Quality Specialist

About the role

The Quality Specialist conducts monitoring, data collection, and technical assistance to ensure classroom operations align with Department and Early Education division goals, program policies and procedures, and the Office of Head Start Performance requirements, so school readiness outcomes of enrolled children are met. In this role, the Quality Specialist will be a specialized team member focusing on compliance-driven objectives, including health & safety, licensing, and data collection requirements. This position will be part of a larger team providing support to ensure high-quality service delivery to children and families and compliance with all local, state, federal, and Head Start requirements.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate ongoing monitoring per program schedules and guidelines to collect data to inform continuous improvement for achieving goals that ensure the assigned service area meets local, state, and federal mandates/regulations related to child development and high-quality education services, including for children with disabilities, that promote children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth for later school success.
• Monitor data collection by cluster team members thoroughly to ensure completion of health & safety checklists, classroom visitation checklists, and desktop monitoring within the required timelines for all classrooms, and ensure they are uploaded to an online data system.
• Provide on-site monitoring visits to all assigned center-based classrooms to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards.
• Trend and analyze data collected for non-compliance, quality improvement, and scaling activities.
• Provide feedback to teachers, the Site Supervisor/Education Partner, and the Quality Coordinator regarding the technical assistance needed, promising practices, and training opportunities through monitoring activities.
• Provide the EED leadership team with feedback to improve, adapt, or scale the pilot design.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams, including Family Support Services, Mental Health, Coaching, Nutrition, Disabilities, and leadership, to maximize efforts in collaboration to increase high-quality service delivery to children and families.

Requirements

• Must possess or can obtain a valid Arizona driver's license by time of hire.
• Must complete a background check and fingerprint identification upon hire to secure and maintain an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card.
• Must complete a medical exam that includes screening for tuberculosis (TB).

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education AND one year of early education teaching experience (Preferably in a Head Start or Early Head Start program)
• A Bachelor’s degree AND 18 credits of coursework in early childhood education, with more than one year of early education teaching experience (Preferably in a Head Start or Early Head Start program)
• An Associate degree in Early Childhood Education AND three years of supervisory experience (Experience as a Teacher, co-teaching with a Teaching Assistant, or Assistant Teacher will meet the supervisory requirement), AND one year or more of teaching experience (preferably in a Head Start or Early Head Start program)

Skills

• Knowledge of infants', toddlers', and preschoolers' growth and development;
• Developmentally appropriate practices;
• Early childhood education best practices and principles;
• High-quality learning environments;
• Knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards;
• Ability to multitask and organize workload data with multiple priorities and requirements;
• Ability to support the philosophy of Maricopa County’s Early Education Division and be a team player in supporting the philosophy of the program;
• Ability to monitor results and analyze data, draw conclusions, and organize solutions;
• Ability to work independently, identify when support is needed, and seek out appropriate resources;
• Ability to effectively communicate with teachers, Site Supervisors/Education Partners leadership teams, Quality Coordinator, and the extended EED team (Collaborative approach with respectful, clear, and ongoing communication skills).

Benefits

• Paid vacation, sick time, and parental leave.
• An extensive wellness program, including an incentive.
• Enrollment in the Arizona State Retirement System, a defined retirement benefit requiring a 11.98% per paycheck contribution rate that includes a 100% employer match on Day 1.

Pay

Anticipated Hiring Range: $23.40 - $31.83 hourly
Full Pay Range: $23.40 - $40.25 hourly
Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification. This position is eligible for overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in the designated workweek.

Schedule

Work is performed in an office environment; it requires long periods of sitting, reading, and typing. Requires travel to and from job-related locations during the course of a scheduled workday, subject to County policies regarding use of County vehicles and/or private vehicles used on County business. Occasional evening and weekend work.