Developmental Specialist 3

Duties Description

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and assists in developing comprehensive IEPs and IPPs, consistent with students’ needs, to create effective school programs, enable students to reach their highest learning potentials, and improve learning outcomes.
• Evaluate students’ strengths, abilities, needs, interests, and goals; administers standardized evaluations, reviews performance data, updates objectives, and recommends modifications to IEPs/IPPs to ensure students’ progress.
• Participates in Committee on Special Education meetings, interdisciplinary team’s meetings including 30 Day, quarterly, annual, and special meetings, individuals receiving special education services with other DDSO staff.
• Reviews and updates objectives at specified times, and as deemed necessary.
• Will identify and request educational supplies, including classroom set up, as appropriate.
• Completes, updates, and maintains IEP documentation and all related data for students as required by the New York State Education Department and OPWDD; and ensures that federal and state regulations are followed.
• Development and implements instructional programs for basic skills development based on IEPs and IPPs, including intervention strategies and behavior modification techniques, for individual and/or group settings.
• Travel campus wide, moving with all instructional materials, to provide instructional delivery to individuals on multiple living units.
• Work with higher level Developmental Specialist to coordinate education program evaluation and planning activities to ensure that education program policies, procedures, and activities comply with applicable standards, laws, rules, and regulations; and participates in planning and coordination of meetings to address education program issues or concerns.
• Maintains ongoing communication with multiple interdisciplinary team members, parents or guardians, and related service providers to promote learning and development across various settings.
• May work with individuals to prepare for study to obtain their GED.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Developmental Specialist 2 is full performance level under the supervision of a higher-level Developmental Specialist. Appointment is dependent upon experience.
• Developmental Specialist 3 is advanced performance level under and supervise lower-level Developmental Specialist(s). Appointment is dependent upon experience.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nys-office-for-people-with-developmental-disabilities/posts/?feedView=all

Minimum Qualifications

Promotion:

One year of service as a Developmental Specialist 2, and possession of a permanent certificate as an SWD teacher, or Childhood or Early Childhood teacher with an SWD extension in New York State.

Open Competitive:

Permanent certificate as a Students with Disabilities (SWD) teacher, or Childhood or Early Childhood teacher with an SWD extension in New York State; and one year of post-certification education and/or habilitation experience in the field of SWD.

Transfer:

Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/c status in the posted title and be eligible for lateral transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1, 70.4, or 52.6 of Civil Service Law. The transfer cannot be a second consecutive transfer resulting in an advancement of more than two salary grades.

To determine if your current Civil Service title is eligible for transfer to this title, visit the Career Mobility GOT-IT website: https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/index.cfm.

Additional Comments

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). HELPS Program titles may be filled via a non-competitive appointment. This means that you do not need to take an exam to qualify, but you do need to meet the minimum qualifications of the title.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), employees hired under NY HELPS are expected to have their permanent non-competitive employment status converted to permanent competitive status. You will not have to take an exam to gain permanent competitive status.

• If you are currently a New York State employee serving in a permanent competitive qualifying title and eligible for a transfer via Section 70.1 or 52.6 of the Civil Service Law, you may be appointed to this title as a permanent competitive employee.
• The assignment of PS&T employees will be made in accordance with any agreed upon Memorandum of Understanding between PEF and the local DDSO regarding the posting of job vacancies.
• Preference will be given to OPWDD employees impacted by closures. If you are being impacted by closure, please indicate this on your resume.
• All OPWDD employees must be eligible and maintain eligibility for full and unconditional participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Continued employment will depend on maintaining eligibility.
• If you are employed by state government you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments have been made under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. For more information on PSLF, please visit www.studentAid.gov/publicservice.
• Employees on long term leave can bid on positions but must be able to report to work within fourteen (14) days and be able to perform the essential functions of their positions with or without reasonable accommodation (RA).
• If an employee or job applicant believes that they need a reasonable accommodation, they should contact the Reasonable Accommodation Unit at (518) 486-7222 or email accommodationrequests@opwdd.ny.gov to obtain information and RA forms.
• Savings programs such as the U.S. Savings Bond and the College Savings Plan.
• Voluntary pre-tax savings programs such as Health Care Spending Account and the Dependent Care Advantage Account offer employees options to pay for uncovered health care expenses or dependent care expenses.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) an assessment and referral service that connects employees with local service providers and support services to address their personal needs.
• Life insurance and Disability insurance.
• The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement plan that offers employees the option to invest a part of their salaries for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.
• Paid Holidays and Leave:
  
  

° Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year.

° Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially.

° Five (5) days paid personal leave each year.

° Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year.

° Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events.

• Health Care Coverage:
  
  

Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost.

• Paid Parental Leave:
  
  

Paid Parental Leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at full pay for each qualifying event. A qualifying event is defined as the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.

• Retirement Program:
  
  

Participate in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS), which is recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded public retirement systems in the nation.

• Professional Development and Education and Training:
  
  

NYS offers training programs and tuition assistance to eligible employees to maintain and increase their professional skills and prepare them for promotional opportunities. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/training-and-professional-development.

• Additionally, the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) offers certain professional training opportunities for PEF represented and M/C designated employees that may grant continuing education credits towards maintaining professional licensure. For more information, please visit https://oer.ny.gov/public-service-workshops-program-pswp.
  
  

OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We believe that we are most effective in managing and improving our service system with a diverse team of employees. With such a large workforce, we rely on the collective individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, ideas and talent that our employees bring to their work. This speaks to our culture and is a key part of our successes. As we continuously recruit people for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

***All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.***

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Submit cover letter and résumé by January 21, 2026 to:

Sunmount-OHRM

2445 State Route 30

Tupper Lake, NY 12986

E-Mail: sunmount.careers@opwdd.ny.gov

Phone: (518) 359-4150

Fax: (518) 359-4161

Please reference the above EOA #26-02 in all correspondence.