Social Work Manager - City of Birmingham

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

07/24/2026

PAY GRADE:

Grade 26

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The City of Birmingham is seeking a compassionate leader who is committed to improving the lives of vulnerable individuals through effective case management, collaboration, and evidence-based social work practice. The Social Work Manager provides clinical and administrative leadership to professional social work staff while overseeing the delivery of comprehensive case management services for individuals with complex behavioral, medical, and socioeconomic needs. This position is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating social service programs; ensuring services align with organizational goals and best practices; coordinating multidisciplinary and interagency efforts; supervising high-quality case management; and maintaining a limited caseload of high-acuity clients. Work is performed in office, field, and community settings to support housing stability, enhance service delivery, and improve client outcomes.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is presented below:

$60,486 - $93,828

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

• Experience performing clinical interventions with marginalized groups, such as crisis stabilization, case management, or advocacy for individuals facing housing instability, acute mental health challenges, or systemic poverty.

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Provides clinical consultation for complex cases, including behavioral health crises and safety risks to ensure adherence to National Association of Social Work ethical standards and Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners requirements.

• Conducts or oversees quality assurance audits to ensure compliance with state-mandated standards and continuous improvement of service delivery.

• Oversees the program operations, including intake, assessment, and implementation of individualized case plans focused on housing stabilization and self-sufficiency.

• Represents the agency at community task forces and stakeholder meetings to advocate for their clients and align program goals with agency’s strategic priorities.

• Drafts policies and program recommendations for executive leadership by leveraging data-driven insights to improve service equity and operational effectiveness.

• Analyzes program performance data and outcome metrics to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, and inform strategic and operational improvements.

• Maintains specialized caseload of high-acuity or complex cases, providing advanced crisis intervention, safety planning, and short-term counseling.

• Coordinates and performs field-based outreach activities in diverse settings such as encampments, shelters, and hospitals to engage individuals and facilitate access to essential resources and public benefits (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP), while ensuring services are delivered in alignment with departmental policies, program objectives, and established service standards.

• Assists with discharge planning and transitions of care for individuals exiting institutional settings to mitigate the risk of homelessness.

• Ensures regulatory compliance with federal, state, and local laws governing social work practice and the use of public funds.

• Supports grant management by tracking program data, assisting with reporting requirements, and identifying potential funding opportunities to sustain department strategies.

• Participates in budget planning and resource allocation to ensure the Division’s financial activities remain within annual limits.

• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

• Maintains records and prepares official reports regarding program outcomes and department activities for review by the Mayor’s Office and other governing bodies.

• Participates in professional development activities (e.g., conferences, workshops) to stay current on best practices and emerging trends in social services.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job involves physical exertion required for sustained periods of light physical activity such as walking or standing for brief periods of time. May involve light lifting of items or objects weighing up to 25 lbs. May require physical tolerance for environments with potential exposure to infection disease, disagreeable odors, and unhygienic conditions. Work involves providing services to individuals experiencing homelessness with complex behavioral, medical, and socioeconomic needs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is conducted both indoors in an office setting as well as during regular field visits to external places of business, residences, encampments for the unhoused, community shelters, or hospitals. Work involves use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and copiers. Work involves providing clinical consultation and counseling to individuals who are experiencing behavioral health, medical, or socioeconomic needs.

EEO STATEMENT:

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System. More detail regarding this job is available by clicking Apply.

DISCLAIMER:

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.