Early Childhood Professional Development Specialist

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).

The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

Primary Location:

Bargaining Unit:

No

Children thrive when they spend their most critical years with dedicated, educated, trained, and well-compensated individuals. The New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute leads the work to establish and implement an early childhood workforce system to ensure funding, standards and competencies, career development resources, qualifications and credentials, professional development (training and strengths-based coaching), and program quality assurance and improvement for individuals who work with young children throughout New York. Housed at the City University of New York, the Institute is a fast-paced, dynamic public/private partnership that is committed to the early childhood workforce and program quality across New York State.

General Description

The Professional Development Team is seeking a part-time bilingual professional development specialist to design and deliver training for early childhood provider educators, primarily those in home-based settings. The Professional Development (PD) Specialist will be a dynamic trainer with knowledge of early childhood general and special education, childcare program management, and an ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups of educators. The PD Specialist will facilitate interactive learning sessions that strengthen providers' knowledge of child development, inclusion, family engagement, and strategies for home-based care. This position will report to the Director of the Informal Family Child Care Project.

Duties and Responsibilities

Learning Design and Facilitation

• Develop training curriculum and facilitation guides in content that assist provider educators in building knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care and cultural competence.

• Facilitate training for culturally and linguistically diverse early childhood provider educators, both in-person or virtually, as determined by the needs of the project.

• Prepare training materials, handouts, and resources in English and Spanish (preferred).

• Utilize surveys and other mechanisms to collect feedback about training content and delivery.

• Revise training content and delivery strategies based on participant and Professional Development Team feedback.

• Utilize the Aspire training approval process to ensure training content and events are quality assured, including accounting for participant attendance post-training.

• Track and maintain training-related data for contributions to program reports.

• Work collaboratively with the PD team to create and implement new professional learning content and strategies

Collaboration with the Professional Development Team

• Cooperate with the Professional Development team staff to schedule events

• Participate in communities of practice

• Contribute to program planning

• Contribute to the resource library

• Attend staff meetings and trainings as required

• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Social Work, Human Development, or a related field (Master's preferred).

• Minimum of 5 years direct experience in child care and early childhood education role(s)

• Experience working within, or familiarity with, various early childhood program types, including Family Child Care, Pre-Kindergarten, Public Schools serving 3 and/or 4-year-old children, and Community-Based Organizations.

• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating group learning for adults

• Strong knowledge base in both child development and adult learning theories

• Currently possess or eligible for NYS trainer and/or coaching credentials (T-TAP)

• Ability to articulate and engage in linguistically and culturally responsive practices

• Ability to develop and sustain successful collaborative partnerships

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Exceptional interpersonal skills.

• Proficient in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Proficient in virtual communication platforms (e.g., Teams, Zoom, etc.)

• Flexible availability during days, evenings and/or weekends to accommodate the schedules of participants

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluent in spoken and written Spanish

• Minimum of two years of experience in a leadership role or as a family child-care provider

• Experience with home-based childcare, parent education, family engagement, and or social work

• Degree, concentration, or experience in Special Education or working with children with disabilities

• Working knowledge of the New York State Core Body of Knowledge, Head Start Performance Standards, and State and local Education Department Policies

• Active member profile in the Aspire Registry, New York's early childhood workforce registry

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• This is a 70/30 hybrid position, subject to change. Remote work arrangements are not a right or entitlement of employment, and, as such, are discretionary and subject to operational needs unless otherwise provided by the CUNY Flexible Work Guidelines. A laptop may be provided if needed to support working remotely.

• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and presentation equipment.

• While performing these duties, the employee is required to perform physical activities such as, but not limited to, lifting items (up to 20 pounds), bending, reaching, and sitting for prolonged periods of time. Reasonable accommodation will be made for employees with disabilities or other needs per RFCUNY policies.

• Ability to travel to other sites as needed.

How to Apply

Provide a resume and cover letter specifying your qualifications and experience relevant to this position by uploading your resume and cover letter in the "Resume/CV" field. Applications without cover letters will not be accepted.

Pay Range:

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.