Technical Assistance Specialist- REMOTE

ICF • Reston, VA

5d • 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 to improve data quality, completeness, and timeliness. The role designs, develops, and implements training and technical assistance (TA) on data reporting best practices, the data collection system, and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) reporting requirements. It collaborates on high-quality products and services delivered onsite or virtually and uses qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategies and recommendations in government and CCDF contexts.

The specialist supports CCDF grantees through on-demand assistance, helps them meet federal reporting requirements, and contributes to data sets, dashboards, reports, resources, and training. The role also supports project reporting, event planning and evaluation, file management, quality assurance, and coordination with clients and multidisciplinary project teams. The position is remote in the United States. The listed full-time pay range is $67,355 to $114,503.

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 content 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 in 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.
• Strong writing skills, including the ability to translate complex topics into clear, accessible, actionable content.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities in a fast-paced environment and meet urgent deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to support client relations, team building, and business development opportunities.
• Ability to work independently and as a team player, and to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team with varying work styles, learning styles, and perspectives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to adapt to and learn new technology tools and platforms and identify ways to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Ability to handle sensitive or confidential information and exercise sound judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States; the position is not eligible for new H-1B visa sponsorship.

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 practices to improve 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

• Complete required and ad hoc reports and information-gathering tasks to demonstrate project progress, inform client services, and identify emerging needs.
• Participate in team meetings, internal workgroups, and collaborative projects; take and record meeting notes.
• Support Section 508 remediation and follow protocols for posting written products and deliverables to the website.
• 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 effective collection, analysis, presentation, and use 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 submissions and notify grantees of upcoming due dates.
• Design and deliver TA on CCDF reporting requirements, data integrity, and reporting best practices.
• Develop resource materials, how-to guides, and interactive on-demand video training using knowledge of CCDF requirements and the Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS).
• Help plan TA events, including regional meetings, national conferences, and site visits; coordinate event calendars and logistics.
• Evaluate TA events, communicate results to project staff, and follow up on issues or questions.
• Track and document work activities and provide clear weekly reports on progress, accomplishments, and upcoming priorities.
• Research and gather information to support timely, accurate responses to client and 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.
• Prepare ad hoc reports from project databases for project leadership and to inform TA or respond to client requests.
• Use approved AI, Smartsheet, and Mural tools when appropriate to facilitate and track task completion.
• Respond to grantee on-demand TA requests using standardized response protocols and timelines.
• Coordinate targeted TA responses to inquiries received by phone and email.
• Use specialized CCDF knowledge to assist grantees in meeting 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