Certified Child Life Specialist III

Novant Health; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Leadership opportunities

Job summary

Novant Health's Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, NC is seeking a Senior Child Life Specialist to provide emotional, developmental, and therapeutic support to pediatric patients and families, guiding them through medical experiences and procedures while mentoring others.

The role includes program development, leadership within a multidisciplinary team, and opportunities to advance child life services. Travel to multiple facilities may be required to support a broad pediatric program.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Child Development, ECD, Recreational Therapy, Psychology, or related field (Graduate Degree preferred).
• Experience: 5 years in pediatric/clinical child life; 10,400 hours or 8,320 hours with Master's.
• Certification: Association of Child Life Professionals certification required.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional, developmental, and therapeutic support to pediatric patients and families.
• Lead mentorship, program development, and clinical leadership within the team.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve pediatric care; travel to multiple facilities as needed.

Skills

Child Life

Mentorship

Program development

Leadership

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Recreational Therapy, Psychology, or related field

Graduate Degree

Job description

What We Offer

Certification - Association of Child Life Professionals, required.

Location: Presbyterian Medical Center

Department: Child Center, Pediatrics

Hours: PRN hours, on call as needed

About the Role

As a Child Life Specialist, you will provide emotional, developmental, and therapeutic support to pediatric patients and families, helping them navigate medical, surgical, and diagnostic experiences. This senior role includes mentorship, program development, and leadership opportunities within our multidisciplinary team.

Why Join Us?

• Supportive and Inclusive Work Environment – We prioritize teamwork, diversity, and professional growth.
• Career Advancement – Opportunities for leadership, mentorship, and specialized training.
• Competitive Compensation & Benefits – Including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and more.
• Impactful Work – Be part of a team that improves the lives of children and families every day and lead and mentor as a senior-level Child Life Specialist.

At Novant Health, one of our core values is diversity and inclusion. By engaging the strengths and talents of each team member, we ensure a strong organization capable of providing remarkable healthcare to our patients, families and communities. Therefore, we invite applicants from all group dynamics to apply to our exciting career opportunities.

What You'll Do

It is the responsibility of every Novant Health team member to deliver the most remarkable patient experience in every dimension, every time.

• Our team members are part of an environment that fosters team work, team member engagement and community involvement.
• The successful team member has a commitment to leveraging diversity and inclusion in support of quality care.
• All Novant Health team members are responsible for fostering a safe patient environment driven by the principles of "First Do No Harm".

What We're Looking For

• Education: 4 Year / Bachelors Degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Recreational Therapy, Psychology, or related field, required. Graduate Degree, preferred.
• Experience: 5 years, required. A total of 10,400 hours as a Certified Child Life specialist or 8,320 hours with a Master’s degree, required.
• Licensure/Certification: Certification - Assoc of Child Life Professionals, required.
• Additional Skills (required): Meets child life competencies and other skills/activities in accordance with the job description. Maintains The Association of Child Life Professionals membership. Participates in child life departmental meetings and other related functions. Serves as a role model for peers; precepts and orients new staff. Sits on an approved committee or workgroup through Novant Health, The Association of Child Life Professionals or a local Child Life association.Administers initial competencies to new staff. Provides departmental and interdisciplinary education. Develops and coordinates new clinical programming. Participates on research working groups. Presents at conferences/publishes on topics relevant to Child Life. Assists with competency development. Plans and facilitates staff team building activities. Leads clinical supervision when Lead CLS is unavailable. Ability to drive/travel to multiple facilities/locations as needed.

Why Choose Novant Health?

At Novant Health, we believe remarkable care starts with compassion for our patients, our communities, and each other. We value belonging, courage, personal growth, and teamwork, creating a space where everyone is respected, supported, and safe to show up as their full selves.