Project Management Consultant
Location:
Youth Research, Inc. (YRI)
25 Delaware Ave.
Delmar, NY 12054
Appointment Type:
Contract, Part-time, Temporary
Duties:
The Project Management Consultant will have direct oversight of the initial phases of two childcare projects spanning a period of three (3) months. The first project involves the Child Care Subsidy program and identifying barriers to or deterrents for parents otherwise eligible for a childcare subsidy. The person in this role will perform all preliminary set-up work required to begin effectively and systematically conducting independent focus groups with key stakeholders to determine if there are barriers to the application process and how to improve support for parents, childcare providers, and district leaders. The second project involves coordination of partner convenings to identify opportunities for partnership with child care provides and local school districts offering UPK in New York City and statewide. The Project Management Consultant will work with The Robin Hood Foundation and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to identify best practices for child care and school district partnership in serving the families in their communities. The Project Management Consultant will spend the majority of this three (3) month assignment gathering qualitative data that will inform the next steps for a larger project team. To successfully manage these projects, the Project Management Consultant must possess skills that would enable them to effectively complete the following duties:
Manage all aspects of the phased approach for both projects with regular communication with YRI, OCFS, and Robin Hood Foundation staff as needed.
Draft plans for soliciting feedback from key stakeholders in both childcare projects.
Present an overview of the childcare subsidy project and solicit feedback on the parameters around the focus groups, specific to the audience and geographic location.
Hold Focus Groups to collect feedback from families on roadblocks to accessing and completing the subsidy application. Create a tool to collect data gathered from the focus groups.
Research other states’ childcare subsidy processes.
Draft language about the focus groups to share with local districts, childcare providers and childcare subsidy applicants.
Review findings with Key Stakeholders and request feedback related to their ability to respond to recommendations.
Develop convening scope, themes, and questions.
Initiate a planning committee for meeting on the UPK project.
Schedule initial planning with New York State Division of Child Care (DCC) and Robin Hood Foundation contacts.
Draft language about the convenings for DCC contact to share with districts and UPK providers, introducing them to the project.
Sort convening groups around audience and geographic location.
Research other states’ UPK rollout processes and use this data to develop background documents which will serve as a baseline for discussion during the convenings.
Make recommendations for process improvements, technical support for applicants and the establishment of new protocols and/or tools.
Based on research, draft Best Practice document for districts and childcare providers to navigate through the UPK rollout process.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or comparable work/school related experience with an emphasis in project management, human services or a related area.
At least two years of project management experience, preferable in a non-profit or human services field.
Demonstrated track record of increasing responsibility and leadership.
Ability to prioritize many simultaneous needs.
Proven track record of excellent relationship management and collaboration with external stakeholders.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and on-line learning and conference tools such as Zoom.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively, efficiently, and professionally with colleagues and partner agency staff.
A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Experience with data interpretation is a plus.
Experience in childcare settings is a plus.
Additional Information:
Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. YRI is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. YRI is committed to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities and workplace diversity. It is the policy of YRI to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the position for which they are applying or for which they are employed. YRI does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under title I of the ADA.