 2026 starting salary for this position is $27.42, depending on qualifications, with career advancement to $41.13.

The selection process will include an online employment application and supplemental questionnaire. Semi-finalists will be invited to interview. Prior to hire, finalists will be required to pass a background investigation. A standard 12-month probationary period applies.

When filling out any employment application materials for Otter Tail County, you must include your entire employment and education history. Failure to do so may render your application incomplete.

Veterans Preference

Eligible veterans as defined by Minnesota Statute 197.447 may claim Veterans Preference during the hiring process. A DD214 and required supporting documentation must be included with the employment application to receive preference.

Background Investigation

All employment offers are contingent upon the applicant passing a background investigation which may include, but are not limited to, gathering information from the following sources: Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, other law enforcement agencies, court documents, educational institutions, previous employers, Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, military records, Immigration and Naturalization Services, and known associates of the applicant.

Criminal convictions are not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered on its individual merits and the type of work sought. Making false statements or withholding information during the hiring process will cause you to be barred from employment or removed from employment.

Otter Tail County is a tobacco-free workplace.