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Join a team that makes a difference in the lives of children and teens in the US foster care system!
NAA is seeking a Project Specialist to join its team!
Overview:
The AdoptUSKids (AUSK) Project Specialist role provides administrative and programmatic support to the AdoptUSKids project including the leadership team, the team working with child welfare agencies (state, local, tribal, and territorial) and AUSK partners. The Project Specialist will support the efforts of the AdoptUSKids project, through a variety of services such as webinar/meeting support, administrative functions, quality assurance, and data maintenance. The Project Specialist must feel passionate about working in a collaborative with different partners dedicated to improving the child welfare system. This position will also provide back-up customer service to our Spanish-speaking families.
Because all children need families, the National Adoption Association (NAA) serves its members by stimulating innovative solutions, eliminating barriers, advocating, educating, and sharing excellent practice. Our central goal is to assist and encourage our members nationwide as they find adoptive families for all children and youth who wait in foster care.
This position is remote and requires travel up to 4-6 times annually.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelors degree in related field preferred.
- At least 3 years of related high-level administrative experience.
- Prior non-profit or child welfare experience preferred.
- Bilingual (Spanish) highly preferred.
Key Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- High level proficiency in Microsoft OfficeMS Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, Access, and PowerPoint.
- Proficiency with Zoom, Slack, Trello, Google Workspace, Airtable, project management tools and overall familiarity and comfort with navigating and learning new technology.
- Ability to contribute to a strong team-based environment and adapt easily to change.
- Results-oriented with a high attention to detail, ability to multi-task, and meet deadlines in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
- Passion about the children, families and jurisdictions served by AdoptUSKids.
- Ability to recognize and prioritize agency workflow needs.
- Demonstrated leadership and decision-making skills.
- Commitment to providing quality customer service.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a professional team.
Role and Responsibilities:
1. Event Coordination. Develop and monitor event workplan and logistics including virtual and in-person events (i.e., webinars, trainings, meetings, conferences). Provide webinar technical support. Prepare and distribute materials. Coordinate travel and materials.
2. Communication. Maintain cross-collaborative communication and partnerships within the AdoptUSKids project to support the collaborative. Take notes at meetings, both internally and with external partners, and distribute as necessary.
3. Data Coordination. Collect and coordinate the compilation of AdoptUSKids data as needed for the Data Dashboard, agency audits, response to requests from the Childrens Bureau, and other data shared externally. Onboard new AdoptUSKids members to their data systems, trouble shoot issues with program partners and make needed updates to the system. Assist with data pulls from programming partners systems as well as validation of data collected and entered by program partners.
4. Quality Assurance. Gather, review, and provide quality assurance regarding data collection throughout the project. Assist and provide quality assurance to the project during the transition to Airtable as the data management tool. Provide support to the National Child Welfare Information Exchange team by gathering all caseworker updates to the national photolisting narratives for distribution to team for review and assist team in these reviews twice weekly. Help track recruitment and speaker opportunities for the National Campaigns speaker's bureau.
5. Administrative Support. Assist the team with organizing and process-tracking webinar and project development, creation, and implementation. Ensure a high level of customer service to internal and external stakeholders.
6. Customer Service. Support the National Child Welfare Information Exchange team and National Campaigns speaker's bureau by providing high quality customer service and support to prospective and current foster and adoptive families, and young adults with lived experience.
Benefits and Compensation:
The Project Specialist salary is $55,000-$60,000. As a member of our team, you will not only receive a competitive salary and a generous benefits package including a gold health plan, dental & vision insurance (100% employer paid for employees!); employer retirement plan contribution; and professional development opportunities, among others. You will also enjoy your work - knowing you are a part of a dedicated group of professionals making an impact.
NAA is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability.
How to Apply:
No phone calls please. Apply online at Project Specialist with a cover letter and resume by December 15, 2023.
Please note - applications without cover letters will not be considered.
About NAA:
Founded in 1982 under the name Adoption Exchange Association, the National Adoption Association is the country's premier national association of adoption professionals and organizations. NAA is the only national association focused exclusively on supporting the educational needs of those in the adoption profession. The organization serves adoption exchanges, private child-placing agencies, and public child welfare systems by engaging members in national discussions toeliminatebarriers to foster care adoption and sharebest practices. Our mission is leaders advancing best practices in adoption from foster care. Our vision is to build the premier network of professionals and agencies to create innovative strategies and solutions so that every child has a permanent loving family. (link removed)
NAA Racial Equity Statement:
As leaders in child welfare, we recognize systemic racism creates disparities that negatively impact our staff as well as the children and families we serve. NAA is committed to listening, learning, and taking actions to advance racial equity by:
- Continually and intentionally recruiting, hiring, and supporting diverse staff, including consultants and vendors;
- Using a racial equity lens in all of our programmatic work;
- Evaluating our organizational policies and procedures to ensure that they are antiracist1;
- Allowing staff to be their authentic selves.
1 Anti-Racism is defined as the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts. Source: ProInspire sourced Race Reporting Guide by Race Forward_V1.1.pdf
National Adoption Association
