THE SALARY RANGE FOR THIS POSITION IS $9,167.00 PER MONTH DEPENDING UPON QUALIFICATIONS AND IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.

This position will be assigned to work as an integral member of the Interwork Institute and its associated projects. The Interwork Institute promotes the integration of all individuals, including those with disabilities, into all aspects of education, work, family, and community life. The Institute conducts research, training, and education using various strategies, including distance learning technologies. Current efforts include promoting universal design and the full integration of all individuals in our communities. Education and research involve organizations and individuals in all states, tribal communities, the Pacific Basin, Asia, and Europe. In addition to supporting the overall work of the Institute, this position will support the program implementation and continuous quality improvement activities of the Employment Transition Model Demonstration (ETM) project within the Interwork Institute. The ETM is a 5-year demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that involves a partnership between the New York State Department of Labor and the New York State Office of Mental Health to increase transition outcomes for youth with disabilities through access to a variety of education, training, employment, and other life supports. The position will be responsible for the project’s continuous quality improvement and technical assistance activities, as directed by the Project Director and Principal Investigator. The position will also support other projects related to the transition and employment of people with disabilities as they become available.
Related to the ETM work, the position will design, implement, and conduct continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts using improvement science principles to support the effective execution of the project while assisting the national evaluator. Additionally, the position will design and deliver program training and technical assistance to four regions of New York participating in the ETM with a special emphasis on building strong partnerships with Special Education and in-school youth.
Related to the Interwork Institute’s work, the position will support and generate contracts and grant funding for projects aligned with the Institute’s mission and vision, with a particular emphasis on building work in the state of North Carolina and partnerships with the National Technical Assistance Center for Trantision based out of the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Additionally, the role may involve working on other funded projects, assisting teams to achieve project goals, and collaborating with other staff within the Institute as needed.
Responsibilities:
The Program Specialist is responsible for, but not limited to:
Implementing the program CQI efforts. The position will work under the direction of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Karhan and the Project Director, Dr. McConnell, to collaborate with other SDSURF staff, New York Department of Labor staff, ODEP staff, and other project partners, providing evaluation, technical assistance, and training to project staff on ETM implementation. Concerning other projects, the position will collaborate with other SDSURF staff to identify and apply for funding projects that align with the mission of the Interwork Institute.
The duties of the position will vary in intensity depending on need but will primarily be divided as follows:

MINIMUM EDUCATION

• Equivalent to a master’s degree in an appropriate field related to the program/project.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

• Six years of experience at a *Program Specialist II level, two years of which were in a position with a high level of responsibility and requiring specialized skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctorate Degree
• At least two years conducting and directing program evaluation activities for large projects.
• Documented history of submitting grant funding for projects
• Documented history of writing articles for peer-reviewed journals

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Advanced knowledge of research methods, statistics, improvement science, and program evaluation design and implementation (quantitative and qualitative)
• Ability to apply the ETM project design principles to improve the overall transition services for youth and young adults with disabilities.
• Ability to identify gaps in research and public and private services and programs that can be addressed through research, evaluation, or new program activities
• Ability to write proposals for funding to public and private sector entities
• Ability to supervise and mentor junior staff
• Exceptional writing and verbal skills
• Ability to gather and analyze research data and in compiling data for reports and summaries
• Ability to prepare clear and concise reports; draft and compose correspondence, standard reports, and spreadsheets
• Ability to analyze situations accurately and to adopt a practical course of action.
• Ability to independently handle multiple work unit priorities and projects
• Ability to display strong interpersonal skills interacting professionally with community partners and Interwork staff
• Knowledge and experience with quantitative and qualitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS, NVivo, etc.)
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or related programs, and online databases to track data & provide reports

• Pursue potential funding opportunities with the State of North Carolina related to projects associated with Special Education related to IDEA indicators for special education.
  Build partnerships with the University of North Carolina – Charlotte to advance the transition process for students with disabilities nationally.
  Qualifications: