The salary range for this position is $5547.00 -
$6350.00 monthly depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable.

This position is open until filled with an initial application review to take place after May 19, 2024.

To receive full consideration, a cover letter describing your fit to the position and resume must be included with your application.

WHO WE ARE

Academy for Professional Excellence, a project of San Diego State University School of Social Work, was established in 1996 with the goal of revolutionizing the way people work to ensure the world is a healthier place. Our services integrate culturally responsive and recovery-oriented practices into our daily work to promote healing and healthy relationships. Providing around 70,000 learning experiences to health and human service professionals annually, the Academy creates experiences with the mission to provide exceptional learning and development experiences for the transformation of individuals, organizations, and communities. The Academy continues to grow with new programs and provide a variety of workforce development solutions in Southern California and beyond. 

When you join the Academy team you can expect to contribute to an inclusive and innovative environment where the sharing of ideas, perspectives, and experiences is welcomed and encouraged. In applying for a position at the Academy, we invite you to consider our Core Values and our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The Academy is committed to the recruitment of individuals who represent the full diversity of our community. We recognize that experience and skills related to the position may have been acquired via life experiences, work, and/or education and training. We are interested in learning more about your unique experiences and how they might contribute to our mission. We invest in people to create an innovative work environment that promotes well-being and a culture that builds on and fosters the strengths of its staff and their intersectional identities.

WHAT OUR TEAM DOES WITHIN THE ACADEMY

Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS) provides workforce development, organizational support, technical assistance and capacity building for the public child welfare staff of Southern California counties. These services include coaching, simulation, classroom training, eLearning and evaluation services that provide development opportunities for new social workers, the existing workforce, supervisors, managers and executive level leadership as well as community partners and multi-disciplinary partners working closely with child welfare agencies. 

Cultural Responsiveness Services Program (CRS) provides unique learning experiences that allow participants to explore cultural differences, recognize potential individual and organizational biases, and practice culturally responsive behaviors through facilitated discussions, coaching, and simulation. It is designed to create a space for self-assessment, the development of skills and strategies to identify and manage bias, and the opportunity to contribute to a project that will improve cultural responsiveness either for individual practice or within the organization.

YOUR ROLE IN REVOLUTIONIZING THE WAY PEOPLE WORK

• The Workforce Development Specialist is responsible for developing and overseeing workforce classroom deliveries that meet the needs of health and human services stakeholders.

THE WORK YOU WILL DO 

You will be responsible for: 

• Modeling culturally responsive practice to provide exceptional services to learners, service providers, and stakeholders by understanding your role, what others need to be successful, and the impact you have in creating learning experiences.

• Utilizing strong project management skills to oversee the workforce development needs for staff of health and human services agencies. At this time, primarily staff in public child welfare agencies, and behavioral health practitioners. 
• Embracing culturally responsive practice in workforce development by inviting and including the voices of subject matter experts with lived experience and partner stakeholders, in the development of the deliveries. And ensuring the deliveries are reflective of the needs of the communities served by the partner stakeholders providing services. 
• Providing workforce deliveries, including classroom, simulation, and coaching to learners and also providing support to service providers during their deliveries. This includes emphasizing the importance of transfer of learning from the classroom to measurable practice change. 
• Staying abreast of current and emerging health and human services initiatives and issues at the county, regional, state and national levels; including researching current trends in culturally responsive practice, and incorporating them in workforce development deliveries. 
• Working closely with the Evaluation team to ensure the workforce deliveries are consistent with the needs of the partners and communities served, and there is evidence of measurable practice change. 

HOW WE ACCOMPLISH OUR WORK

This is a 40-hour-a-week, full-time position, working M-F from 8:00 to 4:30 p.m., and is based on contract funding subject to annual renewal. The position is subject to intermittent overnight travel and work shifts outside of normal business hours, including weekends and evenings. This is a remote position based in California working out of the Academy’s San Diego office.

Note: some duties may include working with and/or exposure to sensitive/traumatic topics or material dealing with child abuse, elder abuse, and/or issues and scenarios related to mental health, substance use, or racism.

As a project of San Diego State University Research Foundation, the Academy is grant-funded and serves as an auxiliary to the University. We are based near, but not on campus, and do not have direct responsibilities for working with or teaching college students.

THE SKILLS NEEDED

You will thrive in the position if you have the: 

• Knowledge of adult learning theory, instructional design, and current workforce development trends
• Ability to develop curricula in a variety of modalities
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of cultural responsiveness
• Ability to research current and emerging health and human services initiatives and issues 
• Ability to interact effectively with co-workers, stakeholders, learners, and other external customers
• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills such as political acumen and active listening
• Ability to display organization, meet deadlines, display detail orientation, possess good judgment and critical thinking
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities 
• Ability to independently interpret a wide variety of complex policies and procedures integral to the program/project to which the position is assigned
• Ability to travel within California - primarily southern California regions - and to statewide conferences when applicable
• Ability to collaborate effectively and create cohesive relationships within the project environment

Minimum Qualifications (MQs) 

Required Education

• Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field

OR

• Additional experience may be substituted for the required education on a year by year basis

Required Experience

• Three years of previous experience relating to the program/project management
• One year of experience leading or coordinating a program within the industry and/or supervising employees

(A master’s degree may be substituted for years of experience, up to 2 years)

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU HAVE

• Master's degree in Health and Human Services field, or Licensed Behavioral Health Practitioner
• Knowledge of adult learning theory, instructional  design and current workforce development trends
• Ability to develop curricula in a variety of modalities
• Strong project management skills

TIPS FOR MAKING IT THROUGH OUR HIRING PROCESS

• You must apply through the SDSURF Career Page. 
• Read the job application carefully. For more info, see the full Job Description.
• Make sure your application is complete, including a resume and cover letter describing your fit to the position.

SDSURF Additional Information

• The salary range for this position is $5,547-6,350/month depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable. 
• This position is open until filled.
• To receive full consideration, a cover letter describing your fit to the position and resume must be included with your application. 
• A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with SDSU Research Foundation.
• San Diego State University Research Foundation is an EEO/AA/Disability/Vets Employer.
• Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Offers of employment are contingent upon the presentation of documents that demonstrate a person's identity and authorization to work in the United States, which are consistent with the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act.