Contracting Team Lead

Heartland Consulting; Minnesota; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartland Consulting in Minnesota seeks a Contracting Team Lead to supervise on-site contract personnel, balance caseloads, ensure quality before submission, and provide clinical consultation within the Child Welfare program serving Red Lake Nation.

On-site full-time, with after-hours consultation, the role includes training within 15 days, management of emergency placement purchasing cards, and collaboration with tribal courts, law enforcement, and ICWA programs.

Qualifications

• MSW from CSWE-accredited program.
• At least five years of child protection or child welfare experience, including two years supervising staff.
• Experience with tribal communities and ICWA preferred.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to complete Moderate Risk Public Trust background investigation; clearance before entry on duty.

Responsibilities

• Supervise all contract personnel and balance caseloads by complexity and risk.
• Approve leave, timesheets, and overtime requests.
• Set staggered shifts and manage on-call rotation for Priority 1 coverage.
• Provide regular case consultation and immediate consultation on high-risk decisions, including after hours.
• Perform first-level quality reviews of intakes, safety and risk assessments, findings, case plans, and court reports.
• Track performance standards and backlog clearance; prepare Monthly Status and Performance Reports and corrective actions.
• Escalate critical incidents, missing child reports, and trafficking concerns within 72 hours.
• Represent the contract workforce with partner agencies, Tribal Court, law enforcement, and ICWA programs.
• Monitor staff workload and secondary trauma; connect to support resources.
• Ensure new staff complete initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty.
• Manage emergency placement purchasing cards and Field Safety Plan compliance.
• Lead case transfer, knowledge transfer, and phase-down planning.
• Serve as second responder when needed and assist the on-call responder.

Skills

MSW leadership

Child welfare experience

Supervisory experience

Tribal ICWA familiarity

Driver’s license

Education

MSW (CSWE-accredited)

Job description

Contracting Team Lead

Heartland Consulting

Red Lake Nation, Minnesota. Primary duty station: BIA Red Lake Agency, Red Lake, Minnesota, with field work across the reservation and travel to off-reservation placements, courts, and trainings as required.

About the role

The Contracting Team Lead leads the on-site contract workforce, ensures work meets required standards before submission, provides clinical consultation, and serves as the single point of accountability for contract performance. This position is designated Key Personnel.

The Team Lead must be on site full-time on business days and reachable by phone throughout the staff coverage window and after hours for consultation. This role has full responsibility for Field Safety Plan compliance and management of emergency placement purchasing cards.

The Team Lead does not make screening decisions, approve final findings or case plans, sign court filings, approve payments, or supervise federal employees. Contractor personnel are employees of Heartland Consulting, not federal employees. Indian Preference applies.

What you will do

• Supervise all contract personnel. Assign and balance caseloads according to complexity and risk, and rebalance assignments as workloads change.
• Approve leave and timesheets and request overtime approval when required.
• Set staggered shift schedules and manage the investigative on-call rotation to ensure uninterrupted Priority 1 coverage.
• Provide regular case consultation and immediate consultation on high-risk field decisions, including after hours.
• Perform first-level quality reviews of intakes, safety and risk assessments, investigative findings, case plans, and court reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance before submission.
• Track performance standards and backlog clearance progress. Prepare the Monthly Status and Performance Report and corrective action plans.
• Ensure immediate escalation of critical incidents, missing child reports, and trafficking concerns, and support Critical Incident Reports within 72 hours.
• Represent the contract workforce with partner agencies, the Child Protection Team, Multi-Disciplinary Team, Tribal Court, law enforcement, and licensing and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs.
• Monitor workload and secondary trauma and connect staff with available support resources.
• Ensure new staff complete initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty.
• Manage emergency placement purchasing cards and ensure compliance with the Field Safety Plan.
• Lead case transfer, knowledge transfer, and phase-down planning.
• Serve in the investigative on-call rotation when needed to cover absences.
• Respond in person as a second responder when the on-call Response Worker requests assistance; when a Priority 1 response is required and law enforcement is not accompanying the Response Worker; or when the Response Worker cannot be reached or is already on a call-out. When responding together, serve as the second responder while the Response Worker remains the investigator of record.

Minimum qualifications

• Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited program.
• At least five (5) years of child protection or child welfare experience, including two (2) years supervising child welfare staff.
• Experience with tribal communities and ICWA is strongly preferred.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to complete a Moderate Risk Public Trust background investigation. No work or child contact is permitted until cleared; the typical clearance timeline is approximately 60 days. A favorable investigation under PL 101-630 before entry on duty is preferred.
• Willingness to complete mandatory security training and initial training within 15 calendar days of entry on duty and before independent duty.
• Completion of required cultural orientation on Red Lake Nation history, Ojibwe culture and language, closed-reservation status, and tribal protocols within 15 days.
• Availability to serve as designated Key Personnel, work on site full-time on business days, and remain reachable by phone throughout the staff coverage window and after hours for consultation.
• An approved alternate must be designated to act during absences.
• Written approval from the Contracting Officer is required before diverting, replacing, or removing the Contracting Team Lead. At least 60 calendar days’ written notice is required unless unforeseen circumstances arise.
• Any replacement candidate must meet or exceed the original qualifications; have a current resume, licensure/certification, and signed Letter of Commitment; and be available upon approval and clearance.