Job Details

Program Specialist III

This position is located in the Leeward District-Homeless Concerns Office. The function of this office is to ensure that homeless children and youth receive uninterrupted access to education and related services as authorized under the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA). This position will provide assistance to the Complex Area Superintendent in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program operations, services, and activities to ensure compliance with the (MVA). This position also responsible for performing a variety of liaison, coordinative and advisory work including the facilitation of communication between the school, family and community agencies; coordination of services with different community agencies and organizations; and providing technical assistance and training. The authorized level of the position is Program Specialist III. Applications are being accepted down to the Professional Trainee I in the event of recruiting difficulties. Salary Range: All new external applicants will be placed on the initial step of the salary range. However, placement above the initial step of the salary range will be based on special characteristics and critical needs of the position, an applicant's exceptional qualifications, the availability of funds, and other relevant factors. Such appointments require prior approval. Hawaii State Department of Education employees will be placed on the salary range in accordance with Department regulations. Professional Trainee I, SR-16: $4,368.00 - $5,314.00 per month Professional Trainee II, SR-18: $4,725.00 - $5,753.00 per month Program Specialist III, SR-20: $5,107.00 - $6,221.00 per month

Examples of Duties

The position is responsible for the planning, organizing, coordinating, monitoring, administrative support of operations, and professional learning networks in support of statewide parent, family, and community engagement activities, including but not limited to, School Community Councils, (SCCs), Community Children's Councils (CCCs), Parent Community Networking Centers (PCNCs) and Military Impacted Schools. Examples of duties are:

1. Engages, administers, and bridge networks of communities such as SCC, CCC, and PCNC.
2. Negotiates and maintain professional relationships with community members, partner agencies and school personnel.
3. Conducts research into changes in State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations.
4. Provides direct instructional services and deliver training workshops.
5. Assist with volunteer organizations.
6. Conducts studies and analyses of major, unprecedented or controversial issues regarding the agency services and operations.
7. Formulates and recommends major new policies, program goals or objectives.
8. Supports collecting communication materials in partnership with the Communication Office about strong parent, family, and community engagement.

Minimum Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree.

Excess work experience as described under the Specialized Experience below or any other responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience which provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree may be substituted on a year-for-year basis. To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge, skills and abilities.

The education or experience background must also demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports and other documents; read and interpret complex written material; and solve complex problems logically and systematically.

Experience Requirements: Except for the substitutions provided for in this specification, applicants must have had progressively responsible experience of the kind and quality described in the statements below and in the amounts shown in the following table or any equivalent combination of training and experience:

Class Title - SpecializedExperience(Yrs) - Supervisory Experience(Yrs) - TotalExp(Yrs)

Professional Trainee I - 0 - 0 - 0

Professional Trainee II - 1/2 - 0 - 1/2

Program Specialist III - 1-1/2 - 0 - 1-1/2

Specialized Experience None for the Professional Trainee I; six (6) months for Professional Trainee II; and for Program Specialist III, one and one-half (1½) years of progressively responsible professional experience in one or a combination of the following:

1. Progressively responsible professional experience which demonstrated the ability to conduct studies and analyses of programs or projects through active participation in the planning, coordination, development and/or evaluation of programs and/or program activities. The experience must have involved performing professional work concerned with program interrelationships, effectiveness or intra-program integration. It must further have demonstrated a high degree of analytical skill involving the ability to identify information needs, collect and analyze data, and identify problems and alternative solutions and their advantages and disadvantages and develop logical recommendations for a course of action and the ability to read, comprehend and interpret complex material such as State statutes and/or federal regulations and draft comprehensive reports of findings and conclusions.
2. Progressively responsible professional work experience which involved providing assistance and support to individuals and families in need of social services or other related community resources. The professional experience must demonstrate knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA) and a high degree of cultural awareness and sensitivity to issues facing homeless children and families.

Substitutions Allowed Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, public administration or a field pertinent to the agency's programs and activities may be substituted for one (1) year of Specialized Experience.

Selective Certification Experience Requirement for Program Specialist III: Of the Specialized Experience Requirement, applicants must possess a minimum of one (1) year of professional experience as described in Specialized Experience Type 2 above. Such experience may have been gained concurrently or separately in meeting the Specialized Experience requirement.

Driver's License Requirement Applicant must have a current, valid driver's license.

Quality of Experience Possession of the required number of years of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for a position. The applicant's overall experience must have been of such scope and level of responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that applicant has the ability to perform the duties of the position for which applicant is being considered.