Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Director, Risk Management

Recruitment #19-0475-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Search Services are provided by Teri Black and Company, LLC


Visit www.tbcrecruiting.com to apply.

 

DESCRIPTION

The Community
Located on the east side of the San Francisco Bay across from the San Francisco Peninsula, Alameda County is the geographic center of the Bay Area. Commonly referred to as the “East Bay,” the region boasts a desirable location and incredible diversity as well as an ideal climate, broad economic base, and a range of housing and business opportunities. The County’s population grew 8.5% between 2010 and 2015, and now totals over 1.6 million residents who appreciate the area’s many amenities and attractions.

Alameda County encompasses 14 cities: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and Union City, as well as 6 unincorporated communities and rural areas that together span a total of 738 square miles. Urban transportation options are extremely accessible throughout the County and include the Oakland International Airport, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, and the San Francisco Bay Ferry system.

A rich array of entertainment options, cultural activities, recreational facilities, and educational opportunities can be found in Alameda County. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the Oakland Museum, Oakland East Bay Symphony, Chabot Space and Science Center, and the wine county of the inland Tri-Valley area. Those looking to get outdoors will enjoy the region’s mild Mediterranean climate and many outstanding outdoor recreational facilities and areas. Numerous prestigious institutions of higher education are located in Alameda County and the surrounding area, including The University of California, Berkeley and California State University, East Bay. To learn more about this vibrant and growing area, www.acgov.org.



The County
Alameda County was established in 1853 and operates under a Charter form of government. The five-member Board of Supervisors is elected by district on a nonpartisan basis, with members serving staggered four-year terms. The Board is responsible for setting policy, overseeing all County operations, approving the annual budget, and representing the County in special districts, regional agencies, and other areas. The Board-appointed County Administrator oversees County operations and services.

The City of Oakland serves as the seat of the County, which is comprised of over 20 agencies and departments. More than 9,700 professional and highly-trained County employees deliver a full spectrum of services ranging from general government and internal services to health care, social services, public works, and public safety. The County has a balanced $3.2 billion budget for FY 2018-19, including funding for initiatives that address some of the County’s most difficult challenges: affordable housing, chronic homelessness, and maintenance and improvement of aging infrastructure.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors recently approved a new strategic plan, “Vision 2026,” that outlines County priorities for advancing local communities toward a healthy, prosperous future by the year 2026. The four visions of the new strategic plan are healthy environment, thriving and resilient population, safe and livable communities, and prosperous and vibrant economy. The County has also set “10X Goals,” with the aim of improving each of the following by 10 times:

• Eliminate Homelessness
• Healthcare for All
• Employment for All
• Eliminate Poverty and Hunger
• Crime-free County
• Accessible Infrastructure

Alameda County is committed to open government and citizen engagement and encourages employees and contributors to not only “think outside the box” but to “rethink the box.”

The Position
The Risk Management Unit is an integral part of the County Administrator’s Office and provides comprehensive, proactive services that minimize the County’s loss exposure and promotes the health, wellness, and safety of County employees. The unit is responsible for Workers’ Compensation, property and liability claims administration, employee health and wellness services, safety and loss control, the purchase of insurance and management of the self-insurance program. The Risk Management Unit collaborates with other General Government departments to provide effective County-wide risk management programs. The Risk Management team is comprised of 11 professional and administrative staff and reports to the County Administrator or her designee.

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader and experienced manager with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. He/she will offer broad risk management experience in public entities and have demonstrated the ability to adeptly lead staff in delivering a cutting-edge, integrated risk management program. The successful candidate will be a team player who understands his/her role in contributing to the County’s overall success. His/her collaborative approach and strong management skills will provide the foundation to lead staff and provide County departments with the direction and resources needed to effectively participate in minimizing the County’s loss exposure and promoting the health and safety of County employees. As a member of the executive team, this individual serves as a strategic business partner in the County Administrator’s Office charged with recommending risk management solutions to the County Administrator and the Board of Supervisors.

