The Internal Services Department (ISD) is the county’s general services provider, serving 40 county departments and agencies. ISD’s mission is to deliver essential business support services efficiently, enabling other county departments to fulfill their mandate of providing vital public services to county residents. Operational efficiency within ISD directly impacts its ability to support county departments effectively, making strategic improvements and system efficiencies imperative to the success of the department and the County of Los Angeles. 

The FUSE Executive Fellow will support efforts to enhance operational efficiencies, develop and implement process improvement initiatives, and support change management in ISD’s Finance and Administrative Service area to optimize the department’s financial processes.

Fellowship Dates: October 21, 2024 – October 24, 2025

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

PROJECT CONTEXT

As the County’s general services agency for the County of Los Angeles, ISD is organized into five distinct business operations:

  1. Administration & Finance Services (AFS)-AFS provides administrative support to ISD in financial, budget, human resource, and support services, including department workplace programs, security, and emergency management.
  2. Energy & Environmental Services (EES)- EES develops environmental and energy initiatives focusing on renewable energy, alternative fuels, land use planning, green building modifications, and climate change for County Departments and the Los Angeles Region. EES is the lead agency for implementing the County’s Energy and Environmental Policy.
  3. Information Technology Services (ITS)- ITS provides vital technology services for developing and maintaining mission-critical computer applications, supports Los Angeles County’s vast communications network, and manages 24-hour data center operations.
  4. Purchasing & Contract Services (PCS)- PCS?provides centralized purchasing services, administration, and support, including service contracting oversight and training. ISD is designated as the official Purchasing Agent for Los Angeles County.
  5. Operations Services (OPs)- OPS is the primary provider of strategic facilities management, preventative maintenance and repairs, capital improvements and Facility Reinvestment Program, custodial and landscaping, fleet, parking, and mail services.

Information Technology, Operations, Purchasing and Contracting and Energy and Environmental Services provide direct services to county customers via a fee-for-service model. The Administration and Finance department provides backbone support to ISD through HR, finance, accounting, communications, and emergency management services. The current process to establish rates for ISD services is inconsistent, lacks transparency, and creates difficulties for our customers to understand their charges.

ISD is a unique service provider as it is the first option for other County departments to utilize in most cases. Our diverse work streams and extensive reach across the County make it a natural fit for many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For example, the Los Angeles County Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative collaborated with LACISD to identify and analyze key data to inform County-wide anti-racism approaches. ISD’s purchasing and contracting teams is working to make County contracts more accessible to minority-owned businesses. ISD also manages the Delete the Divide initiative, a program aimed at advancing digital equity by improving IT infrastructure, enabling residents’ access to technology (e.g., laptops and WiFi hotspots), and providing IT internships and job training to County residents. By delivering cost-effective services to its county customers and managing essential DEI programs, ISD can enhance the impact of County-wide programs and services.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning October 2024, the FUSE Executive Fellow will spearhead efforts to enhance operational efficiency within ISD’s Finance and Administrative Service area. Key initiatives include:

  • Implementing a roadmap to streamline the rate and billing process, developed in collaboration with external consultants.
  • Developing and implementing training materials on ISD’s rate-setting process, financial management, and budgeting.
  • Establishing policies to guide internal financial, accounting, and budgeting processes.
  • Informing the development of technology applications to automate financial processes and transactions.

The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop and socialize procedures to guide the new approach to HR procedures. These processes will provide detailed, step-by-step guides to HR team members on implementing their updated roles and encourage additional performance improvement as team members identify new efficiencies.

Alongside the procedures, the FUSE Executive Fellow will assist in the development and roll out of the human resources, finance, and accounting tools necessary for the ISD team members to implement the new processes. Tools could include orientation checklists, rate formulae, training manuals, and templates.

As part of the improvements to Rate and Billing Initiative, the FUSE Executive Fellow will create a Cost Allocation Plan and Cost Recovery Plan in collaboration with the project team. The allocation plan will detail a rigorous methodology for allocating internal costs across the department, and the cost recovery plan will equip ISD to develop fair, transparent rates for services that can be easily explained to customers. Successful tools will be automated when possible, focusing on human-centered design that empowers frontline workers to excel.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The following provides a general overview of the proposed fellowship project. During the first few months of the fellowship, the host agency, the fellow, and FUSE staff will revisit this project summary and the potential deliverables collaboratively.

By April 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will have overseen the following:

  • Conduct research – Develop a deep understanding of ISD’s business process and operational practices to make informed recommendations for improvement.
  • Inform and implement ISD new Rate and Billing Plans—Support the development of plans for more effective and transparent internal and external cost allocation to ensure more strategic budget allocations and improved customer service.
  • Bring in New Tools – Design or inform the tools to implement improved finance processes. Tools should be human-centered, encourage continuous improvement, and automate tasks when possible.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor – Michael Owh, Director; Internal Services Department
  • Project Supervisor – Vanessa Esparza, Executive Advisor, Strategic Initiatives; Internal Services Department

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.