Health & Safety Specialist - Early Head And Head Start Environment (Child Development)

We Love What We DO!

For more than 128 years we have empowered individuals, families, and communities to overcome poverty and systemic barriers, embrace opportunities, and thrive across generations. To fulfill that mission, we provide high-quality early childhood education, family-centered adult education, and senior services to more than 4,000 individuals annually.

Our services ensure that children, families, and seniors GO further!

Position Summary:

Ensure program compliance in the areas of Health and Safety as outlined in the Head Start Performance Standards. This position is responsible for conducting environmental health assessments and developing systems for environmental health and safety procedures at subrecipient agencies and their partner sites.

Education & Certification Requirements:

(To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential 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 the essential functions.)

• Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, Health Science, or related field; minimum of 1-year relevant work experience in Head Start preferred.

Experience & Training Requirements:

• Must be organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships of mutual accountability.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, interpersonal, communication (written and verbal,) project management, and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to process and protect confidential information in a professional manner.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must be comfortable using digital platforms to create printed materials for program use.
• Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with others.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage workload well.
• Must be able to travel to multiple schools in diverse communities.
• Must be able to read and write English proficiently.
• Must regularly operate a word-processing system and therefore must be able to read, produce and transmit data on such a system.

Essential Job Requirements & Duties:

(These include but are not limited to the following. The company reserves the right to add to, delete, change, or modify the essential duties and responsibilities at any time.)

• Conducts monthly health, safety, and facility site visits to all Subrecipients and partners to monitor health, safety checklists and nutrition, and facility services across agencies to ensure compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Coordinates site visits with Education and other content area staff to minimize disruption at sites.
• Monitors the environmental health and safety of subrecipient agencies, including but not limited to program classrooms, common areas, hallways, playgrounds, restrooms, food service, and food preparation areas.
• Work for the Health Coordinator to develop improvement plans for compliance adherence for areas that are not meeting Environmental Health and Safety requirements.
• Conduct additional visits in a given month for sites on improvement plans
• Monitors transportation, bus safety, and field trips.
• Assess program quality and classroom management weekly and make recommendations for program improvements to ensure compliance with funding requirements and quality programming for children.
• Conducts seasonal playground checks to ensure that all outdoor play areas are safe and in compliance with Head Start
• Completes OHS Certification of Health & Safety Screening at all service sites
• Assists in recording keeping of health, safety, and nutrition concerns and/or activities.
• Works collaboratively with staff and other agencies to meet the needs of children and families.
• Design, develop and deliver training on Environmental Health and Safety standards for healthy practices and routines, providing safe and supportive environments for children, safe physical environments, and safe transportation services; complete documentation and prepare to report on compliance.
• Provide technical assistance in Environmental Health and Safety content area.
• Ensure that all Head Start and Early Head Start facility Home-based socialization spaces are well maintained and have no safety issues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements:

(The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform.)

The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close range.

Working Conditions:

(The unavoidable, externally imposed conditions under which the work must be performed, and which create hardship for the incumbent including the frequency and duration of occurrence of physical demands, environmental conditions, demands on one's senses, and mental demands. N/A

Chicago Commons is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, marital or parental status, sexual orientation including gender identity, gender expression, military discharge status, physical or mental disability, or any other status or characteristic protected by law. In addition, Chicago Commons provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws (including during the application or hiring process).