The new Director will exhibit an approachable and collaborative leadership style that engenders high credibility with employees, management, and contractors. Competitive candidates will possess knowledge and experience in critical areas, including: risk analysis, risk financing alternatives, claims administration, managing a self-insurance program, insurance procurement, Cal/OSHA compliance, investigations, injury prevention, workplace safety and training, Workers’ Compensation administration, general liability matters, policy and procedure development and knowledge of the latest technology used for root cause analysis. The selected professional will be able to guide staff and ensure quality deliverables. He/she will serve as a coach and mentor to the team, seeking staff development opportunities for employees as well as establishing a collegial work environment. Crosstraining staff and developing a coordinated service delivery model will be a priority for the new Director. The individual chosen will exhibit the commitment and skills required to align County staff, consultants, funding, and other resources to achieve the optimal goals for the County.

The Director, Risk Management will be expected to lead the unit as a knowledgeable partner that departments turn to for sound advice and assistance on risk matters. A skillful administrator, the successful candidate will also be an impressive critical thinker who excels in presenting information in ways that are tailored for specific audiences. Combining a strategic perspective with the ability to develop practical standards and procedures will allow the Director to implement programs designed to incorporate accountability and effectively engage customers in best practice approaches to mitigating risk. Developing a strategic risk management plan and an effective customer communication strategy will be priorities for the new Director.

Click here to view the Director, Risk Management recruitment brochure.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of higher education and progressively responsible professional level experience that would provide the knowledge and skills relevant to the position. (Each candidate’s education and experience will be considered as it closely relates to the duties and responsibilities of the position.)

Typically, equivalent to: possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, accounting, finance, risk management, insurance or related field.

AND

The equivalent of six (6) years of progressively responsible professional full-time experience in risk management (at least two years of which involved staff supervision); that included general liability, property and workers’ compensation claims management or insurance brokerage, and/or actuarial analysis. (At the discretion of the Human Resource Services Department, advanced degrees may be considered in substitution for a number of the required years of experience.)

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above minimum qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Example of Duties" section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Risk Management, Insurance, Occupational Health and Safety, Claims, Workers’ Compensation, Risk Control, Risk Financing, Wellness and Legal programs and procedures.
• General liability, employment liability, automobile, property, environmental liability and other insurance or self-insurance program development and administration.
• Common contract and business law principles, governmental claims, and risk management principles and practices.
• Methods of risk identification and measurement.
• Techniques of public liability, medical malpractice, property damage and workers' compensation claims negotiations, and audit procedures.
• Program development methods, implementation, and evaluation.
• Methods of dealing with brokers and the insurance marketplace.
• All phases of loss prevention.
• Calculations and management decisions on risk insurance underwriting.
• Techniques of administrative and budgetary analysis, including internal service fund management.
• Principles and practices of public administration.
• Computer competence in word-processing, spreadsheets, and data base systems.
• Actuarial studies.

Ability to:

• Demonstrate commitment to the County’s mission, credo, and goals.
• Envision, strategize and innovate while working with change.
• Collaborate with other agencies and departments to meet overall countywide needs while leveraging financial and other resources.
• Utilize business acumen to build a strong organization that delivers results.
• Utilize interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both orally and writing.
• Promote personal and professional growth for self and others.
• Provide the highest level of service delivery to diverse customers.
• Work effectively as a member and leader of diverse teams.
• Demonstrate mathematical and analytical skills.
• Make decisions.
• Analyze and problem solve.
• Exercise management control.
• Provide leadership.
• Be flexible.
• Plan and organize.
• Adapt to stress.

Selection Plan

Search services are provided by Teri Black and Company LLC.

The closing date for this recruitment is midnight on Sunday, February 24, 2019. To be considered for this opportunity, upload a cover letter, resume and list of six (6) professional references using the “Apply Now” feature at www.tbcrecruiting.com.

Following the closing date, resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria articulated in this brochure. Applicants with the most relevant qualifications will immediately be granted preliminary interviews by the consultants. Candidates deemed to be the best qualified will be invited to interview in Alameda County in March.

A smaller group of candidates will be invited back for follow-up interviews and meetings. The County anticipates making an appointment shortly thereafter following the completion of extensive background and reference checks. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process and, at that time, will be done so in close coordination with the candidate impacted.

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Vision or Vision Reimbursement
  • Share the Savings
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
  • County Allowance Credit
  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
  • Short-Term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Catastrophic Sick Leave
  • Employee Mortgage Loan Program
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Sam Gee, Human Resources Division Manager
Human Resource Services Department, County of Alameda
510-267-9492

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer