Technical Assistance Specialist- REMOTE

ICF • Reston, VA

7d • $67,355 - $114,503 • Remote

About The Position

ICF seeks an experienced Technical Assistance Specialist to support states, territories, and Tribes in collecting, managing, and reporting federally mandated child care data. The role designs, develops, and implements training and technical assistance (TA) to promote data-reporting best practices. TA covers the data collection system as well as programmatic guidance on Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) reporting requirements. The position collaborates on high-quality products and services delivered onsite or through virtual platforms.

The role applies expertise in early childhood education data systems and CCDF data reporting to help grantees improve data quality, completeness, reliability, and timely submission. It supports data analysis and reporting, TA planning and delivery, resource and training development, event coordination and evaluation, project documentation, and responses to client and grantee inquiries. The position also supports user testing and development of reporting modules in the Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS).

The position is remote within the United States. The stated full-time pay range is $67,355 to $114,503. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; the role is not eligible for new H-1B visa sponsorship.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in child development, early childhood education, public policy, administration, human development, psychology, or a related field directly relevant to early childhood systems.
• Experience working in early care and education programs or systems, public policy implementation, administration, or grants management for programs supporting children and families.
• At least 5 years of experience implementing CCDF requirements or applicable early learning or child care laws, rules, and regulations.
• At least 5 years of experience applying deep knowledge of CCDF data reporting, analyzing data, and using data to inform policy recommendations.
• At least 3 years of experience developing and tracking project plans, milestones, and timelines for deliverables.
• At least 3 years of experience using and managing complex data sets and ensuring data integrity and reliable reporting practices.
• At least 2 years of experience developing and providing TA on reliable data and reporting practices for state, territory, or Tribal child care leaders, partners, intermediaries, and providers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, and Teams.
• Experience using e-learning, webinar, or virtual meeting platforms; basic design tools such as Canva; and digital work management tools such as Smartsheet and Mural.
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex topics in clear, accessible content.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and meet urgent deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and people with varying work and learning styles and perspectives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to adapt to and use new technology tools and platforms and identify ways to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Ability to handle sensitive or confidential information with judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in child development, early childhood education, public policy, management, or a related field.
• Experience leading collaborative workgroups to consolidate feedback, develop recommendations, or develop resources.
• Experience writing plain-language, audience-driven content.
• State- or national-level experience with early care and education policies, regulations, and systems, particularly CCDF implementation or other state early learning programs involving data collection and analysis to inform practice.
• State- or national-level experience developing and delivering training and TA resources.
• Experience using data visualization to improve the effectiveness and utility of reporting, planning, communication, and presentations.
• Experience supplementing written content with visual graphics to strengthen audience understanding and experience.
• Experience developing interactive on-demand training videos, preferably using Articulate.

Responsibilities

• Support client priorities and project objectives by preparing required and ad hoc reports and gathering information to demonstrate progress, inform client services, and identify emerging needs.
• Participate in team meetings, internal workgroups, and collaborative projects; take and record meeting notes, including for staff and federal workgroup meetings.
• Support Section 508 remediation and ensure written products and deliverables are posted to the website according to established protocols.
• Participate in or lead workgroups as requested by the client or project leadership.
• Support digital file management, organization, archiving, and migration.
• Support review, approval, posting, and dissemination of resources and announcements.
• Stay current on research, tools, technology, and resources relevant to project and client priorities.
• Support development of data sets, dashboards, and reports for collection, analysis, presentation, and application of CCDF data.
• Use data to identify emerging TA needs and resource topics, document grantee needs, and contribute to ongoing TA plans.
• Track federally mandated data submission status and notify grantees of upcoming due dates; provide TA on CCDF requirements, compliance, data integrity, and reporting best practices.
• Develop resource materials, how-to guides, and interactive on-demand video training using knowledge of CCDF requirements and CARS.
• Contribute to planning TA events, including regional meetings, national conferences, and site visits; coordinate production calendars and support logistics.
• Facilitate timely evaluation of TA events, communicate results to project staff, and follow up on issues or questions.
• Track and document work activities and deliver clear weekly reports on progress, accomplishments, and upcoming priorities.
• Research and gather information to support timely, accurate responses to client, state, and territory inquiries.
• Apply client-approved templates, styles, branding, and other requirements to digital and written products.
• Support data collection, reporting, data quality assurance, and project evaluation efforts.
• Prepare ad hoc reports from project databases for project leadership, TA efforts, and client requests.
• Use approved AI, Smartsheet, and Mural tools when appropriate to facilitate and track task completion.
• Respond to CCDF grantee on-demand TA requests using standardized response protocols and timelines.
• Coordinate with the project team to develop targeted TA responses to phone and email inquiries.
• Use specialized CCDF knowledge to help grantees meet federally mandated data-reporting requirements.
• Apply data analysis and reliability principles to support grantee data collection and reporting needs.
• Review grantee data and identify opportunities to improve its quality and reliability.
• Support user experience and development of CARS reporting modules by conducting user acceptance and requirements testing as requested.

What This Job Offers

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