About this role
The work we do matters! Hiring Agency: Health & Human Services - Agency 25 Location: Hastings, NE, Kearney, NE Hiring Rate: $1.000 Job Posting: JR2026-00028005 Youth Facilities Senior Administrator (Open) Applications No Longer Accepted On (If no date is displayed, job is posted as open until closed):
Job Description: The Youth Facilities Senior Administrator provides executive leadership for Nebraska's youth rehabilitation facilities and juvenile treatment programs, overseeing the safe, effective, and compliant operation of the state's Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers (YRTCs). This position is responsible for developing and implementing operational strategies, ensuring high-quality treatment and rehabilitation services, leading organizational performance, and advancing initiatives that improve outcomes for justice-involved youth.
The Senior Administrator partners with executive leadership, facility administrators, juvenile justice stakeholders, probation, courts, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, education partners, and community organizations to strengthen Nebraska's juvenile justice continuum. This position serves as a key member of DHHS leadership, promoting a culture of excellence, safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and evidence-based practice. Location: This position able to be located in Kearney or Hastings, Nebraska. The position requires regular presence at all YRTC locations, and will require evening and weekend availability in response to emergent operational needs.
Salary: Beginning at $150,000 annually and is commensurate on education and experience, if approved.
Leadership: This position reports to the Children & Family Services Director, Dr. Alyssa Bish
Key Responsibilities:
• Provide strategic leadership and strategic direction for Nebraska's youth rehabilitation and treatment facilities and assigned juvenile justice programs.
• Oversee the administration and performance of Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers (YRTCs), ensuring safe, effective, and compliant operations.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that improve outcomes for youth while supporting rehabilitation, treatment, and public safety.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, licensing requirements, accreditation standards, and juvenile justice best practices.
• Lead quality assurance, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives using data to drive operational excellence.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, and evidence-based treatment and rehabilitation programs.
• Oversee facility budgets, contracts, grants, and resource allocation to ensure effective stewardship of public resources.
• Partner with courts, probation, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, education systems, community organizations, tribal governments, and other state agencies to coordinate services for justice-involved youth.
• Serve as the department's representative with executive leadership, legislators, stakeholder groups, and community partners regarding youth facility operations and juvenile justice initiatives.
• Foster trauma-informed, family-centered, culturally responsive practices throughout youth rehabilitation programs.
• Lead, coach, and develop facility leadership while promoting accountability, employee engagement, and operational excellence.
• Respond to critical incidents, emergency situations, legislative priorities, and other issues requiring executive leadership.
Requirements / Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, public administration, behavioral sciences, social work, psychology, human services, or a closely related field, and at least seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience overseeing juvenile justice, corrections, residential treatment, behavioral health, child welfare, or other complex human service programs.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Master's degree in Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Behavioral Sciences, or a related field.
• Executive leadership experience overseeing secure residential treatment, juvenile justice, corrections, behavioral health, or other complex human service operations.
• Experience leading multi-site operations, strategic initiatives, and organizational change.
• Demonstrated success managing large budgets, contracts, and public resources.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed care, evidence-based practices, and juvenile justice systems.
If you're currently employed by the State of Nebraska, please don't apply through this external career site. Instead, log in to Workday and open the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home landing page. You can access Workday anytime through the Link web page: https://link.nebraska.gov/
Benefits We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.
Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! Benefit eligibility may vary by position, agency and employment status. For more information on benefits, please visit: https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/index.html#benefits
Equal Opportunity Statement The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex. age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.