Human Development Specialist II

Fairfax County • NEIGHBORHOOD and COMMUNITY SERVICES - MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, VA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This position supports the mission of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) by partnering with communities, families, and individuals to provide opportunities for equity and positive outcomes for people of all ages and abilities. The role involves planning and implementing scheduled programs at a school-based site, working with school-age youth, and supporting program oversight by complying with state and local guidelines. The specialist will assist in program operations, planning, and daily participant supervision. They will also coordinate activities, programs, and service delivery, using a human-centered design framework to implement equitable, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant programs. Additionally, the role includes supporting staff and volunteer training and supervision, developing community outreach plans, and ensuring compliance with operating procedures and safety standards. Support will be provided to all children, including those with special needs, with active daily engagement with staff and children.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university in a field such as human development, social work, early childhood education, recreation or a human services related field.
• Considerable knowledge of cultural, environmental, and psychological factors that impact individual behavior and the growth of school age children, and implications for group dynamics and ongoing development.
• Knowledge of Human-centered and human development practices.
• Knowledge of health safety and first aid methods.
• Ability to build and maintain positive, supportive relationships with staff, participants, families, and partners that cultivate confidence and trust.
• Ability to provide targeted, culturally relevant, and stimulating age-appropriate experiences for participants.
• Ability to operate keyboard-driven equipment.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing.
• Sufficiently mobile to attend meetings at various locations and make presentations to county staff and community.
• Ability to react quickly to the physical actions of program participant.
• Ability to apply CPR and First Aid skills as needed and respond to emergency situations.
• Must be able to monitor and observe the activities of program participants.
• Regularly moves about or positions self to supervise and interact with participants at their level.
• Occasionally lifts, transports, positions, push/pulls or moves up to 50 pounds.
• Must be sufficiently mobile and possess a range of motion to perform repetitive standing, walking, balancing, stooping, bending, crouching, crawling, sitting on the floor, reaching, squatting, kneeling, and twisting.
• Criminal background check and a Child Protective Services Registry check.
• Tuberculosis (TB) screening upon hire.
• First Aid/CPR certification (within 90 days of appointment).
• Food Handler certification (within 90 days of appointment).

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in a child-related field such as elementary education, nursing, or recreation from a college or university.
• Two years of child-related programmatic experience with one year in a staff supervisory capacity.
• Child-related programmatic experience in the group care of children with special needs.
• Experience working in a setting that provided services to children and youth with special needs in the past two years.
• Certification of qualification from an internationally or nationally recognized Montessori organization; or Child Development Credential; or one-year early childhood certificate from a college or university; or Other childcare related Virginia State license.
• Experience working in a school-age child care setting with children.
• Experience working with a diverse multicultural population.
• Bilingual in English and another language.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement target, age-appropriate programs and activities cultivating enhanced learning, positive developmental relationships, and personal development opportunities.
• Assist in creating Trauma-informed Spaces that promote safety, healing, social and emotional well-being of program participants.
• Coordinate program plans and activities, staff assignment, scheduling, and engagement with families and community members.
• Support supervision of the Human Development Specialist I and volunteers.
• Serve as liaison with site personnel and agency departments in the ongoing maintenance of staff records, fiscal documentation, and purchasing.
• Deliver, coordinate, and adapt equitable programs and activities to meet the needs of the population served.
• Track participant progress and personal development.
• Monitor physical safety of participants.
• Cultivate supportive relationships with participants' parents.
• Support community engagement opportunities.
• Provide daily supervision of participants.
• Assist in the organization, coordination, and scheduling of school and community facility activities, programs, and service delivery.
• Assist in the development and implementation of community outreach plans, and target interventions for underserved populations to increase overall program participation and engagement.
• Ensure staff compliance with operating procedures, safety/security standards, and community awareness of facility rules and regulations.
• Provide support to all children in the program, including children with special needs.
• Work actively and be engaged with staff and children daily.

Benefits

• Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.
• Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level