Finance Program Specialist I

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Job ID: 36421

Agency: Social Services

Location: Sioux Falls or Pierre, SD

Salary: $28.54 + Hourly, depending on qualifications

Pay Grade: J

Closing Date: 07/02/26

This is a Full-Time 40 Hours Weekly position with the Department of Social Services. For more information on the Department Social Services, please visit https://dss.sd.gov/.

Why the Department of Social Services?

At the Department of Social Services (DSS), family is everything. It's the foundation of what we do every day through provision of services to strengthen and support the citizens of South Dakota. Our work is driven with our vision to build Strong Families, South Dakota's Foundation and Our Future. We believe families have the right to be safe and secure. We also believe in respecting individual and cultural differences by treating people with dignity, fairness, and respect. And we believe in collaborative communications, teamwork, partnerships and trust for essential family services. Sound intriguing?

As a Department of Social Services employee, you will have a chance to experience:

• Creativity - We are always looking for innovative ideas to help us achieve improved outcomes.
• Making a difference - You will have an opportunity to make a difference in the life of fellow South Dakotans.
• Professional development - We provide valuable trainings to ensure well-trained staff that is competent, accountable and empowered and will assist you in reaching your career goals.
• Teamwork - In a team-oriented approach, you will have the ability to work cooperatively with others in a friendly work environment to achieve shared goals.

Who we want:

• a highly motivated and experienced person with a passion for serving the public and displays a high level of effort and commitment towards completing assignments and goals;
• a compassionate individual who listens attentively to others and clearly conveys information and ideas;
• an individual who is skilled in engaging others to build partnerships and cohesive working relationships;
• a dependable and organized individual who effectively plans and organizes work activities;
• a person who is dedicated and who will represent the Department of Social Service with integrity and enthusiasm;
• an individual who works cooperatively with others and promotes a friendly work climate to achieve shared goals.

Description:

The role involves overseeing vendor and payment information within the child welfare information system, entering vendor banking details for ACH deposits, and ensuring payment integrity. It includes completing payment processing audits, assisting with contract development and management, resolving vendor payment discrepancies, and advising on federal and state regulations related to child welfare funding. The position also drafts internal guidance and provides technical assistance on financial processes.

In addition, this position is responsible for processing Auxiliary Placement Program payments by verifying placement details, reviewing supporting documentation for compliance, confirming and entering service rates into Family and Child Information System (FACIS), and ensuring accurate coding within both FACIS and the child welfare system. The position tracks expenditures, monitors trends, identifies errors or inconsistencies, and works closely with program staff to resolve discrepancies and ensure adherence to federal, state, and departmental financial policies.

This position also processes Title IV-E placement and payment activities for some South Dakota Tribes by reviewing tribal foster home license information, verifying placement documentation for compliance, and entering approved resources and placement details into FACIS. It ensures accurate coding for Tribal IV E and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) related data, monitors Tribal IV E expenditures, identifies data inconsistencies, and prepares required tribal data reports for tribes and court stakeholders. The role works closely with the ICWA Tribal Liaison Program Specialist and tribal program staff to resolve discrepancies and ensure payments, data entries, and reports comply with federal, state, and departmental guidelines.

Overview:

This position reviews, analyzes, and interprets department rules and regulations as they relate to fiscal processes and program budgets; provides technical assistance in grant preparation and administration; and provides technical assistance to program staff and other agencies to ensure the programs operate within set standards and laws and that program services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

This position develops and maintains public relations with the Department of Social Services, Finance Division, and other divisions to foster working partnerships, resolve complaints, respond to public inquiries, and educate the public about program services available.

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. and additional hours. There will be expectations of in-state and out-of-state travel, as needed.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

A bachelor's degree in social work, accounting, business administration, or related fields OR 2 years of experience in a related field with at least 1 year experience in supervising staff. Candidates are not required to be a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for employment. However, certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) or Certified Investments and Derivatives Auditor (CIDA) may substitute for experience.

KSA:

Knowledge of:

• theories and concepts related to child welfare, culture, child development, family connections, and their influence on child safety; (preferred but not required);
• principles and practices of accounting and auditing;
• methods and techniques of governmental accounting, statistics, and financial analysis
• modern office procedures;
• principles and practices of program development and administration;
• pertinent child welfare federal or state law, and administrative rule;
• supervisory principles and practices;
• techniques to gather and analyze data, identify and define problems or potential problems; and develop and implement appropriate resolutions.

Skill to:

• oversee fiscal projects within an organization, including budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and reporting;
• oversee activities related to grant funding;
• oversee administrative accounting and general office duties as needed;
• create project ideas, plan, and coordinate the project's execution;
• oversee budgets and monitor spending related to state and federal funding;
• communicate a program's eligibility requirements to management and ensure employees meet the program eligibility;
• hire and train administrative employees;
• record data and financial information and detect errors and anomalies;
• reconcile information from multiple sources and make corrections as needed.

Ability to:

• work independently and with minimal supervision;
• delegate tasks to administrative and program assistants;
• provide professional customer service, internally and externally;
• communicate information and guidance to individuals or multiple people cordially and professionally;
• establish workloads, deadlines, and performance objectives; and follow-up to ensure proper completion of outcomes and expectations (preferred but not required);
• effectively work with a multitude of technology programs;
• produce neat, concise, logical, and well-supported work products that comply with auditing standards and best practices;
• develop strong relationships with cross-functional teams and departments.

Additional Requirements: To be considered, please attach your resume.

This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here. This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=48W

You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources and Administration

Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us

http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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