Program Specialist

Job Title: Program Specialist

FLSA Status: Exempt

Pay Grade: 101

Work Days: 226

Reports To: Coordinator of Administrative Services

Primary Purpose


Provide frontline customer service/technical assistance and route McKinney-Vento technical assistance requests coming from the state 1-800 number and/or other channels to ESC McKinney-Vento liaisons across the state. Provide project management, including collaborations between ESC program staff, ESC IT staff, and TEA, for the Texas Education of Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Technical Assistance Grant. Ensure all grant tasks delivered are of the highest quality, on time, and in compliance with required grant deliverables. Design, develop, and train on data reporting tools, provide User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and frontline user support.


Qualifications


To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.


Education/Certification

• High School Diploma

• College degree preferred

Special Knowledge/Skills

• Team oriented attitude and desire to work collaboratively with ESC staff campus/district/charter school personnel.

• Project management software system implementation, SmartSheet preferred.

• Strong organizational, communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to design, develop, and train on custom data tools using a variety of software programs

Experience

• Design, edit and print surveys; and run and analyze reports.

• Technical training design and delivery.

• Proven working experience in project management.

• Excellent client-facing and internal communication skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills.

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities


*This job description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. They are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job elements essential for making fair hiring and pay decisions.


**This position may be partially or completely funded using grant and/or federal monies and is assigned programs to include activities designed to enhance the effective and coordinated use of funds.

• Serve as the premier first respondent and role model for all statewide technical assistance inquiries through multiple avenues of communication, including the state 1-800 number.

• Model the professional gold standard, exhibiting excellence, high quality, person-centered, and positive customer services at all times with parents/guardians, ESC McKinney-Vento liaisons, and TEA.

• Analyze technical assistance request progress regularly to bounce back to ESC Region 11 if any technical assistance is not started within 48 hours.

• Self-manage and adapt in a fast-paced environment

• Maintain and uphold professionalism in all manners (e.g., phone calls, email correspondence, and in-person activities). This includes, but is not limited to, communication with others that is kind, timely, and service-oriented; approaches that are solution-oriented, thorough, data-driven, and collaborative; and overall positive, supportive, and through a problem-solving lens.

• Provide responsive assistance by providing, managing, and connecting technical assistance inquiries in a timely manner with a warm handoff.

• Maintain accurate and timely records of technical assistance received, including progress monitoring, using survey tools and an interactive webpage.

• Serve as the project manager to ensure that all tasks are delivered on time, with appropriate testing and quality assurance

• Work with TEA and REACH program staff to identify needs, create data tools and resources to support those needs, and train ESC staff

• Implement a system to develop a detailed project plan and monitor and track progress

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Duties


None


Equipment/Specialized Software Used


Computers, projection devices, control panels in meeting rooms, printers, productivity software, software specific to the job assignment, network resources, internet resources, and other hardware and software necessary to perform the functions of the job effectively and efficiently.


Working Conditions (Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors)

Mental: Public relations and people skills are always required, work with frequent interruptions, and maintain professional composure and confidentiality under stress.


Physical: Occasional prolonged and irregular hours, ability to move tables and chairs and load/unload boxes and materials. Prolonged use of a computer. Frequent region and state-wide travel.


Environmental: Open cubicles/workstations.


Evaluation


Annual performance evaluation will be performed in accordance with the adopted policies of the Education Service Center Region 11. Employment in this position is contingent upon performance, need, and funding.


Benefits at ESC Region 11

• $645 monthly contribution for Medical Insurance
• Competitive Pay and Growth Opportunities
• Retirement Account Matching Program
• HSA, FSA, Dental, Vision, Life, Cancer Insurance Offered
• 10 Local Sick Paid Days provided Annually (Per School Year)
• 5 State Personal Paid Leave Days provided Annually (Per School Year)

Revision Date: June 2025