Job Abstract

ICF seeks an experienced Early Childhood (EC) Specialist to support Head Start and Early Head Start programs to ensure high quality Head Start and Early Head Start services in accordance with federal regulations.   The Early Childhood Specialist will provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to programs to support progress toward established school readiness goals, focusing on the use of child and program data to make decisions about approaches to working with teachers, home visitors, and parents in quality practices. The Specialist will provide professional-level expertise by engaging programs in dialogue and learning of best practices for children from birth to five and encourage a culture of learning that promotes school readiness. 

This position is home-based in one of the regional states (Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia), and extensive travel within Region III, and other parts of the country as needed, will be required to fulfill the duties of the position.   

Basic Qualifications

The Early Childhood Specialist shall have:

• A minimum of a BA or BS Degree in Early Childhood Education/Development from an accredited university or college.
• If the highest degree was awarded more than ten years ago, the resume should specifically detail courses, conferences, seminars attended or relevant work experience that ensure the proposed candidate remains current in the field of early childhood development.
• 5+ years' experience in programs for young children ranging from birth to five years in age. The experience should include the provision of technical assistance to teachers, home visitors, family childcare providers, coaches, and/or management team members.

• 1+ year experience working with infants and toddlers
• 1+ year experience of Family engagement experience
• 1+ year experience facilitating group discussions and presenting to range of audiences.
• 1+ year experience analyzing data and assisting programs to make data driven decisions.
• 1+ year experience providing training and/or technical assistance to programs in developing and/or implementing school readiness goals or plans.
• 1+ year experience communicating, both orally and in writing, to various audiences.

Preferred Experience/Skills

• Knowledge of Head Start
• Experience working within a Head Start Program

Key Responsibilities

The Regional Early Childhood Specialist shall provide the following in-person or virtually as determined by the regional office.

• Provide TTA to grantees related to school readiness, family engagement, and professional development.
• Provide TTA related to the selection and implementation of ongoing child assessment, curriculum, and teaching that is age, developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate across the birth to five spectrum.
• Assist grantees to improve teacher/child interactions as described by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for center-based preschool programs and other measures suitable for programs serving children from birth-to-five or children in home based and family childcare settings.
• Assist grantees to develop the procedures and skills to aggregate, analyze, and use data obtained through multiple sources.
• Assist grantees to implement a research-based coaching model.
• Assist grantees to develop and implement family engagement practices that support family progress as described in the Parent Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework, including coaching of family engagement staff and selection and implementation of a parenting curriculum.
• Assist grantees to strengthen birth-to-five transition practices, including building relationships with local preschools, elementary schools, and other partners.
• Assist grantees to improve their collaboration with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), state agencies, and other partners.
• Coordinate TTA with Grantee, Family Engagement, Health, and System Specialists to ensure effective integration of TTA across service areas, as directed by the Regional Office.
• Maintain regular and timely communication with Regional Office staff on delivery of TTA and progress toward corrective actions or quality improvement.
• Support emerging OHS initiatives and priorities.

Working at ICF

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 icfcareercenter@icf.com 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 workplace discrimination rights, the Pay Transparency Statement, or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

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: