JOB DESCRIPTION: Keystone STARS Specialist, Southeast Regional Key at PHMC

JOB DESCRIPTION: Keystone STARS Specialist, Southeast Regional Key at PHMC

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Statement of General Purpose:

The STARS Specialists are a core component of the Keystone STARS program. Through the use of the Keystone STARS Standards, the Specialist is responsible for guiding and directing early education and school- age practitioners towards achieving quality by engaging them in a Continuous Quality Improvement process. This position is responsible for recruitment and promotion of participation in Keystone STARS, as well as, upward movement in the system. The Specialist acts as a resource, providing practitioners with information and support assisting them to develop and implement appropriate plans to achieve the goals of Keystone STARS. The Specialist works in conjunction with Grants Specialists to enable providers to access Keystone STARS grants and awards. The primary task of the Keystone Stars Specialist is to receive and review applications; interpret the Keystone STARS Standards; guide programs through the process of understanding the intention behind the Standards; act as an expert on available resources; and make recommendations to the early education and school-age practitioners enabling them to move through the STARS process, submit grants in a timely fashion, and annually project professional development plans. This position reports to the STARS Team Leader.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain working relationships with a caseload of 80-100 early care and education and school-age practitioners
• Deliver presentations to practitioners encouraging the engagement of the continuous quality improvement process and the intent and requirements of Keystone Stars
• Provide assistance to facilities interested in requesting grants or awards
• Assist practitioners in setting individualized program goals and annual professional development plans in relationship to Keystone STARS standards
• Act as a resource informing practitioners of professional development events, educational opportunities, additional grants or consultants
• Complete annual plans and projections with assigned child care and school-age practitioners to enable them to complete the work toward achievement of a Keystone STAR level
• Work with the supportive/collaborative systems to assure the practitioner is able to access additional services as are needed (e.g. Community Engagement Group, Technical Assistance, Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, Child Health Consultant, etc.)
• Using the available software, the specialist is responsible for recording the progress of all applications assigned to that desk (e.g., PELICAN, internal tracking system)
• Develop reports as necessary
• Responsible for on-going reporting of the process of the program for practitioners in their caseload
• Assist as necessary to facilitate STAR level designations, grant generation, closures and audits
• Attend and participate in meetings with partners such as Certification, ERS, STARS TA, OCDEL; maintain on-going communication with said partners
• Coordinate with Designator to schedule designation visits
• Maintains awareness of on-going changes/improvements to the early care and school-age system
• Participates in on-going professional development and educational opportunities to augment his/her own skills
• Coordinate and conduct meetings establishing a community of learners

Core Competencies:

• Working knowledge of Keystone STARS regulations and requirements
• Strong working knowledge about trends and best practices Early Childhood Education
• Knowledge of community organizations, social and human services agencies, childcare services and systems, schools, etc., and collaborative interagency relationships
• Ability to effectively articulate the mission and vision of the Keystone STARS Program
• Ability to provide guidance, direction, and support to early care and school-age practitioners to facilitate Keystone STARS involvement and compliance with standards
• Ability to build positive reciprocal relationships with early care and school-age practitioners
• Ability to provide management with timely and accurate reports and recommendations
• Ability to work effectively in a team
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and competing priorities
• Ability to maintain complete, accurate, and accessible files and records
• Ability to communicate effectively and work productively with colleagues, government agencies, program participants, parents, and other human services organizations, etc. in a positive, pleasant, professional, and productive manner in writing, by telephone, and in personal contacts
• Working knowledge of personal computers and networked systems and their use and applications for data base management, tracking and reporting, etc. in a human services or similar environment

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education or a Bachelor degree and experience in working in early care and education or school-age programs and/or related field
• Demonstrated fundamental knowledge of business practices such as creating budgets and business plans
• Knowledge of early care and school-age systems, public social services, public funding helpful
• Three years work experience preferably in early care and education and/or school-age programs or human services, which involved some collaborative inter-agency work
• Experience in outreach, needs assessment, planning, marketing or public speaking helpful

Organizational Relationships:

This position functions as part of the staff of the Southeast Regional Key and is expected to attend all related meetings, trainings, and other activities as assigned. The STARS Specialist position reports to the STARS Team Leader. He/she interacts with Regional Key staff, practitioners, and parents and collaborates where appropriate, so as to enhance services to early care and education and school-age providers. The position is full-time (42.5 hours per week). The position of STARS Specialist operates from PHMC’s main offices at 260 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA though this position may require travel throughout Delaware, Philadelphia, and Montgomery counties.

Other Requirements:

This job includes the normal physical demands associated with office work and may require travel to sites through-out the southeast region in Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties and occasionally to statewide meetings. This position also requires occasional participation in daytime, evening and weekend meetings. This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.