Early Childhood Education Specialist-(Human Services Specialist I)-Community Resources & Services

Howard County • Full-time • Columbia, Maryland, United States • $27 - $30 / hour • 3m ago

Howard County:
Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:
Howard County is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2025, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 83 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards out of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 136 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for?
We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Responsible for supporting the care, safety, and well-being of all children enrolled in the Howard County Office of Children and Families Family Support Center Program. This position implements developmentally appropriate classroom lesson plans and learning experiences for children 0-5 years old, supports positive parent-child interactions, and assists with daily program activities. Responsibilities include maintaining a safe and engaging learning environment, communicating with parents, and maintaining accurate records and reports. This position assists with child-centered, family-focused, and community-based programming and service delivery throughout the Office of Children and Families.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$27.37 - $30.86
$56,925 - $64,180

CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Performs professional level human services work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes human service, administrative, and counseling work; providing counseling and programmatic services to the special populations; and providing assistance in identifying the population at risk, its needs and how to meet those needs. Organizes and publicizes large events for citizens or special groups. Work also includes providing services needed to carry out human service programs or the operation of a medium sized center with extensive regional responsibility and concurrent programming.

*IMPORTANT NOTICE: This position is grant funded. Individuals selected for the position will serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and may be terminated if the grant funding for the position ends.*

This position may require some hours worked on weekends or evening, depending on operational need.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Work and cooperate with co-workers and supervisors at all levels.
Learn and perform all essential job functions.
Oversee the health, safety, and well-being of children participants.
Support daily operation of an early childhood classroom environment through lesson implementation, circle time, parent and child together activities, and child supervision
Maintain a safe, clean, and developmentally appropriate learning environment in the child development classroom and on the playground
Demonstrate knowledge of effective teaching practices and of child growth and development.
Collaborate with team members to ensure high-quality programming and alignment with Maryland Early Learning standards
Provide parents with information and support in their parenting role.
Document attendance, child observations, developmental screenings, and family interactions
Complete and maintain all required records and reports, including all reports on young children.
Participate in parent-teacher conferences, case review meetings, and team/supervision meetings
Assist with community outreach, programs and service delivery within the Office of Children and Families
Participate in activities related to Emergency Management as requested, including work outside normal business hours.
Other related duties may be assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY:

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field, Early Childhood, Special Education, Child Development and two (2) years’ experience in similar function, or an associate degree and five (5) years’ experience in a similar function.
Experience in an early childhood classroom or childcare setting
Completion of a 3-credit (45 clock hour) course in Child Development and completion of a 3-credit (45 clock hour) course on Curriculum/Methods and Materials for Infant/Toddler; knowledge of child growth and development from birth to five years of age.
Knowledge of community resources related to the needs of young children
Strong interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work well with an ethnically diverse population.
Excellent planning and organizing skills, with a strong understanding of lesson plan development and curriculum implementation
Bilingual (English/Spanish) desirable but not required
Proficiency in virtual platforms and use of technology (database management and spreadsheet applications) for human services delivery.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Some evening and weekend hours may be required.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at HiringPreference@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.

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