Manager of Quality Improvement for School Age Programs

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Children thrive when they spend their most critical years with dedicated, educated, trained, and well-compensated individuals. To that end, the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute leads effective and sustainable collaborations and delivers critical support and infrastructure for the early childhood workforce. Housed at the City University of New York (CUNY), the Institute is a fast-paced, dynamic public/private partnership that is committed to the early childhood workforce across New York State. The Institute is the implementing agency for QUALITYstarsNY.

QUALITYstarsNY (QSNY) is New York State’s 5-Star early childhood quality rating and improvement system. Since its inception, QSNY has focused its evidence-based practices to ensure that young children in participating programs have access to excellent care and education, and families can trust the level of quality in the program they choose. Family child care programs, center-based programs, and school-based programs are all welcome to apply to participate in QSNY’s quality rating & improvement process; currently there are 2000 active programs across the state. Assessment, coaching, professional development, and a wide range of resources are made available at no cost to each participating site, enabling QSNY to support early childhood programs in earning higher star ratings.

The QUALITYstarsNY team is made up of 75 staff, with over 60 field-based Quality Improvement Specialists & regional leaders that live and work across the state, providing onsite support to our participating early childhood providers. The remaining central office staff includes a communications, data, and operations team that are based out of our Midtown office in NYC.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Director of QUALITYstarsNY, the Manager of School-Age Programs will work closely with leaders of the QSNY team and external partners to define, plan, build, and launch the rollout of our quality rating and improvement model with programs serving school-aged children. QSNY is committed to bringing its model to SACC-licensed partners and is seeking a highly organized, collaborative, strategic thinker who has a deep understanding of the afterschool landscape.

While the Manager of School Age Programs is modeled after other positions on QSNY's early childhood quality improvement team, it is a new position within the team and requires a leader who can take the reins and chart a clear path for success for SACC programs across the state that apply and are selected to participate. This is an exciting opportunity for a strong candidate to help shape and steer a new body of work for QSNY, while also building on the strong infrastructure that already exists for our other QSNY programs. The work will initially focus on strategic planning, project planning, external relations, and program recruitment; it will eventually lead to implementing the Testing Phase of our continuous quality improvement (CQI) model with a small group of partners (5+/-). The CQI model in its current form for each of our participating programs involves onsite support every 4-6 weeks, goal-setting and tracking, and aligning resources and professional development to support quality improvement. Importantly, this role will evolve as the full scope of needs and best practices are identified in order to prepare for implementing at a larger scale across New York State.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership and Collaboration

• Collaborate with other central office staff and external partners on a consistent basis to define and plan for a phased integration of SACC-licensed programs into New York’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, QUALITYstarsNY.

• Facilitate conversations for input gathering, strategic planning, project management, and other needs related to launching support for SACC-licensed programs participating in QSNY

• Collaborate with the Data and Ratings team to ensure a smooth and sound rating process for participating programs, with consideration for QSNY SACC standards (still in development), acceptable evidence to meet those standards, and the functionality of QSNY’s rating platform

• Plan & facilitate the testing phase of QSNY’s continuous quality improvement model with school-age programs, identifying successes and areas of growth to prepare for implementing at a larger scale in multiple regions across New York State

• Serve on QSNY’s leadership team, helping shape long-term implementation plans for integrating SACC-licensed programs into our team’s caseload

• Contribute to planning and decision-making on budget, communication, data systems, and reporting

Management and Monitoring

• Plan and implement quality control systems to ensure accountability for contract and grant deliverables, including documentation, tracking, and data analysis

• Support review of data to inform and strengthen practices that align with state and local priorities in the school-age landscape

• Respond to data analysis and write reports that describe progress toward project goals and outcomes

• Monitor and track budget allocations for purchases related to training and resources for QUALITYstarsNY participating SACC programs

• Contribute to the development and revision of staff manuals and data systems

• Support the hiring and onboarding process for new QSNY staff and/or the training of current staff on policies, procedures, and best practices for supporting QSNY SACC programs

Communication and Partnerships

• Create and implement a SACC program recruitment plan for an initial implementation, engaging with program leaders and other stakeholders to recruit 10-20 new QSNY participants after completion of the CQI testing phase

• Engage in building relationships with key stakeholders, representing and promoting the work of QUALITYstarsNY locally and across the state at various events, trainings, and meetings

• Develop partnerships with key agencies across the state to enhance the project and support for QUALITYstarsNY participants

• Maintain efficient and organized records as part of the administrative team

Program Management, CQI Testing Phase

• Deliver on-site technical assistance and mentoring to SACC program leaders aligned with QUALITYstarsNY program standards

• Deliver ongoing support between site visits as needed to order materials, submit registration for training opportunities, and serve as a super-connector and advisor related to your programs’ goals

• Maintain up-to-date Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) in partnership with participants, that reflect goals, tasks, and appropriate expenditures; analyze and monitor progress towards quality improvement

Other

• Attend staff meetings and trainings as required

• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned

CORE COMPETENCIES/QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher

• Equivalent of 5+ years in a leadership role in a school-age child care program

• Equivalent of 3+ years of experience providing coaching and technical assistance/training to staff within SACC programs that serve young children

• Knowledge of NYS’s SACC Regulations

• Deep familiarity with the strengths and needs of school-age programs

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Excellent record-keeping and analytical skills using digital platforms

• Highly organized and flexible

• Strong relationship-building skills, including a sense of humor

• Reflective nature

• Comfortable with competing and shifting priorities

• Sound judgment and decision-making

• Deep sense of commitment and integrity

• Ability to travel regularly to various QUALITYstarsNY locations, and other agencies/partners locally and across the state.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in public administration, education, or other relevant field of study

• Experience with Microsoft Teams

• Experience running multi-site SACC programs

• New York State SAC Credentialed Professional

• Experience as a SAC Advisor or Endorser

• Experience with Project Management, including PM software

• Ability to work at QSNY’s office in midtown-NYC with a 70% onsite-remote schedule

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• This is a 70/30 hybrid position, subject to change. Remote work arrangements are not a right or entitlement of employment, and, as such, are discretionary and subject to operational needs unless otherwise provided by the CUNY Flexible Work Guidelines. A laptop may be provided if needed to support working remotely.

• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and presentation equipment.

• While performing these duties, the employee is required to perform physical activities such as, but not limited to, lifting items (up to 20 pounds), bending, reaching, and sitting for prolonged periods of time. Reasonable accommodation will be made for employees with disabilities or other needs per RFCUNY policies.

• Ability to travel regularly to various QUALITYstarsNY locations, and other agencies/partners locally and across the state.

Pay Range:

$80,000 - $85,000

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.