Overview
The School of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) at Northern Illinois University seeks applications for an anticipated 12-month Director of the NIU Child Protection Training Academy Simulation and Learning Center position to begin as soon as February 2023.
The position is housed the School of Family and Consumer Sciences’
NIU Child Protection Training Academy Simulation and Learning Center (
NIU-
CPTA). The
NIU-
CPTA is a partnership between
FACS and the Illinois Department Child and Family Services.
FACS has 14 full-time faculty members and three supportive professional staff and offers two undergraduate degrees and one Master’s degrees (
https://www.chhs.niu.edu/facs/index.shtml) with specializations in Marriage and Family Therapy and Leadership in Aging Studies. The School also houses a Couple and Family Therapy Clinic and a Child Development and Family Center. Northern Illinois University is a Doctoral/Research extensive university with a diverse student body of over 17,000, located 65 miles west of Chicago.
Position Summary
Under the Contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS), position provides administrative oversight and programmatic management for all NIU-CPTA staff and services required to provide professional, administrative and support functions including, but not necessarily limited to the development, design, delivery, management, support and/or evaluation of an array of professional development events related to Illinois’ Child Welfare.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide oversight and supervision to NIU-CPTA Facilitator(s) and Coordinator(s) to ensure smooth and effective supervision of staff, professional development, and adequate staffing coverage for all deliverables.
- Coordinate with staff from the IDCFS Office of Learning and Professional Development (OLPD) to ensure effective delivery and tracking of Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) training and simulations.
- Collaborate with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS), university partners, as well as external consultants to ensure the implementation of simulation based training for child welfare and child protection staff.
- Programmatic Evaluation and Reporting
- Coordinate with NIU-CPTA, OLPD, university partners, the Children and Family Research Center (CFRC), and with consultants and other researchers to ensure evaluations and quality assurance activities are regularly performed and are utilized to inform programmatic practice, and if needed, programmatic enhancements are implemented.
- Will ensure regular and routine progress and activity reports are composed and submitted to IDCFS as required.
- Management of Staffing Resources
- Ensure staffing resources are adequate to meet NIU-CPTA deliverables. This includes but is not limited to, ensuring hiring search committees are formed and are effective in filling all vacant positions in a timely manner, ensuring NIU-CPTA staff effectively coordinate the use of available actors, and that NIU-CPTA staff schedule an adequate number of simulation trainings to effectively meet IDCFS’ professional development needs.
- Oversee employment conditions, responsibilities and obligations; work with the NIU-CPTA Principal Investigator on all personnel matters consistent with the University’s personnel policies and procedures.
- Other duties as assigned including possible teaching of child welfare foundations coursework in Human Development and Family Sciences
Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)
CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER
1. Bachelor’s degree
2. Three (3) years (36 months) of work experience in education, training and/or administration
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)
1. Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
2. Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
3. Skill in analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
4. Skill in scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
5. Skill in oral and written communication.
6. Ability to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions.
7. Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
8. Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
9. Ability to develop specific goals, plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish tasks.
10. Ability to work effectively with staff, the public, and outside constituency groups.
11. Ability to effectively plan, delegate, and supervise the work of others.
12. Ability to utilize various computer software packages, such as accounting software, query, etc.
13. Ability to work independently and exercise judgment in order to be able to analyze and investigate a variety of questions or problems.
14. Ability to analyze and develop guidelines, procedures, and systems.
Specialty Factors (Civil Service)
Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)
- Master’s degree in Social Work or related field.
- Prior experience in program design, implementation of evidence-based interventions, quality improvement, and supervision of staff.
- Prior experience of training students and staff in human service practice.
- Familiarity with the IDCFS Core Practice Model
