CPS Legislative Liaison

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin seeks a CPS Legislative Liaison to provide senior-level consultative services, project management, and strategic planning for Child Protective Services.

You will oversee legislative activities, prepare analyses and reports, engage stakeholders, and coordinate cross‑agency initiatives, delivering rapid guidance to CPS leadership in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major work in public policy, governmental relations, journalism, communications, or a related field.
• At least two years of experience in monitoring and coordinating legislative assignments preferred.
• Experience in health and human services policy and legislative processes preferred.

Responsibilities

• Plans, develops, coordinates, and manages CPS legislative activities related to state and federal initiatives.
• Develops executive briefings, issue papers, reports, and policy recommendations.
• Coordinates responses to legislative inquiries and legislative and governmental requests.
• Represents CPS in meetings, workgroups, planning sessions, and legislative discussions.

Skills

Legislative coordination

Policy analysis

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in public policy, governmental relations, journalism, communications, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

Job description

Under the direction of the CPS Director of Outreach & Engagement, the CPS Legislative Liaison performs advanced (senior-level) consultative services, project management, legislative coordination, policy analysis, and strategic planning work for the Child Protective Services division.

The position provides oversight of legislative activities impacting CPS, including coordinating bill analyses, implementation planning, appropriations-related activities, legislative reporting, and responses to legislative inquiries. The position manages multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously and routinely provides executive-level consultation and recommendations to CPS leadership.

The position serves as the CPS Business Continuity and Legislative Coordination Lead and is responsible for developing and coordinating legislative implementation activities, monitoring legislative and policy developments, tracking executive assignments, coordinating open records requests, preparing executive communications, and leading special projects associated with federal and state initiatives.

The liaison frequently interacts with DFPS executive leadership, state office divisions, field operations, legislative offices, governmental entities, and external stakeholders. The position exercises substantial independent judgment and routinely responds to urgent and high-profile assignments requiring rapid analysis and decision support.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Legislative Strategy, Planning, and Implementation (35%)

Plans, develops, coordinates, and manages CPS legislative activities associated with state and federal initiatives. Oversees legislative implementation projects, monitors legislative developments, coordinates division responses, and develops implementation plans to ensure compliance with enacted legislation.

Duties

• Serves as CPS Legislative Liaison and principal coordinator for legislative activities impacting the division.
• Monitors proposed legislation and legislative activities affecting CPS programs and operations.
• Coordinates bill analyses, fiscal impact assessments, policy analyses, and implementation planning.
• Develops and tracks legislative implementation plans and associated deliverables.
• Provides strategic recommendations to CPS leadership regarding legislative and operational impacts.
• Coordinates responses to legislative requests and legislative inquiries.
• Monitors project schedules, deliverables, and statutory requirements.
• Provides legislative consultation and technical assistance to CPS leadership and program staff.

2. Executive Policy Analysis and Legislative Reporting (25%)

Performs advanced research, policy analysis, evaluation, and reporting activities related to child welfare programs, legislation, and agency priorities.

Duties

• Conducts complex research and policy analyses.
• Evaluates the operational, fiscal, and programmatic impact of proposed legislation.
• Develops executive briefings, issue papers, reports, summary documents, and policy recommendations.
• Coordinates legislative reports, implementation reports, exceptional item requests, and legislative initiative documents.
• Develops executive correspondence and responses to legislative and governmental inquiries.
• Provides written and verbal recommendations to executive leadership regarding policy, operational, and legislative issues.

3. Executive Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement (15%)

Serves as a principal contact for legislative matters, governmental affairs issues, and executive requests involving CPS programs.

Duties

• Coordinates responses to legislative, governmental, executive, and stakeholder requests.
• Collaborates with DFPS divisions, CPS programs, and field operations to gather information and meet organizational objectives.
• Represents CPS in meetings, workgroups, planning sessions, and legislative discussions.
• Develops and maintains productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitates communication among stakeholder groups to ensure timely completion of assignments and projects.

4. Executive Communications and Leadership Support (15%)

Provides comprehensive executive support and consultation on legislative and policy matters.

Duties

• Develops legislative testimony materials, briefing books, presentations, and informational materials.
• Prepares talking points and executive communications for leadership.
• Assists leadership in preparing for legislative hearings, stakeholder meetings, and speaking engagements.
• Produces executive-level reports and documents concerning complex policy and program issues.
• Provides rapid response support for priority executive assignments.

5. Business Continuity and Special Projects (10%)

Coordinates CPS business continuity activities and manages complex special projects.

Duties

• Serves as CPS Business Continuity Coordinator.
• Develops, evaluates, and updates business continuity plans.
• Coordinates emergency preparedness and continuity planning activities.
• Tracks and manages open records requests.
• Leads special projects involving legislative mandates, executive directives, and organizational improvement initiatives.
• Responds to urgent requests and short-term assignments requiring immediate action and rapid turnaround.
• Attends work on a predictable, reliable schedule.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of:

• Program and policy planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Editorial and information dissemination concepts, practices, and research methodologies.
• Texas legislative and appropriations processes.
• Federal and state health and human services legislation and regulations.
• Structure and operation of federal, state, and local health and human services programs.
• Child Protective Services initiatives, operations, and policy development.
• Legislative implementation processes.
• Governmental affairs and stakeholder engagement practices.
• Business continuity planning principles and organizational risk management.
• Performance measurement and program evaluation methodologies.
• Executive communications and strategic planning principles.

Ability to:

• Assemble, evaluate, and analyze facts, data, and information from multiple sources.
• Devise solutions to complex operational and administrative problems and assess impacts on program operations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with executives, legislators, stakeholders, and staff.
• Prioritize and organize multiple work assignments and competing deadlines.
• Analyze and develop Child Protective Services policy issues and products.
• Handle multiple high-profile assignments simultaneously without compromising quality, deadlines, outcomes, or milestones.
• Translate complex legislative, policy, and programmatic information into understandable and actionable information for diverse audiences.
• Develop, evaluate, and improve policies, procedures, and operational processes.
• Work effectively in a high-profile and fast-paced environment.
• Analyze proposed legislation and determine fiscal, policy, operational, and program impacts.
• Plan, prioritize, schedule, assign, coordinate, and monitor completion of assignments and projects.
• Communicate complex information clearly, concisely, and effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Collaborate effectively with executive leadership, management, and staff at all organizational levels.
• Develop innovative solutions to administrative, legislative, and programmatic challenges.
• Exercise independent judgment when addressing complex organizational issues.

Skill in:

• Reviewing, analyzing, and preparing a variety of written documents with exceptional attention to detail.
• Developing recommendations based on research and analysis.
• Organizing, synthesizing, and presenting complex information.
• Strategic planning and goal setting.
• Project management and implementation oversight.
• Conducting policy and legislative research.
• Planning, facilitating, and coordinating meetings and workgroups.
• Preparing executive briefings, testimony materials, reports, presentations, and correspondence.
• Utilizing Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and related business applications.
• Developing tracking systems, performance measures, and implementation monitoring tools.

REGISTRATION, CERTIFICATION, OR LICENSURE

None required.

INITIAL SCREENING CRITERIA:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in public policy, governmental relations, journalism, communications, or a related field. Relevant experience may be substituted for each year of required education. At least two years of experience in monitoring, and/or coordinating legislative assignments preferred. At least two years working for a health and human services agency preferred.