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Education Advisor (Program Services Specialist)


Primary Function

This position will be working out of E. St Louis, Illinois.

The Education Advisor provides problem resolution, subject matter expertise, advocacy, and guidance for educational wellbeing of children and youth in foster care (youth in care). The education advisor possesses extensive knowledge and skills that help youth navigate the complex network of education (general, special and post-secondary) and child welfare. The education advisor also serves as education resource for youth in care, caregivers, child welfare caseworkers and administrators, school and district personnel, Guardian ad Litem ( GAL ), court personnel, etc.

Duties and Responsibilities (generally)

The education advisor is responsible for providing the following:
a) Educational technical assistance to resolve individual youth issues
b) Planning for youth’s educational needs to be identified and addressed
c) Interdisciplinary training to build capacity in the field for meeting eduational needs of youth in care
d) Partnership development between and among educational institutions, child welfare agencies, and other organizations that impact youth in care
e) Systems intervention and strategic planning

Minimum Required Qualifications for this position

1. Any one or any combination of the following types of preparation:
(a) credit for college course work comparable to that leading to a major in social work or one of the social or behavioral sciences
(b) progressively more responsible social service/counseling work experience at a
paraprofessional level under qualified supervision that totals 1.0 unit according to the following conversion rates:
120 semester hours (or Bachelor’s degree) of “a” = 1.0 unit three years of “b” = 1.0 unit.

Amounts of education and experience less than those listed above should be converted to decimal equivalents of 1.0 unit and added together when computing combinations of the different types of preparation.

Specialty Factors (Additional Required Qualifications)

1. Demonstrated professional work experience in education or educational advocacy.
2. Demonstrated work experience applying State and Federal laws in a social services or educational setting.

Education and Experience Preferred

1. A Master’s degree in education or other related fields and at least 5 years of experience in education or educational advocacy; or, a Bachelors degree and 7 to 10 years of experience in education, and/or educational advocacy.

List the knowledge, skills, and abilities critical to the performance of this position.

Critical knowledge and skills:
• Competency in knowledge of federal and state education laws and educational best practice
• Exemplary human relations and interpersonal skills
• Exceptional advocacy skills and tenacity
• Exemplary decision making and problem solving skills
• Strong engagement skills
• Ability to establish cooperative relationships with other individuals, groups and organizations
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and research skills
• Ability to develop collaborations and function as part of a team,
• Demonstrated ability to develop and conduct training and presentations
• Organizational and prioritization skills,
• Mediation and conflict resolution skills,
• General understanding of organizational structure and operations
• Extensive knowledge of federal and state education laws and educational best practice
• Exemplary human relations skills
• Exceptional advocacy skills
• Exemplary decision making and problem solving skills
• Ability to establish cooperative relationships with other individuals, groups and organizations
• Excellent written and oral communication skills,
• Ability to develop collaborations and function as part of a team,
• Ability to develop and conduct training and presentations
• Organizational and prioritization skills,
• Mediation and conflict resolution skills,
• General understanding of organizational structure and operations
• Understanding of child welfare
• Knowledge of educational challenges youth in care face and familiarity with solutions

Working Hours
Days, evenings, and weekends as needed
Minimum Pay Rate (Hourly or Monthly) Actual hiring rate is commensurate with experience, education, and internal equity; position includes a robust benefits package to eligible applicants
Commensurate with experience and internal equity; position includes eligible benefits
Posting Date
02/03/2021
Closing Date
03/10/2021
Priority Review Date

Special Instructions to Applicants
  • Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position, however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience.
  • If you have education and/or training in excess of what is required, we encourage you to upload your unofficial transcripts.
  • After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this particular position.
  • Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from jobs@niu.edu and CivilServiceTesting@niu.edu. Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.
  • We STRONGLY recommend that contact information used in your online profile be personal use, not professional/work information: personal email address, home address, and phone numbers. The information you provide is used to make contact on search updates, department referrals and interviews, etc. We must be able to relay sensitive and important information in a way that protects your privacy concerning job search activity, now and in the future.
  • The Civil Service examination for this classification is a Credentials Assessment, and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register. After the application deadline, the names within the top three scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.
  • If eligible for Veteran’s Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application in order to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.
  • Click on Program Services Specialist for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.
  • Please click Human Resource Services – Benefits for detailed information about Northern Illinois University’s benefits package.
  • Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Link to Department Homepage
Center for Child Welfare & Education
Physical Demands

This position will be working out of E. St Louis, Illinois.

EEO Statement

In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator
Health Services 230
TitleIXCoordinator@niu.edu
815-753-5560

Is Background Check Required
Yes
Visa Policy

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

ADA Accommodation

NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person’s disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form . For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Education ( AAEOE ) at ada@niu.edu .

Clery Act Information

NIU provides information regarding campus security, personal and fire safety, including topics such as: crime prevention, emergency response procedures and crime reporting policies, in addition to crime and fire statistics for the most recent three calendar years. The Annual Security Report containing security and safety information is available at www.safety.niu.edu/clery or by contacting the University Police Department and Public Safety Department at 815-753-9628 to receive a hard copy. The Annual Fire Safety Report is available at www.niu.edu/clery/fire_report.pdf or by contacting the Environmental Health and Safety Department at 815-753-0404 to receive a hard copy.

Quick Link
https://employment.niu.edu/postings/55335
Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

  1. * What is the highest level of education attained?
    • GED
    • High School Diploma
    • Associates Degree
    • Bachelors Degree
    • Masters Degree
    • PHD
  2. * Have you attached all transcripts to support the degrees you are submitting for consideration?
    • Yes
    • No
  3. * Please describe your work experience and/or training that provided a knowledge of human behavior by having demonstrated through public contact the ability to cope with a variety of people, (such as complaint clerk, salesperson, or receptionist). Please include the title of the positions, the place of employment, and the years performing these duties. This information needs to be corroborated on your resume/application.

    (Open Ended Question)

  4. * Please rate your level of professional work experince in education or educational advocacy.
    • Entry
    • Intermediate
    • Expert
  5. * Please provide the name of the employer and the dates of employment where you gained this experience. Please note that this information must be verified on an NIU application and/or resume.

    (Open Ended Question)

  6. * Please describe your work experience applying State and Federal laws in a social services or educational setting.

    (Open Ended Question)

  7. * Please provide the name of the employer and the dates of employment where you gained this experience. Please note that this information must be verified on an NIU application and/or resume.

    (Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents
Required Documents
  1. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  2. Cover Letter
  3. List of References
Optional Documents
  1. Transcripts (unofficial with official required at hire)
  2. Transcripts #2 (unofficial with official required at hire)
  3. Transcripts #3 (unofficial with official required at hire)
  4. Other


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