Senior Early Childhood Quality Assurance Specialist- Remote

ICF’s Early Education Services Line of Business seeks a Senior Early Childhood Quality Assurance Specialist to work for the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA). This professional will deliver training and technical assistance (T&TA) to state and territory leaders and their partners to strengthen early childhood systems and programs that serve children and families, enhance the success of quality initiatives implemented under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and improve the quality, supply, and accessibility of child care.

The Ideal candidate will have both a background in and experience with early childhood systems and initiative design or management, with knowledge of CCDF statutes, regulations, and CCDF Plan requirements. In addition, this professional will possess wide-ranging experience and expertise with systems of care and specialized content knowledge on multiple ECE topics, such as family child care, workforce, and quality improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate will be able to deliver virtual and in-person relationship-based T&TA with confidence and comfort, interact with integrity, embrace differences, and will bring their passion for supporting the ECE workforce and those who support them.

This position is full time and remote within the U.S. and may involve up to 30% travel to OCC sponsored events and to provide technical assistance to states, territories, and tribes.

TA is defined as both onsite and offsite activities, such as consultation, meeting and conference presentation and facilitation, support of peer-to-peer opportunities, information gathering, review of materials, participation in and leadership for workgroups, strategic planning, and training design and delivery for a wide range of early childhood content areas, including mixed-delivery, early childhood systems building efforts. 

Key Responsibilities:

Experience

• Leverage depth and breadth of expertise to deliver training and technical assistance, in at least two or more areas, such as family child care, child care business and program administration, quality improvement systems, small business development, child care fiscal management, professional development systems, and workforce related issues.
• Ability to apply a broad perspective to identify solutions to complex problems, including diverse needs across states, territories, and Tribes
• Ability to use wide-ranging experience, professional concepts, and company objectives to resolve issues in creative and effective ways.

Scope

• Support OCC designated priorities and special projects and events, including response to quick turn requests, development of TA materials (e.g., issue briefs, handouts, brochures, presentation kits, and webinars).
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to develop and deliver targeted technical assistance opportunities focused on facets of early childhood systems building, meetings with representatives from the ECE workforce and families, trainings, communities of practice, and other group opportunities as required by the client. 
• Work with seasoned staff to provide and/or coordinate individualized technical assistance responses to states and territories upon CCDF Administrators’ and regional office staff members’ requests
• Participate in presentations at national meetings and conferences.
• Enter data on TA planning and provision within required databases, adhering to established timelines and protocols.

Leadership

• Stay abreast of the latest research, tools, and resources that support the activities of NCECQA including adult learning principles and current adult education methods.

Communication, Collaboration, and Client Focus

• Build strong, positive relationships with team members for ongoing communication, collaborative planning, and shared problem solving to meet the needs of clients, states, and territories.
• Assist in the planning of CCDF grantees meeting; communicate with states to encourage presentations and participation in the convening; facilitate breakout sessions and regional/state team meetings.
• Build strong partnerships with Federal TA partners across multiple agencies and programs and coordinate TA as established by the contract and client, including in participation national workgroups and task forces as assigned.
• Participate in regular NCECQA team meetings and calls.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, public policy, public administration, or management
• 8+ years of experience in the early childhood or public administration field, including:
  • Knowledge of CCDF regulations and program implementation requirements and one or mor