UI Administration & Operational Support Deputy Director (Austin)

Texas Workforce Commission; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 87,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-friendly workplace

Competitive salary

Retirement plan

401(k) and 457 accounts

Medical Insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Texas Workforce Commission seeks an experienced Deputy Director (Director I) to lead the UI Administration & Operational Support division from its Austin base. You will guide strategic operations, budget oversight, and back-office processes to enable mission-critical UI functions across Client Services, Tele-Centers and Tax.

You will mentor senior leaders, ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, and push modernization of workflows and service delivery for frontline operations.

Qualifications

• Five years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency program, or in strategic planning and policy development and implementation, two years of which must have been in an administrative management or supervisory capacity.
• Relevant academic credits may be applied toward experience qualifications for this position.

Responsibilities

• Direct the UI Division's multi-million-dollar operating budget, ensuring compliance with funding streams and milestones.
• Oversee procurement, contracts, and vendor oversight with auditable workflows.
• Design responsive administrative workflows and SOPs to support frontline UI operations.
• Collaborate with HR to design career ladders, job classifications, and development pathways.
• Lead business continuity and automated workflows to ensure uninterrupted operations.
• Provide leadership to specialized claims units and technical teams.
• Ensure regulatory and audit compliance; liaise for SAO reviews and DOL evaluations.
• Oversee policy implementation of enacted statutes and legislative changes.
• Mentor senior managers and staff; establish KPIs and foster accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Procurement

Strategic planning

Policy development

Workflow optimization

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or related field

Job description

Who We Are

The Texas Workforce Commission connects people with careers across the state. While we are based in Austin on the north lawn of the Texas State Capitol, we have offices statewide. We're a Family Friendly Certified Workplace with great work-life balance, competitive salaries, extensive opportunities for training and development, and fantastic benefits. To support TWC’s mission, the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division is seeking an accomplished leader to serve as the UI Administration & Operational Support (UIA&OS) Deputy Director (Director I). Serving as the essential operational backbone of the UI Division, the UIA&OS department provides the foundational administrative, financial, technical, and operational support that empowers all division branches—including Client Services, Tele-Centers and Tax—to succeed. This position is located at 1411 Brazos Street, Austin, Texas.

TWC is not considering applications from individuals who require sponsorship for an employment visa, now or in the future, for this position. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals currently on H-1B, F-1 (OPT/CPT), or H-4 visas. You must be a Texas resident to work for the Texas Workforce Commission or willing to relocate to Texas.

Who You Are

You are a visionary operational architect and collaborative leader who thrives on building the resilient, behind-the-scenes systems that empower an entire division to succeed. You understand that front-line operational excellence depends upon a robust, reliable, and responsive back-office support system. You thrive in complex, high-stakes environments, possessing the executive presence and diplomatic skill to navigate state bureaucracy, break down administrative silos, and forge cohesive partnerships with central agency divisions/departments (Finance, Procurement, HR, and IT) and UI operational departments alike. You are both a strategic thinker and an active problem solver who anticipates bottlenecks, standardizes workflows, and ensures fiscal and statutory compliance without sacrificing responsiveness. Above all, you are an empowering, people-first leader committed to cultivating talent, championing accountability, and mentoring teams to deliver exceptional, customer-focused support across the UI Division.

What You Will Do

The Deputy Director (Director I) performs advanced (senior-level) managerial work providing direction and guidance in strategic operations and planning. Supervises the work of others. Under the general direction of the UIA&OS Director, this high-level executive is responsible for directing, planning, and optimizing the division’s administrative, fiscal, and supportive operational systems. This position provides strategic oversight for a multi-million-dollar division operating budget, procurement and emergency requisitions, division-wide standard operating procedures, and legislative bill implementation as well as guiding special claims and technical business functions. The Deputy Director plays a pivotal role in strengthening and advancing UIA&OS as an agile, high-performing support system that ensures the UI Division operates seamlessly and reliably in full compliance with state rules and federal Department of Labor (DOL) mandates. Works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

