Executive Director – Various Boards Unit (Boston)

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Job Description - Executive Director – Various Boards Unit (250000DQ)

Job Description

Description

The new address of this position will be 1 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110 in March 2025.

About the Organization:

The Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL), an agency within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), protects consumers by making sure the professionals they hire comply with state licensing laws. DOL oversees 26 boards of registration, which license and regulate more than 500,000 individuals and businesses to practice over 100 trades and professions. DOL also licenses and regulates the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI), and the Office of Private Occupational Schools.

The mission of DOL is to protect the public health, safety and welfare by licensing qualified individuals and businesses to provide services to consumers. In addition, it is the duty of the DOL to ensure fair and consistent enforcement of the licensing laws and regulations. DOL seeks to promote consumer protection, a fair and competitive marketplace, and education and outreach.

TheDivision of Occupational Licensureis committed to creating and sustaining a work culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and mutually respectful to all its employees regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran or disability status. We strive to reflect diversity in all facets and levels of our agency. TheDivision of Occupational Licensurevalues inclusiveness and diversity within their employee and management teams. Within our community we strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

The Division of Occupational Licensure is committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to maximize their skills and talents to serve our citizens.

About the Role:

The Various Boards Unit (“Unit”) is one of DOL’s administrative units. The Unit will oversee several Agency boards that will likely include the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and Occupational Schools, but the specific boards may be subject to change. The mission of the Unit, through its respective boards, is to: establish minimum qualifications for individuals seeking licensure in the professions it oversees; to license qualified professionals and businesses that provide services to consumers and businesses; to ensure the integrity of its trades and professions through the fair and consistent enforcement of applicable rules and regulations; and, when necessary, take disciplinary action against licensees who engage in professional misconduct.

The Executive Director (“ED”) for the Unit reports to the Associate Deputy Commissioner for Policy & Boards (“ADC”). At the direction of the ADC, the ED oversees the administration of processes, procedures, and policies that direct the daily licensing and regulatory activities of the boards within the Unit. The ED assists the ADC in providing policy guidance to DOL investigative and legal staff and assists with enforcement efforts by reviewing the content of investigative files and inspection reports and makes decisions and recommendations regarding their disposition.

The ED directly supervises professional and/or administrative staff member(s) who support the collective Unit’s boards. In this capacity, the ED is responsible for managing, training, and evaluating the staff under the ED’s supervision.Given the breadth of substantive expertise required to administer the varied complexities of the boards in the Unit, the ED must be versatile manager and an expert in establishing operating policies, delegating, and supervising the services provided by the ED’s staff.

The ED is one of the official keepers of records for the Unit and must ensure compliance with state and federal laws, including the state public records law. In consultation with the legal counsel(s) assigned to the Unit’s boards, the ED must also assist with the responses to subpoenas and other public information requests.

Duties and Responsibilities : (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

Manage Unit/board operations.

• Manage all licensing and regulatory functions for the Unit’s boards.
• Initiate policy, regulatory, administrative, and enforcement issues for board consideration.
• Collaborate with assigned legal counsel(s) in drafting proposed regulations.
• Oversee the operations of board meetings, subcommittees, etc., as applicable.

Manage personnel and coordinate board member activities.

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with members of the Unit’s boards.
• In coordination with senior Agency managers, screen and interview for staff positions as vacancies arise.
• Supervise all Unit staff.
• Promote compliance by Unit staff and board members with respect to their roles and responsibilities, the open meeting law, public records law, state ethics law, codes of conduct, and administrative procedures.

Provide expertise and assistance to DOL investigative and adjudicatory processes. 10%

• Assist DOL investigators with resolving consumer complaints.
• Interpret and apply licensing rules and regulations to pending cases.
• Recommend policies and regulatory changes to DOL and Unit boards, based on investigative findings, and execute recommendations upon approval.
• Monitor the status of pending complaints and work with board counsel, assigned prosecutors, and investigators to ensure timely progress and resolution of pending matters.

Provide expertise and assistance in the disciplinary and enforcement process.

• Establish policies to aid in the tracking of case management with the Offices of Investigations, Legal Counsel, and Prosecutions, regarding complaints against licensees.
• Make recommendations for license reinstatement applications, based on licensee compliance with the terms of discipline.
• Provide input regarding the issuance of adjudicatory/disciplinary decisions based on board precedents, Massachusetts General Laws, and the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.

Develop and oversee individual and business licensure processes.

• Manage and oversee the e-licensing workflows in the licensing software.
• Review and approve or deny applications for licensure.
• Determine if applicants are eligible for examination in relevant licensure categories by evaluating experience, verifying educational requirements, and confirming health and safety obligations.
• Assist in negotiating, drafting, and executing reciprocal licensure agreements with other jurisdictions, as necessary.

Act as records custodian.

• Oversee all staff responses to requests made pursuant to the Public Records Law and Fair Information Practices Act, and assist DOL’s public records unit in filling these requests.
• Serve as main point of contact for licensee related correspondence.

Develop and approve board educational programs and requirements.

• When applicable, monitor facilities that administer board-approved educational programs.
• When applicable, assist in the development of educational curriculum and evaluate course terms, qualifications of instructors, equipment, and teaching materials for board approval.
• Approve and set standards for mandatory continuing education based on board regulations.
• Conduct periodic compliance audits of continuing education requirements.
• Help to negotiate, draft, and execute examination contracts with board vendors, in conjunction with board counsel.
• Review proposed exam questions to ensure consistency with board regulations.
• Monitor and update licensing exams to conform to changes in the professions.
• Aid in vendor contract management.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of management.
• Thorough knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process.
• Thorough knowledge of state government and the budget process.
• Thorough knowledge of DOL, the Boards of Registration, and the Office of Private Occupational School Education.
• Excellent communication skills, both in oral and written forms, with a broad range of audiences.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, associates, subordinates, board members and advisory council members, and other agencies.
• Substantive knowledge in the subject matter of at least one of the boards within Unit.
• Experience in database management and an understanding of database workflows.
• Experience in the issuance of licenses, site inspections, and complaint investigation.
• Skilled in the areas of process improvement and strategic planning, systems dynamics and systems re-engineering.
• Should have strong planning, research, and organizational skills, and be able to research information affecting a broad range of substantive topics.
• Should be familiar with investigative, inspectional, and prosecutorial techniques and processes, so as to interact effectively with staff in other DOL units.

All applicants should attach a cover letter and resume to their online submission for this position.

Qualific