Stephanie Ostwald

I report to the Assistant Commissioner, Children and Family Services. This relationship is and must be confidential in nature. CFS is responsible for overseeing the following divisions: Business Integration Division, Child Care Services, Child Safety and Permanency, Child Support, Management Operations, Economic Assistance and Employment Services Division. The incumbent must have a general knowledge of the programs and be able to maintain relationships with appropriate staff in all divisions of CFS. I am in frequent contact with division directors with CFS, the Operations Manager and the Assistant Commissioner's other direct reports.

The coordination and communication and workload flow between divisions is vital to the operations of CFS. I ensure that the directions to division staff, especially other Office and Administrative Support staff and directors, are accurate and understood. Although this does not involve direct supervisions, the effect is identical in that the issues involved may require immediate solutions or responses and direction is by me is in the same manner as supervision. This position is confidential in that many items relating to labor contract negotiations and personnel plans such as lay-off strategies and personnel actions are discussed with and prepared by the incumbent.
I am sensitive to and respectful of the cultural and other differences when interacting with co-workers and in serving our customers.
I have developed relationships outside DHS/CFS that include the general public (telephone and email contact), the press, the Governor's Office, the Legislature, federal agencies, contracted providers, Minnesota’s 11 Tribal Nations, and 87 county human services agencies. Issues are frequently complex and controversial.
I have an understanding of public assistance programs, knowledge of departmental organization, legislative process, proper business and office procedures and highly developed interpersonal skills.
Over the year I have developed principles and practices of office management sufficient to plan assign and review the work of other staff. Initiative, organization and sound judgment are essential to proper performance of these functions. Given the varied nature of the tasks performed by this position, which means I must be able to organize, and be able to exercise initiative and authority and employ sound judgment.
I have good human relation skills, such as common courtesy, tact, and interest in positive problem solving to interact with others.
I possess excellent communication skills which are necessary to make sure that information is disseminated in an accurate and easily understood way. I maintain positive relationships with staff in parallel functions of the agency and the groups served sufficient to plan and coordinate activities.
The incumbent must be able to quickly grasp complex issues and often act independently to determine the proper course of action.
The incumbent must possess an understanding of laws, rules and regulations governing the programs of the agency as they relate to support and administrative functions sufficient to provide advice on and establish policies and procedures.
The incumbent must possess research and administrative survey knowledge and skills sufficient to plan and coordinate special research and investigative projects regarding administrative and program issues.
The incumbent must be computer literate and familiar with work processing software tools.

The incumbent has a highly visible and challenging position that exceeds the scope and urgency of those associated with an administrative assistant's position because of this position's location with Children and Family Services. Due to the high visibility and external focus of this position, the employee is expected to manage a wide range of incoming inquiries that are urgent, confidential, and highly sensitive that requires quick assessment and decision-making.

The incumbent must be capable of determining priorities, resolve problems that arise while completing assigned tasks for the Assistant Commissioner, Operations manager, and Communications officer and the Executive Office. Analytical skills are imperative, and the employee must be self-directed and rely on consultation only in those instances where s/he feels it is required to complete the assigned work.

The incumbent is expected to perform with minimal supervision at a high level of discretion and has freedom to determine methods and procedures necessary to prioritize and carry out assigned duties and other tasks that may arise. The position is given considerable freedom to act with respect to planning and scheduling use of her time; to act appropriately in regard to communication with constituents, the Governor's office, legislators and staff, and DI-IS staff. The employee has freedom to analyze and revise procedures within the constraints and guidelines of established departmental policy and practice.
The broad freedom afforded to the incumbent is necessary since many situations which occur daily require prompt attention for resolution.

I supported the Chief of Staff, Director of DHS Communications and provided back-up support to the Commissioner's Assistant within the Executive Office of DHS

• Safeguarded sensitive information through the proper handling of confidential documents and secure storage methods.
• Handled mail, packages, emails, document transmissions and other types of data with both manual and automated tracking strategies.
• Created and updated records and files to maintain document compliance.
• Improved customer satisfaction with prompt and professional responses to inquiries and concerns.
• Expedited project completion times by effectively prioritizing tasks based on deadlines and resource availability.
• Facilitated communication between departments, organizing meetings and distributing essential information.
• Enhanced team productivity by providing administrative support and coordinating daily operations.
• Managed schedules, appointments, and travel arrangements for executives, ensuring seamless coordination of events.

This position was part of a team of two full-time employees and two part-time employees at the Information Desk for DHS.

We were the first people that constituents, clients, partners and providers would come in contact with when visiting DHS. The duties were as follows:

• Handled escalated calls calmly, finding resolutions that satisfied both the DHS and the customer''s needs.
• Managed high call volume while maintaining a courteous and professional demeanor.
• Schedule conference rooms for DHS meetings - all administrations within DHS.