Senior State Innovation Specialist

Summary

Join ZERO TO THREE as a Sr. State Innovation Specialist to promote best practices and policy advocacy by providing technical assistance to states. You will support Safe Babies states and sites through materials development, creative TA activities, and tracking promising initiatives. A key role involves leading training and technical assistance for states implementing Safe Babies in promotion-prevention settings. This position fosters cross-sector learning and contributes to the overall work of Safe Babies. You will collaborate with the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center and national advocacy organizations. The role also includes grant proposal contributions and report writing.

Requirements

• Eight years of documented professional experience focusing on services for young children and families and systems level collaboration across prevention and promotion systems focused on families that experience hardship and stress
• Knowledge and experience with state policy/financing/system levers impacting Child Welfare and Juvenile Dependency/Neglect Court practices
• Deep understanding of state level cross sector collaborations and partnerships necessary to improve service quality, strengthen access equitable health care to support the well-being of very young children and their families
• Experience planning, coordinating, and providing technical assistance or coaching
• Excellent group facilitation and public speaking skills
• Excellent analytic and writing skills
• Strong project management skills, organization, and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with individuals representing a range of backgrounds and skill levels
• Comfortable working as a member of a remote team
• Self-motivated, ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Ability to travel, including occasional overnight stays
• Master’s degree in public policy, social work, early childhood, or a related field required
• Robust experience will be valued, considered, and accepted in place of academic credentials

Responsibilities

• Facilitates a variety of technical assistance offerings including cross state learning opportunities, strategic planning support for the development of a state structure, site visits to support implementation of the SBCT™ approach to state leaders, including advocates, policymakers, state agency staff, and public-private coalitions
• Maintain an ongoing knowledge of infant-toddler policy issues and best practices, particularly related preventative strategies for at risk families involved with child welfare, maternal and child health, home visiting interventions and their role in the broader early childhood and family support systems
• Track and monitor promising state policies, practices, financing, and system-building efforts related to federal and state policy priorities, with a focus on those related to expanding comprehensive two-generation programs
• Promotion and guidance in the utilization of written materials such as policy briefs, articles highlighting innovative state efforts, and technical assistance tools for state-level audiences
• Plan and facilitate cross-state meetings, webinars, conference calls, communities of practice, and other mechanisms for states to advance their policy and systems work through networking and cross-state
• Collaborate with the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center and key partners from other national advocacy organizations to jointly meet project deliverables
• Develop and strengthen relationships with leaders in states and partner organizations
• Contribute to grant proposals and reports to funders
• Perform other duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the Infant Toddler Court Program
• Facilitates a variety of technical assistance offerings including cross state learning opportunities, strategic planning support for the development of a state structure, site visits to support implementation of the Safe Babies approach to state leaders, including advocates, policymakers, state agency staff, and public-private coalitions
• Promotion and guidance in the utilization of written materials such as policy briefs, articles highlighting innovative state efforts, and technical assistance tools for state-level audiences
• Plan and facilitate cross-state meetings, webinars, conference calls, communities of practice, and other mechanisms for states to advance their policy and systems work through networking and cross-state learning
• Use a variety of training methods to optimize engagement and learning outcomes for states and sites implementing the Safe Babies approach
• Lead the development of strategic plans and timelines to implement group and individualized technical assistance activities related to Safe Babies implementation in promotion and prevention settings. This includes working collaboratively with TA Specialists, state teams and national partners
• Offer content expertise in areas of health promotion, child abuse and neglect prevention, and early childhood systems development to guide to develop strategic approaches for implementing Safe Babies in promotion and prevention settings
• Collaborate with the ZERO TO THREE Policy Center and key partners from other national advocacy organizations to jointly meet project deliverables
• Participate and work with the project partners on focused, system development activities that support the states and sites we work with
• Utilize excellent verbal and written communication skills to maintain ongoing, responsive relationships with HRSA awardees, implementation teams, and federal project officers
• Ensure connectivity with states and other unit leaders in all the areas across the Safe Babies team and the Policy Center and ZERO TO THREE
• Work to develop a list of Subject Matter Experts that can support system development work in the states
• Contribute to grant proposals and reports to funders
• Maintain an ongoing knowledge of infant-toddler policy issues and best practices, particularly related preventative strategies for at risk families involved with child welfare, maternal and child health, home visiting interventions and their role in the broader early childhood and family support systems
• Track and monitor promising state policies, practices, financing, and system-building efforts related to federal and state policy priorities, with a focus on those related to expanding comprehensive two-generation programs
• Contribute to the evaluation of the ITCP through monitoring and updating the National Safe Babies database with training and technical assistance information, tracking trends of state and site level data and sharing observations of lessons learned in the planning and delivery of technical assistance
• Perform other duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the Infant Toddler Court Program

Benefits

• This position's salary is estimated to be $100,000 to high $110,000s depending on experience, geo-location, budget, and other comparable and similarly scoped internal positions
• In addition to salary, ZERO TO THREE offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, HRA, retirement contributions, generous leave benefits and more