Human Development Specialist III

Join our team at the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) and help support our mission to partner with communities, families, and individuals to provide opportunities to access a continuum of resources that promote equity and create positive outcomes for people of all ages and abilities. Our vision is to see connected communities where all individuals and families are supported and empowered to thrive.

This position is located at Oak View Elementary School BTB (5004 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032) and works as part of the Culture, Recreation, and Community Connections (CRCC) Division to provide leadership and support for school-based sites serving school-age youth, as well as center-based sites serving Youth, Teen, Adult, Senior, and Family programs as needed.

About the Role

Plans, coordinates, and evaluates outcome-based inclusive programs for diverse populations, including recreational, educational, health and wellness, social, civic, and cultural programs. Uses a human-centered approach and human development best practices to meet community and participant needs. Provides overall administration, supervision, and leadership for place-based efforts while complying with state and local training and licensure requirements. Conducts targeted community outreach to increase participation and offer programs based on community needs. Supports all children in the program, including those with special needs, and actively engages with staff and children daily.

Schedule

This is a full-time, 52-weeks-per-year position requiring 40 hours per week between 6:45 am – 6:15 pm. During the school year, a split shift is required. Full-day shifts (6.5+ consecutive hours) are required when Fairfax County Public Schools are closed (teacher workdays, winter break, spring break, summer).

Responsibilities

• Supervises a team of full-time, temporary, part-time, seasonal staff, and volunteers.
• Plans, coordinates, and evaluates programs, activities, and events using a human-centered approach to ensure equitable outcomes for all in co-located or stand-alone sites.
• Identifies practices or policies that create unintended consequences for marginalized or underrepresented communities using a trauma-informed lens.
• Ensures programming aligns with county goals and initiatives.
• Manages daily facility operations, including hiring, training, and scheduling staff.
• Completes and submits required financial, data, statistical, and other reports.
• Adheres to revenue and expense limits.
• Inspects facilities and grounds for safety hazards and operational deficiencies, initiating corrective actions.
• Responds to public inquiries and concerns as appropriate.
• Participates in developing and implementing school-based, community center-based, and outreach plans targeting all communities, with focused strategies for marginalized groups.
• Facilitates, distributes, or participates in evaluation processes such as surveys, focus groups, and program benchmarking.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in human development, social work, early childhood education, recreation, or a related human services field.
• One year of supervisory experience in program development, community engagement, child-related programmatic experience, or related human services experience.
• First Aid/CPR certification (within 90 days of appointment).
• Food Handler's certification (within 90 days of appointment).
• Successful completion of a criminal background check and Child Protective Services Registry check.
• Tuberculosis (TB) screening upon hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a child-related field such as elementary education, nursing, or recreation.
• Two years of child-related programmatic experience.
• Experience working with children with special needs, including in settings providing services to such youth within the past two years.
• Certification from an internationally or nationally recognized Montessori organization, Child Development Credential, one-year early childhood certificate from a college or university, or other childcare-related Virginia State license.
• Demonstrated experience and proficiency in planning appropriate experiences for school-age children.

Skills

• Knowledge of human-centered and human development practices.
• Basic fiscal management, record keeping, and inventory processes.
• Understanding of culture, community strengths, assets, and relationship-building strategies.
• Proficiency in using personal computers, applicable software, and peripheral equipment.
• Ability to direct and coordinate the work of subordinate staff and volunteers.
• Ability to plan, develop, and administer programs, activities, and events in co-located or stand-alone facilities and the community.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain warm, supportive relationships with participants, parents, staff, school officials, and citizen groups in group or individual settings.
• Ability to provide diverse experiences to meet participants' intellectual, physical, social, and emotional needs.

Physical Requirements

• Active role requiring regular movement to monitor and observe program participants.
• Frequent repositioning to supervise and interact with participants at their level.
• Occasional lifting, transporting, positioning, pushing/pulling up to 50 pounds.
• Sufficient mobility and range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting.
• Ability to react quickly to participants' physical actions.
• Ability to apply CPR and First Aid skills and respond to emergencies.
• Proficiency in operating keyboard-driven equipment for administrative and supervisory tasks.
• Mobility to attend meetings at various locations and make presentations to county staff and the community.

Fairfax County encourages bilingual candidates (English and another language) to apply, as the county serves a highly diverse population with many residents speaking languages other than English at home, including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Indo-European languages.