You Will Be Trusted To

• Drive Financial & Fiscal Operations: Direct the formulation, allocation, and active monitoring of the UI Division’s multi-million-dollar administrative operating budget, ensuring compliance with federal Department of Labor (DOL) grant cycles, state funding streams, and expenditure milestones.
• Streamline Procurement & Emergency Requisitions: Oversee divisional procurement, contract management, and vendor oversight, enforcing a standardized, auditable workflow for requisitions to ensure rapid fulfillment of mission-critical needs.
• Empower Divisional Departments: Partner with UI Division operational leaders as key internal stakeholders, designing responsive administrative workflows, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and service delivery models that directly support front-line UI operations.
• Standardize Workforce Architecture: Collaborate with Human Resources to design and implement consistent career ladders, job classifications, and development pathways across UI operational units to enhance morale and talent retention.
• Lead Business Continuity & Process Modernization: Identify single points of failure and operational bottlenecks, establishing robust cross-training protocols, centralized coverage structures, and modern automated workflows to guarantee uninterrupted operational continuity.
• Direct Specialized Claims & Technical Teams: Provide leadership and strategic direction to the department’s specialized claims units, technical support teams, and operational business functions.
• Ensure Regulatory & Audit Compliance: Serve as the division’s primary liaison for internal audits, State Auditor’s Office (SAO) reviews, and federal DOL administrative evaluations, proactively building an audit-ready culture and driving corrective action plans.
• Oversee Legislative & Policy Implementation: Direct the analysis of state and federal legislation impacting UI operations and spearhead the rapid administrative and operational rollout of enacted statutory mandates.
• Mentor & Cultivate Leadership: Supervise, evaluate, and mentor senior managers, budget analyst, and operational staff, establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

You Qualify With

• Five years of full-time experience in the oversight and direction of an agency program; or in strategic planning and policy development and implementation, two years of which must have been in an administrative management or supervisory capacity.
• Relevant academic credits may be applied toward experience qualifications for this position.

You Are a Great Fit With

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a closely related field.
• Knowledge of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act, federal UI administrative funding mechanisms, and U.S. Department of Labor regulations.
• Comprehensive understanding of state and federal public-sector budget formulation, grant administration, and fiscal monitoring.
• Experience in public procurement, state contract management, and expedited/emergency purchasing workflows.
• Demonstrated skill in organizational design, workflow engineering, and standardizing job classifications/career ladders within a large agency.
• Advanced ability to evaluate administrative and technical systems, identify operational bottlenecks, and execute scalable, sustainable solutions.
• Strong leadership capability to supervise managerial and professional staff, foster cross-functional collaboration, and manage organizational change.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with proven ability to present complex fiscal, technical, and operational data to executive leadership and oversight bodies.
• Ability to handle multiple high-priority initiatives under statutory deadlines and rapidly shifting operational conditions.
• Willingness to evaluate and leverage modern technology and process-automation solutions to enhance administrative efficiency.

You Gain

• A Family Friendly Certified Workplace
• Competitive salary: $8,581.67/month
• Defined Retirement Benefit Plan
• Optional 401(k) and 457 accounts
• Medical Insurance
• Paid time off, including time for vacation, sick and family care leave
• Additional benefits for active employees can be found at https://www.ers.texas.gov/Active-Employees/Health-Benefits

A verbal presentation and/or written exercise may be required at interview. Required work schedule is Monday–Friday, in-office.

Physical & Travel Requirements: Position involves occasional travel within the state of Texas (up to 10%) and the ability to lift up to 15 pounds.

Veterans

Use your military skills to qualify for this position or other jobs! Go to www.texasskillstowork.com to translate your military work experience and training courses into civilian job terms, qualifications, and skill sets. Also, you can compare this position to military occupations (MOS) at the Texas State Auditor's Office by pasting this link into your browser: https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_ProgramManagement.pdf