JOB: Program Support Specialist

REPORTS TO: Student Programs Coordinator

STATUS: Full-time, maximum 40-hrs/week (100% Program)

SCHEDULE: On-site Monday-Thursday 7:15am-4:45pm; some evenings and weekends required. 

PAY: Starting $15.00-$18.00/hour, DOE

JOB DESCRIPTION

The specialist will support the program teams by completing clerical and programmatic tasks in support of Fortress’s preschool, after school, summer, and parent engagement programs. The specialist is responsible for assisting with maintaining compliance with Texas HHS Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• • Provide classroom support to equip and enable teachers and classrooms to function seamlessly.
    • Manage program inventory by ordering, sorting, and distributing program supplies in compliance with program budgets, which includes creatively sourcing materials through donations, wish lists, and orders and promoting the creative reuse of existing materials.
    • Provide classroom support as needed, including collecting and delivering supplies, supervising children in hallways and waiting areas, and providing bathroom breaks to teachers.
    • Complete clerical tasks in support of student programs including copying, shredding, filing, and scanning.
    • Maintain the cleanliness and organization of the Keep and maintain a rotation of age-appropriate activities.
  • Provide assistance in supervisory and program leadership tasks when assigned by a supervisor.
    • Supervise and care for children who are excluded from care for injury, illness, or mild behavioral disturbances.
    • Assist with parent conferences, discipline strategies, staff scheduling and supervision, and other leadership tasks as assigned by the Director of Programs & Impact and Student Programs Coordinator.
  • Complete routine data entry tasks as assigned on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
    • Distribute surveys to teachers, parents and other stakeholders on a schedule in coordination with the Director of Programs & Impact.
    • Prepare and submit data to an external partner for analysis on a monthly basis.
  • Oversee elements of the organization’s compliance with HHS Minimum Standards.
    • Maintain building and program compliance, including but not limited to required postings, fire, severe weather, & lockdown drills, and testing smoke alarms and stocking first aid kits.
    • Maintain record keeping compliance, including but not limited to children’s enrollment records, incident reports, and emergency care folders.

• Manage the entrance to the building for parents, students, volunteers, and visitors.

• Greet parents, students, volunteers, and visitors, facilitating a warm and welcoming environment.

• Secure the entrance to Fortress by controlling admittance of all guests.

• Complete check-in and check-out duties using appropriate logs and databases.

• Communicate with parents on a daily basis, including distributing and describing flyers, notices, incident reports, and permission slips.

• Maintain the appearance of the foyer and lobby, including decorating for special events and holidays and maintaining a lost & found.
• Maintain the appearance of the teacher workroom and breakroom, and keep consumables stocked and available.
• Receive and process deliveries and in-kind donations and help unload as needed.
• Complete light clerical duties for other program coordinators as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Personal Qualifications
  • Mature Christian with a passion for the mission and goals of Fortress.
  • Meets the Texas Health & Human Services (HHS) qualifications, which requires that caregivers:
    • Be 18 years of age or older;
    • Hold a high school diploma or equivalent;
    • Pass a criminal background check; and
    • Comply with Texas HHS Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers.
    • *This position should have or be pursuing a child care director’s credential.
  • A valid Texas driver’s license, a clean driving record, and proof of insurability.
  • A “people person” who is comfortable interacting with a wide array of people and maintains a positive, friendly, and professional attitude.
  • Demonstrate dependability through good attendance, resourcefulness and ability to take initiative in development and completion of projects in adherence to timelines and schedules.
  • Show good judgment, self-initiative, and a go-getter attitude while working independently and with minimal oversight.
  • Bonus: Personal and professional pursuit of racial and economic justice, or lived experience facing those injustices.
• Educational & Experiential Qualifications
  • 5 years of experience working in a licensed Texas child care facility as a caregiver, preferably with experience working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children.
  • Experience in a front-facing customer service position.
  • Bonus: Formal education in early childhood education, EC-4 education, child development, family studies, psychology, social work, ministry, or other related fields.
  • Bonus: Formally trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development at TCU), Conscious Discipline, or Understanding Poverty/Bridges Out of Poverty (Aha! Process).
  • Bonus: Experience working with diverse or low-income populations.
• Skills & Abilities Qualifications
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • A strong grasp of the formal and casual language register.
  • Proficient with a computer, including Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint) and Google applications (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets). 
  • Efficient and accurate typing skills (50 wpm or higher preferred) and data entry using a 10-keypad.
  • Excellent mental and physical organization, with the ability to divide a large task into small parts and manage each component of multiple and simultaneous projects or events.
  • Excellent time management and a self-starter attitude.
  • Ability to de-escalate situations diplomatically.
  • Bonus: Bilingual in English and Spanish.
  • Bonus: Interest and skill in designing and decorating bulletin boards and classroom doors.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This role is split between direct program and administrative work. At least half of the time will be spent actively interacting with students, staff, parents, and volunteers from the reception desk or, as needed, in the classroom. Some time will be spent in administrative work, such as being seated at a computer, participating in meetings, or making phone calls.
• This role involves meeting moderate physical demands, particularly while interacting with children, such as lifting and carrying items weighing up to 40 lbs.
• The majority of this role occurs on-site and in Fortress’s office. Some off-site work is required for picking up supply orders, and this role is responsible for providing their transportation to perform off-site duties.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Candidates with lived experience facing economic or racial injustice are strongly encouraged to apply. Fortress does not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. We reserve the right to inquire about and screen for religious affiliation and faith practices as a bona fide occupational requirement, as allowed by federal law under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

CORE VALUES

Our team is dedicated to upholding a core set of values which define our organization and align with our overall mission. At Fortress, we are:

• United in Christ
• Equity Oriented
• Family Focused
• Learning Centered
• Trauma Informed
• Unflinchingly Bold
• Rooted in Empathy
• Entrepreneurial yet Disciplined

To learn more about our work culture, core values, and faith practices – and to apply! – visit www.fortressfw.org/hiring.