Director Of Program Management Jobs in Jackson, MS

Salary: $61,416.94 - $86,349.15 Annually
Location : 25 - HINDS COUNTY, MS
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 9065-0331-20260805H
Department: 0331 - DRS-OFFICE OF VOC REHABILITATION
Opening Date: 08/05/2026
Closing Date: 8/18/2026 11:59 PM Central
Agency Minimum Salary: $61,416.94
Agency Maximum Salary: $86,349.15
About the Agency: The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) is a state agency dedicated to helping Mississippians with disabilities to live and work independently. MDRS serves through four major programs: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind (VRB), Office of Special Disability Programs (OSDP), and Disability Determination Services (DDS). Services also include support through Assistive Technology, the Office of Business Development and much more. It is the mission of MDRS to provide appropriate and comprehensive services in a timely and effective manner. Programs and services assist individuals with disabilities to gain employment, retain employment, and to live independently. MDRS is always looking for qualified and passionate employees to help fulfill its mission. To inquire about this position please email @ careers@mdrs.ms.gov.
About the Position: The Program Specialist Supervisor will function as the Director of the Business Enterprise of Mississippi Program. This will provide direction to professional staff statewide in order to ensure effective service delivery to blind persons who manage Randolph Sheppard food service facilities. The positon is with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind (OVRB) Randolph Sheppard Business Enterprise responsible for providing entrepreneurial opportunities for eligible consumers of the Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Program who are legally blind to manage their own businesses. This includes a wide variety of food-service operations, including cafeterias, coffee shops, vending locations, and highway rest area vending sites. Through this program, blind persons receive training opportunities to become productive, tax-paying citizens and proud business owners. The employee will work under the leadership of the OVRB Director in a highly responsible administrative position responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities of the Business Enterprise of Mississippi Program.This position involves being proactive and productive working under tight timeframes, balancing multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal- directed behavior and performance expectations sometimes under stressful conditions. The position requires maintaining and practicing a current understanding of the Randolph Sheppard Act, mini Randolph Sheppard Act, as well as, other federal and state laws that could possibly affect the program and blind manager's employment. The incumbent must also understand and apply the Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Program policies and Business Enterprise policies and procedurals to ensure fairness, program improvements, and to follow RSA guidelines for success of the blind entrepreneurial.Work assignments stem from the RSA guidance, Randolph Sheppard Act, agency and program policies and mission of the vocational rehabilitation for the blind program.Examples of work performed in this classification include, but are not limited to the following:• Employee must interact courteously with others.• Employee must always promote and demonstrate a positive work environment.• Employee performance and behavior must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the program.• Employee attendance is an essential function of this position.• Demonstrates accountability and support towards the goals of the agency leadership and communicate the same to other employees. This includes support to leadership on all program related actions and activities, and as otherwise directed.• Model, demonstrate, and guide other employees in the use of the principals of flexibility, adaptability, and approachability while adhering to applicable laws, rules, policies, and procedures.• As the Program Specialist Supervisor, the incumbent must communicate with, motivate, provide, or coordinate training, and direct the work of his/her subordinates. In addition, the employee must complete timely performance appraisals, develop timely and accurate work plans, timely approve monthly attendance and leave for each position under his/her direct report.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for completing timesheets in agency Time Clock system and adhere to the HR timeline of completing in a timely manner.• Program Specialist Supervisor will have the authority to make hiring recommendations a well as disciplinary recommendations.• Program Specialist Supervisor will reinforce the expectation of internal and external cooperation and teamwork to subordinates.• Program Specialist Supervisor will utilize effecting counseling and coaching strategies in accordance with agency personnel policies and procedures to ensure acceptable job performance of subordinates.• Program Specialist Supervisor will keep OVRB Director and Executive Director advised of personnel issues that may require corrective action.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for the overall success of the program, including communications, recruitment and selection, operator training, customer satisfaction, developing new and maintaining existing business locations, ensuring compliance with RSA regulations through the issuance of various administrative controls, budgeting, staffing, project management, and managing risk.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for developing and implementing projects which strive to continually support the program's success in terms of increasing the number of visually impaired Mississippians achieving sustaining gainful employment, business development, and vendor training operator recruitment and selection, customer and stakeholder satisfaction, facility and equipment currency, and revenue generation.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for appropriately staffing, organizing, and directing the OVRB to meet program objectives. Development of staff performance objectives, annual evaluations, timely filling of vacancies with qualified employees, staff development, and organization of responsibilities are all key requirements of this position.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for defining and maintaining appropriate communication channels to ensure program information is provided to the Committee of Blind Vendors, RSA compliance, risk management, planning and tracking mechanisms, and proper collection of data needed for various reports such as the RSA 15.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for managing construction projects for facilities occupied by Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind (OVRB) state-wide.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for ongoing staff development for Business Enterprise Staff and operators.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for ensuring ServSafe Certificates are current for appropriate Blind managers, staff, contractors, and facility operators.• Program Specialist Supervisor is responsible for developing and implementing effective facility monitoring plans to ensure optimal operation of each facility. At minimum, monitoring plans must include a review of financial, compliance, health, safety, and sanitation matters.• Program Specialist Supervisor will keep the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind Director informed on ongoing facility inspection issues and provide a plan of action to address any violations.• Other related duties as assigned.
