Manager, Compliance Review Unit (Manager III)

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values: 
• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students. 
• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.
• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.
• We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum of the salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Office of Governance (OG) strives to proactively support school systems, keep students safe, and uphold Texas education law with integrity, objectivity, and excellence. We engage with local education agencies (LEAs) to promote best practices through two core workstreams: Field Support and Compliance & Investigations. By fostering collaboration across the agency and engaging directly in the field, we advance our vision of creating a safe school environment and excellent education for every Texas public school student.  

The Compliance Review Unit (CRU) is an integral workstream within the Special Investigations Division which works to safeguard student welfare and ensure LEAs adhere to regulatory standards within the Texas educational system. The team is responsible for conducting high-profile investigations into violations of the Texas Education Code, including alleged misconduct and wrongdoing by educators, school employees, and district officials. 

The CRU Manager leads a mission-driven dynamic team of investigators who conduct reviews and analyze complaints from the general public, government officials, external agencies, and internal TEA divisions alleging non-compliance with federal or state education law over which TEA has jurisdiction. This role manages and develops staff, cultivates and maintains strong partnerships with other divisions, and proactively and critically reflects on performance to increase operational efficiency. Reporting to the Director of Special Investigations, the CRU manager will have the opportunity to exercise initiative and judgment while working in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to fingerprinting and a national criminal history background check.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Team Management and Supervision: exhibits exceptional leadership and coaching abilities in managing a high-performing, mission-focused team; cultivates team growth and development by setting clear data-driven objectives and establishing individual performance goals; consistently tracks and evaluates progress to ensure alignment with the team and office objectives
2. Compliance Reviews: leads a team in conducting in-depth reviews and analyses of allegations against local education agencies; ensures thorough investigations into compliance issues; drives continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance investigation processes, strengthen methodologies, and ensure the highest standards of accuracy and effectiveness
3. Quality Assurance and Program Effectiveness: monitors and evaluates program impact by analyzing productivity and performance data, ensuring accurate reporting; maintains high quality standards for all work products, including content and presentation; reviews investigative reports, documents, and communications to ensure adherence to professional standards and responsiveness to stakeholder needs
4. Process Improvement and Optimization: monitors and evaluates the unit’s effectiveness by analyzing performance metrics, policies, and procedures, identifying potential risks, and integrating feedback for continuous improvement; identifies areas for enhancement and recommends strategies to increase the overall impact, efficiency, and overall effectiveness
5. Stakeholder Engagement: cultivates and maintains strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, leveraging their subject matter expertise and partnerships to support in-depth and effective investigations

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Degree fields: Law, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Business, or Public Administration    
• Experience: At least four [4] years of experience in supervising or managing staff who perform investigative work in a law enforcement, regulatory, or educational settings. 

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:
• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military.
• Must pass TEA’s criminal history background check criteria, as well as the Tx Dept. of Public Safety's criteria for accessing the TX DPS secure website and DPS Clearinghouse. 
• Possess working knowledge and the ability to explain state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to child abuse and solicitation, misconduct, fraud, waste, and abuse, criminal violations, and confidentiality, including Texas Penal Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Family Code, Texas Administrative Code.
• Experience managing investigations and compliance reviews according to defined procedures and time standards. 
• Demonstrate the ability to adapt and effectively engage with diverse individuals and stakeholders.   
• Ability to synthesize large volumes of data, documents, and records to identify patterns, extract key insights and contextual information, and support informed decision-making in investigations 
• Exhibit superior verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage in a collaborative, results-oriented team environment and testify effectively in hearings.     
• Possess extensive problem-solving skills that result in identifying challenges, gathering and analyzing facts, evaluating alternatives, and implementing best-fit solutions.    
• Display excellent time management and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and complete multiple competing projects or priorities simultaneously.      
• Willingness to participate in the agency’s culture of continuous improvement and espouse its core values. 
• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback, and continuously improve. 
• Project management experience preferred.

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference. 

To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "[email protected]" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.