Academic Director, California Work Opportunity and Responsibliity to Kids Act (CalWorks)

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Los Angeles Valley College

Announces Employment Opportunity

Academic Director, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act (CalWORKs)

1.0 FTE

Filing Deadline: June 17, 2026

Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) announces an opening for a full-time CalWORKs Director. Interested individuals who meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required experience are invited to apply.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE AND DEPARTMENT:

LAVC is one of nine colleges within the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), the largest community college district in the nation, serving more than 230,000 students annually.

Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, LAVC is a comprehensive public two-year college established in 1949. The College serves a diverse student population and offers a broad range of transfer, career technical education, and continuing education programs designed to meet the needs of the community and local workforce.

LAVC enrolls approximately 18,000-26,000 students annually and employs over 1,500 faculty and staff. The College is committed to student access, equity, and success, and provides a wide range of academic programs and student support services that prepare students to complete certificates, earn degrees, transfer to four-year institutions, and achieve career and personal goals.

The College maintains strong partnerships with K-12 school districts, universities, and community organizations, and plays a key role in workforce development and economic growth in the region.

The CalWORKs Program (California Work Opportunities and Responsibilities to Kids) at LAVC provides educational support to parents in a welfare-to-work program. Under the DPSS (Department of Public Social Services) umbrella, GAIN (Greater Avenues for Independence) refers students to LAVC to pursue a specific educational goal. The CalWORKs Program provides educational support providing dedicated counseling, referrals, tutoring, workshops, and Work-Study to allow students to acquire work experience that leads to a successful transition into the workforce. The CalWORKs Program also works closely with the LAVC Career Center and other college programs to ensure the success of students. The goal is to collaborate with local county department of social services and other community partners as well as local support services to prepare students to become economically self-sufficient through the attainment of a higher educational goal.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Under the supervision of the Vice President of Student Services or designee, the CalWORKs Director is responsible for administering all aspects of the program. This position will provide leadership in the development and provision of appropriate support services to CalWORKs students and will ensure compliance in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

• Provide organizational leadership and management of all aspects of the CalWORKs program and services including but not limited to planning, budget development, service delivery, program evaluation, and compliance.
• Provide direct supervision and evaluation of faculty, classified and unclassified staff in keeping with the Board Rules, bargaining unit agreements, and personnel commission. Assign work assignments and facilitate staff meetings.
• Provide leadership for program review, including Student Service/Learning Outcomes as a means to monitor attainment of goals in alignment with institutional priorities; review and recommend changes to improve student outcomes.
• Responsible for service delivery with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and LA County of Education; serves as liaison to County workforce initiative agencies and non-profit community organizations.
• Research, negotiate and maintain county and city contracts that benefit CalWORKs students including homelessness, refugee assistance, and domestic violence.
• Plan and oversee work experience, job development, and placement activities for CalWORKs students including collaboration with on and off campus workforce agencies/partnerships.
• Develop and manage the CalWORKs, TANF, County budgets and grants. Monitor all allocations and expenditures in compliance with Education Code, state regulations, title 5, college policies and procedures.
• Prepare required comprehensive accountability records and reports for federal, state, county and college in accordance with CalWORKs categorical program requirements.
• Responsible for program audits.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local rules and regulations. Implement program policies and procedures as applicable.
• Maintain a database that provides accountability for CalWORKs activities and track program participants and results.
• Serve as a resource in maintaining communication with college, district, regional and statewide program-related agencies.
• Collaborate with college support services including Counseling, Admissions, Financial Aid, CARE/EOPS, Family Resource Center, Child Development Center, Dream Resource Center, student government and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) to maximize resources and services for CalWORKs students.
• Recruit students and market the program to the college and community.
• Participate in state, county, regional, direct and college meetings and conferences as required.
• Serve on college councils, committees, and task forces as required, and represent unit assigned and/or college at meetings of the community, other educational institutions, and agencies as required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to work effectively with colleagues in an environment that promotes innovation, teaching, learning and service to a diverse student population.
• Ability to develop innovative programs that strengthen the quality of services provided to students participating in CalWORKs programs.
• Ability to work with community agencies that serve students in CalWORKs/TANF/ GAIN programs.
• Ability to apply legal and policy provisions to various problems consistently and correctly.
• Ability to manage budgets and grants.
• Ability to work with interruptions, frequent deadlines, and multiple assignments.
• Ability to effectively interact with persons of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to interpret, apply and explain laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures. Ability to plan and organize work.
• Ability to prepare comprehensive narrative and statistical reports.
• Knowledge of the mission of the California Community Colleges.
• Knowledge of Title V regulations and applicable sections of the California Education Code.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws as they pertain to working within educationally based CalWORKs/TANF/ GAIN programs.
• Knowledge of principles of supervision, training and practices of office management.
• Knowledge of accounting, budgeting and fiscal reporting.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree from a regionally accredited institution; and
• One year of formal training, internship, or leadership experience reasonably related to the assignment.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff. The applicant must be able to demonstrate how their experience with these factors relates to successfully achieving the goals of the position.

Desirable Qualifications

• Increasingly responsible supervisory experience in the development and administration of programs for students related to assignment.
• Experience in managing budgets and grants.
• Experience working with computer software and other technologies which are utilized in the provision of educational services to students.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The current salary range is $151,452 - $177,828 annually. The selected candidate will be placed on the salary schedule for that class based on a number of factors including but not limited to: education, scope and breadth of experience and responsibilities, skills, competencies and accomplishments in accordance with LACCD Board Rule 10509. An additional, doctoral stipend of $6,288 per academic year is available for applicants possessing a doctorate degree from an accredited institution. Benefits include medical, dental, vision for employees and eligible dependents, term life insurance, and State Teachers Retirement System program.