What you'll need to be Successful: The position requires that the incumbent be highly motivated, creative, and possess a high level of restaurant and business competencies for increasing the employment and business facilities of blind managers throughout the state. The incumbent should be a self-starter who is capable of delivering creative ideas to increase the blind managers' income statewide. Follow up, communication, courtesy, transparency, and accountability is a must in meeting tight timeframes to the agency and the blind managers around the state.
Preferred Qualifications: Typically requires a Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of experience and 2-4 years of supervisory experience.Hiring agency prefers: A Bachelor's degree plus seven (7) years of professional level experience in restaurant and administrative services, teaching, social services, human resources, budgeting, statistical analysis, or management analysis; OR a High School diploma or equivalent and/or some college and eleven (11) years of of full-time work experience in managing a restaurant successful and supervising restaurant managers and staff may be substituted for the required baccalaureate degree.Applicants with High School diploma or equivalent and/or some college and relevant experience would need to submit a letter to MSPB requesting experience to be considered in lieu of education requirement. The letter should be emailed to subpanel@mspb.ms.gov once you have applied for the position.
No available description
Health/Prescription InsuranceEligible employees have the opportunity to participate in the state's health and prescription insurance program. Employees may select either single or family coverage with affordable co-payments. More detail can be found at Know Your Benefits.
Wellness Benefits
Employees are eligible for a wellness and health promotion program. This plan provides annual benefits for certain services with first-dollar coverage with no deductible.
Life Insurance
All eligible employees receive an actual term life insurance policy upon employment. The policy coverage is two times the employee's annual salary to a maximum of $100,000. More detail can be found at Life Insurance Choices.
Optional Insurances
Many agencies offer discounted premiums for dental, vision, and cancer insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Many state agencies provide opportunity for employees to participate in pre-tax spending accounts. These accounts allow employees to withhold childcare expenses and unreimbursed medical expenses prior to application of state and federal taxes.
Paid Personal Leave and Sick LeaveFull-time employees receive paid time off for personal needs and for sick leave. Leave begins accruing after one month of employment and may be used as it is accrued. Employees earn approximately 18 days of personal leave annually and 12 days of sick leave annually.
Military Leave
In accordance with federal law, all employees serving in the armed forces or the military reserves are entitled to 15 days per year for military training.
Holidays
Employees receive up to 10 paid holidays to enjoy many of our nation's celebrations with family and friends.
Retirement Programs
The State of Mississippi provides all its employees a Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Retirement Program. Employees become vested in the State's retirement system after 8 years of employment. Both you and your employing agency contribute toward your retirement. More detailed information regarding the State's retirement program can be found at http://www.pers.state.ms.us
Deferred Compensation
State agencies offer several opportunities for their employees to participate in a deferred compensation voluntary retirement savings plan. More information can be found at Deferred Compensation.
State Credit Union
All state employees are eligible to participate in the Mississippi Public Employees' Credit Union. This organization offers state employees special savings and borrowing plans. For more information about this program, call 601.948.8191.
Tuition Reimbursement
Many state agencies provide opportunities for their employees to achieve higher education through tuition reimbursement. Common programs include medical and nursing fields, accounting, and business/administrative fields.
Career Development and Training
The Mississippi State Personnel Board offers several management and administrative certification programs, as well as professional development courses to enhance employee value to the agency. Individual agencies also offer technical training and allow membership in professional organizations to employees in their specific fields of employment.
Promotional Opportunities
Employees who have completed 6 or more months of service are eligible for promotional opportunities within state government employment. Minimum qualifications must be met.
Career Ladders
Many job classifications provide career-ladder opportunities based upon attainment of competencies. These career ladders can increase an individual's salary, provided funds are available within the agency.
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How many years of related experience do you have?

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• More than 10 years

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How many years of supervisory experience do you have?

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What is the highest level of education (or semester hours of college) you have completed?

• 8th grade
• GED or High School Equivalency Diploma / High School Diploma
• 30 semester hours
• Associate's Degree / 60 semester hours
• 90 semester hours
• Bachelor's Degree
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• Specialist Degree
• Doctorate Degree
• 9th grade
• 10th grade
• 11th grade

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