[Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Employment Standards Division. Empowering Montanans Through Work and Opportunity. Sarah Swanson, Commissioner] Note: Employees for the State of Montana must reside within Montana. All applications and required application documents must be submitted through the MT Careers site at:https://mtstatejobs.taleo.net/careersection/200/jobdetail.ftl?job=26140727&tz=GMT-06:00&tzname=America/Denver If you like digging into systems, fixing bottlenecks, and helping teams perform at their best, you'll feel at home in this role. As Section Manager, you'll be responsible for the day to day operations behind key licensing and permitting services that businesses and professionals depend on. You'll combine people leadership, process thinking, and data insights to deliver faster turnaround times and a better experience for the customers who count on us. MISSION STATEMENT: Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity. It's about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open, team-based, supportive, and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLI here. POSITION OVERVIEW: The Section Manager is an operations and people leader for a team that delivers licensing, permitting, and compliance services across several program areas. You own day to day operations, coach and develop your team, and use data to spot bottlenecks and improve workflows. You partner with business and technology teams to refine systems and processes, translate real world needs into practical solutions, and make sure the team's work aligns with broader goals. In this position, you shape how customers experience some of the most important licensing and compliance services in the state. You streamline processes so customers spend less time waiting and more time working, and you help teams resolve issues before they become delays. You collaborate with internal partners, industry representatives, developers, and IT teams to modernize services, improve online tools, and create a straightforward, predictable experience for the people who rely on us. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU: A chance to lead a team whose work directly affects customers getting what they need on time. Daily collaboration with business owners, developers, technical specialists, and cross functional teams on real operational challenges. Growth opportunities in leadership, data driven operations, process design, and strategic execution. Space to test ideas, improve systems, and see the impact of your decisions in real outcomes for customers and staff. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Lead a diverse, high performing team and ensure work is prioritized and executed in line with organizational goals and customer needs. Set clear expectations, give regular coaching and feedback, address performance and workflow issues, and model professionalism and accountability. Oversee daily operations, including resource allocation, workload balancing, queue management, and escalation support to maintain continuity of service. Define performance goals, track key metrics, and use data to identify gaps, improve turnaround times, and inform decisions. Manage the full employee lifecycle for your team, including hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and ongoing development. Build capabilities through targeted training plans that align with operational needs, changes in systems, and new strategic initiatives. Lead and support projects using structured project management approaches, maintain documentation, and regularly communicate status and milestones to stakeholders. Partner with technology teams to turn business problems into clear system requirements, test enhancements, and support successful implementation. Drive cross team collaboration to reduce friction points, standardize processes where it makes sense, and raise the quality and consistency of customer service. REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPENTENCIES: Proven people leadership experience, with the ability to build trust, set direction, and grow others through coaching and feedback. Strong operations management skills, including planning, prioritization, resource management, and performance measurement. Experience working in regulated or highly structured environments and turning rules and requirements into practical, day to day actions for a team. Project management skills, including planning, coordination across teams, risk/issue tracking, and delivering initiatives on time. Strong analytical and problem solving skills, including comfort using data, metrics, and system information to understand issues and drive improvements. Clear, confident communication and collaboration skills for working with internal teams, customers, and external stakeholders. Ability to present complex or technical information in a simple, compelling way in meetings, presentations, and briefings for varied audiences. Demonstrated ability to speak effectively in public settings, tailor messages to different groups, and develop professional presentation materials that make complex topics accessible and engaging. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and Experience) Experience leading staff across multiple functional areas, such as operations, customer service, licensing, permitting, or compliance. Experience managing complex projects using established project management methodologies or tools. Experience applying strategic planning, Lean/continuous improvement, or similar methods to improve business operations. Hands on experience working with IT or technical teams to design, improve, or support systems or digital workflows. Experience interpreting and applying rules, policies, contracts, or compliance requirements in a work setting. Experience using data, reports, or dashboards to support day to day operational decisions. Experience presenting or communicating technical or complex information to non technical audiences. Prior formal management experience is preferred; comparable demonstrated leadership (such as leading projects, teams, or initiatives) will also be considered. HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY: A complete state application is not required; however, you will need to initiate the application and attach the resume, cover letter or other required documents at time of application to be considered for this position. Resume will auto fill the application, but the application will not be scored or reviewed. Failure to attach the cover letter and resume will result in your application being considered incomplete and will not be considered further. Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process. Tip:When attaching your resume, cover letter or other required documents you must mark the attachments as "RELEVANT" or we will be unable to view your documents. Required application materials: Cover Letter- Your Cover Letter should explain how your experience and education meet the identified Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, with examples that demonstrate your qualifications. Resume- include all work experience you have held that would help you qualify for this position, including duties, dates of employment. Only online applications will be accepted. By applying online, you can receive updates and monitor the status of your application. All documents for Veteran or Disability preference must be received or date stamped by the closing date. You will receive an application confirmation email with instructions on acceptable preference documents and how to submit such documents. If you need an accommodation with the application process, please contact the HR office. BENEFITS: Being able to enjoy the quality of life in the beautiful state of Montana is one of the benefits you will love about this opportunity! Our mountains, waterways and open spaces provide not only beautiful scenery but year-round recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, biking, fishing, boating, hunting, skiing and snowmobiling. Montana boasts a high-quality education system and a variety of entertainment including fairs, rodeos, and theaters. Read more about our great statehere. See our other incredible benefitshere. These are some of our benefits just to name a few: Work/life balance with hybrid schedules or partial telework may be available within the state of Montana. 38 paid days off a year including vacation, sick leave and holidays. Military leave: You'll get up to 15 days of military leave with full pay. Longevity raises with continuous service, as well as any negotiated market increases and state statutory raises. Health, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, flexible spending accounts, EAP - click hereto learn more. Free telehealth and access to free employee medical clinics through our medical plan - clickhereto learn more. Choice between two retirement plans with an employer contribution between 8.73% - 9.07% of your annual salary. A third optional 457(b) deferred compensation plan is also available. - Clickhereto learn more. Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness- click hereto learn more! Career progression, training opportunities and room for professional growth. State employee discounts at various businesses across the state. This position may be eligible for a statutory $1.00 an hour base pay increase effective on July 1, 2026. This position may be covered by a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Title: Administrative Supervisor Location: Helena Requisition ID: 26140727
