Child Care Technical Assistant

Position Function:

Conduct training and technical assistance to early childhood family-home providers.

Salary Grade:  14

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Throughout its history, Mississippi State University-Extension Service (MSU-Extension) has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to programs that directly impact young children and their families. In the past decade, MSU-Extension has distinguished itself as Mississippi’s premier infrastructural support of high-quality early childhood education.

Anticipated Appointment Date:

June 2025.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The following examples are intended as illustrations only of the various types of duties assigned in positions allocated to this classification. The absence of specific statements of duties does not exclude those tasks from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment of the position.
1. Be able to fulfill topic-specific training and/or technical assistance conducted by Nurturing Homes. Areas of training and/or technical assistance topics may include but are not limited to:
• child growth and development
• early childhood care and education administration
• best practice for learning
• child assessment
• health/mental health and safety
• parent/family outreach and support
• nutrition
• disaster preparedness
• program assessments
2. Build & maintain professional and cooperative relationships with training and technical assistance participants.
3. Recruit and maintain participants.
4. Demonstrate exceptional written and oral communication skills.
5. Be able to work independently and meet deadlines given by immediate supervisor.
6. File reports in a timely manner (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.)
7. Fulfill requirements and responsibilities to be CLASS reliable and complete trainings for Business Administration Scale for Family Home Providers.
8. Provide training/TA to licensed and unlicensed family home providers.
9. Continue professional development education per program and university guidelines.
10. Perform any other duties as assigned.

Responsible to:
• Executive Director
• Assistant Director
• Project Director
• Project Manager

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development, Early Childhood or a related field or any equivalent combination of related experience and/or education approved by the Department of Human Resources Management.
Licensures: Valid Driver’s License and the ability to travel as required during performance of assigned tasks. Background check will be conducted prior to offer being extended.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master’s Degree in Child Development, Early Childhood or a related field --or—any equivalent combination of related experience and/or education approved by the Department of Human Resources Management.
2. Experience working with family-home providers in the child care field.
3. Experience directly related to the job duties and/or responsibilities specified.
4. Any additional early-childhood related credentials, e.g. Child Development Associate (CDA), Mississippi Director’s Credential, National Director’s Credential
5. Knowledge of CLASS, BAS, Brigance, and any Environment Rating Scale.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to use technology and experience with Microsoft Office software suite. Interviewed candidates will have to demonstrate their ability to use a computer to create a PowerPoint presentation and share that presentation with the hiring committee.
• Ability to work with and adapt research materials for educational use which can be effectively communicated orally and/or in writing.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work as a team player.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Ability to travel out of local area. Overnight travel will be required. Use of personal car required.
• Extensive travel o