Early Childhood Quality Assurance Technical Specialist- Remote

ICF’s Early Education Services Line of Business seeks an Early Childhood Quality Assurance Technical Specialist to support a large early education training and technical assistance team on early care and education projects. The TA Specialist will contribute to the development of innovative, high-quality products and services in support of multiple projects within the Early Education Services line of business. Technical Specialists have an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge, gain exposure to major projects, and interact with experts in the field while building content knowledge and consulting skills.

The ideal candidate will have both a background and experience in Child Development or Early Childhood Education (ECE) with knowledge of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations and program implementation, with a focus on supporting Lead Agencies to develop and implement strategies to strengthen the business practices of childcare providers.

The position is full-time and remote and may involve some travel to OCC sponsored events.

Technical assistance (TA) is defined as both onsite and off-site activities, such as consultation, meeting/conference presentation and facilitation, support of peer-to-peer opportunities, information gathering, review of materials, participation in and leadership for work groups, strategic planning, and training design and delivery in a wide range of content areas including early education policy and systems building efforts, health and safety standards and monitoring, program quality improvement, professional development systems and workforce, infant and toddler care initiatives, and other key areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Support data collection and stay up to date on childcare business practices and adult learning principles research and best practices.
• Expertise
• Support delivery of TA and development of resources under the direction of others.
• Actively engage in team meetings, internal workgroups, and other collaborative projects as requested.
• Build strong, positive relationships with project staff and partners for ongoing communication, collaborative planning, and shared problem-solving to meet the needs of CCDF Lead Agencies, their intermediaries, and early ECE professionals and systems.
• Leadership
• Knowledge of program operations across early care and education and out-of-school-time programs.
• Will work closely with the project team experts following the guidance of the team lead.
• Support quality assurance, continual quality improvement activities, and ongoing evaluation of work.
• Demonstrate a full understanding of CCDF, training and technical assistance (T&TA) approaches, and childcare subject matter and program operations across early care and education and out-of-school-time programs.
• Track and document T&TA delivery according to protocols and timelines.
• Work from a collaborative approach and demonstrate excellent interaction and communication that is strength based and solution focused.
• Performance and Growth
• Works under fairly limited direction. Normally receives little instruction on day-to-day work, general instructions on new assignments.
• Communication, Collaboration, and Client Focus
• Able to deliver specialized training, tailored to specific needs and audiences, using traditional and nontraditional methods.
• Knowledge of adult learning principles and best practices in training delivery and design.
• Demonstrate good judgment in planning, supporting, and delivering, targeted, and universal TA.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to develop training and TA content, including excellent written and verbal communication and facilitation skills.
• Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education, psychology, public policy, public administration, informatics, or related area.
• Experience at state and/or national level with early childhood policies, regulations, and systems specifically in the area of business practices and quality systems.
• Experience that may include work with early childhood state agencies or partnering organizations, early childhood policy development and analysis, provision of technical assistance related to ECE quality systems and business practices.
• 5+ years of relevant experience to include:
• Knowledge of CCDF requirements and funding streams.

Preferred Skills

• Expertise in SmartSheet and other project management systems.
• Experience providing training at State, Regional, or National Meetings and TA to individual organizations.
• Master’s degree in adult education, early childhood education, public administration, business administration, or related area.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working with adult learners as a trainer/facilitator.
• Collaboration and partnership experience across early care and education systems, including State and Federal partners.
• Bilingual and able to read, write, and speak Spanish proficiently.
• Experience supporting the implementation of the CCDF program at the Federal, State, or local level.
• Experience coordinating teams to establish and track project plans, milestones, and timelines for project deliverables.
• Content knowledge on licensing, health and safety standards, quality initiatives including Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), business practices, and early childhood systems development and alignment.

Professional Skills

• Ability to learn new technology platforms and identify ways to enhance productivity and organization.
• Proficient in MS Office Applications (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel), SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, SmartSheet, Zoom, and other e-learning/webinar tools.
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to apply detailed knowledge of organizational procedures to make independent decisions and serve as a credible resource for a senior project team.
• Ability to work with all levels of internal staff, as well as outside clients and vendors.
• Demonstrated outstanding level of professionalism in providing team support, including ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Interest or experience in using knowledge of adult learning styles in the creation of products.
• Team player with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future. We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are committed to creating a culture where we embrace our differences in ideas and identities. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. Learn more about what we dohttps://www.icf.com/ and our commitment to inclusionhttps://www.icf.com/company/about/diversity-inclusion.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to hiring regardless of any protected characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability status, or military/veteran status. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO & AA policy.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email [email protected] and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more about non-discrimination: Know Your Rights and Pay Transparency Statement.

Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position. The pay range for this position is:

$62,113.00 - $105,593.00

Nationwide Remote Office (US99)