Opportunity Center Director (Social Services Program Division Director | Hybrid)

Department of Social Services; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Social Services in Hartford, CT seeks an Opportunity Center Director to lead Connecticut's new integrated service delivery model across state and community hubs. You will oversee center operations, design programs, and coordinate across agencies to reduce barriers to public benefits access.

The role requires strategic thinking, exceptional communication with government executives, frontline staff, and community members; strong data literacy to define metrics and translate insights

Qualifications

• Strategic thinker who links program design with operations and community trust.
• Excellent communicator with government executives, staff, and community members.
• Data-driven with ability to define metrics and translate insights into decisions.
• Comfort with ambiguity; experience building initiatives in large public institutions.
• Commitment to equity and strong facilitation and conflict resolution skills.
• Current CT Department of Social Services employee with at least six months of full-time service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee integrated service hubs across high-need communities.
• Coordinate across agencies to remove barriers to public benefits access.
• Build multidisciplinary teams and establish community partnerships.
• Drive measurable outcomes in benefit enrollment and service coordination.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Communication

Data-driven

Ambiguity tolerance

Equity focus

CT DSS employee (6+ months)

Job description

The Opportunity Center Director leads Connecticut's new integrated service delivery model, managing state and community-based service hubs across high-need communities. The role combines operational oversight of physical centers and programmatic design with cross-agency coordination to remove barriers to public benefits access. The Director will build multidisciplinary teams, establish community partnerships, and drive measurable outcomes in benefit enrollment and service coordination.

Key qualifications:

• Strategic systems thinker who can connect program design, operational delivery, and community trust-building
• Skilled communicator and relationship-builder equally fluent with government executives, frontline workers, and community members
• Analytically grounded with ability to define metrics, interpret data, and translate insights into operational decisions
• Comfort with ambiguity and experience building new initiatives within large public institutions
• Deep commitment to equity and dignity with strong facilitation and conflict resolution skills
• Current State of Connecticut Department of Social Services employee with at least six months of full-time service