EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIALIST

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Edinburg (TX); On-site; USD 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is seeking an Early Childhood Specialist in Edinburg, TX to care for and educate young children in a childcare setting. The role involves planning developmentally appropriate activities that advance social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development.

You will follow TDHHS standards, NAC accreditation, and Texas Rising Star criteria, conduct parent conferences, maintain health and safety records, and support emergent literacy.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; CDA credential or 12 college credits in child care/early childhood.
• CPR/First Aid training within 14 working days and background checks required.
• 1 year childcare experience or 2 semesters of field study in a licensed facility; background clearance.

Responsibilities

• Complies with TDHHS standards for licensed Child Care Center.
• Supports curriculum and promotes language development and emergent literacy.
• Conducts two parent conferences per year and communicates progress.
• Maintains health, safety, meal counts, and incident reports.
• Plans and participates in Family/Parent Workshops.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Childcare

Communication

Teamwork

Adaptability

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

CDA Credential

12 college credits in related field

Job description

EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIALIST

Posting Number: SRGV9166

Number of Vacancies: 1

Location: Edinburg, Texas

Department: College of Education and P-16 Integration /Human Development and School Services

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Scope of Job

To care for and educate young children in a childcare environment.Plans and implements developmentally appropriate activities thatadvance all areas of children's development and learning, includingsocial emotional, intellectual and physical competence.

Description of Duties

• Complies with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services(TDHHS) minimum standards for a licensed Child Care Center.
• Complies with the national standards of the NationalAccreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and EducationPrograms.
• Complies with the Texas Rising Star standards and criteria.
• Supports and maintains the implementation of the approved Infant,Toddler and/or /School Age Curriculum.
• Protects the health and safety of children; sanitize theenvironment as required; inspect classrooms and playgrounds forhealth/safety hazards; administer first aid as needed to thechildren.
• Conducts two parent conferences per year, effectivelycommunicates with the parents about their child's progress andactivities, and provides opportunities for parentparticipation.
• Completes daily meal counts, health checks, accident reports asneeded, and other related forms.
• Creates a classroom environment conducive to learning andappropriate to the physical, social, and emotional development ofchildren with an emphasis on language development and emergentliteracy skills.
• Must demonstrate the ability to support the social and emotionaldevelopment of children.
• Provides activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity,exploration, and problem-solving appropriate to the developmentlevels of the children.
• Models positive behavior management techniques through dailycontact with children and early childhood staff in theclassroom.
• Plans, organizes and participates in Family and ParentWorkshops.
• Participates in team planning sessions with all Early ChildhoodSpecialist to ensure well-coordinated and effective delivery ofproject services to meet program objectives.
• Complies with the Texas Department of Agriculture - SpecialNutrition Program standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervision Received: General supervision from assigned supervisor

Supervision Given: May supervise assigned staff and students.

Required Education

High school graduation or equivalent. Child Development Associate(CDA) Credential or 12 hours of College credit in the field of Child Care Development, Early Childhood Education or relatedfield.

Preferred Education

None.

Licenses/Certifications

Upon hire, employee must obtain Adult/Child/Infant CPR and FirstAid Training by the American Heart Association or other accreditedorganization within the first fourteen (14) working days. Must havenegative TB test. FBI Criminal Background check clearance.

Required Experience

One (1) year of childcare experience or two (2) semesters of coursefield study experience in an accredited facility and/or TexasRising Star facility. Criminal Background Check and backgroundclearance through Texas Department of Family and ProtectiveServices.

Preferred Experience

More than the required experience in a child development center orother educational facility. Experience working with children ofages 3 months to 4 years. Knowledge of or ability to quickly learnthe Texas Department of Family and Protective Services MinimumStandards for a Child Care Center and the National AccreditationCommission for Early Care and Education Program Criterions.

Equipment

Use of standard office equipment.

Working Conditions

Needs to be able to successfully perform all required duties.Indoor and outdoor environment. Occasional attendance ofprofessional development provided by local entities; attendance atlocal, state and national conferences; Center/family functions,parent meetings that often occur after hours and on weekends.Evening work may be required.

Other

Must be able to regularly lift 40 pounds with or withoutaccommodation; occasionally lift 10 pounds over head with orwithout accommodation. Frequent stooping, squatting, bending,sitting, standing, crawling, dancing, rolling on the floor, andperforming calisthenics. Tact, diplomacy and judgment necessary indealing with others. Demonstrated independent decision-making andproblem-solving ability. Within the scope of position duties,responsible for seeing that operations are effective and efficient,assets are safeguarded, reliable data is maintained, and applicablelaws, regulations, policies, and procedures are complied with.Annual completion of 30 hours of child development training. Musthave negative TB test.

Physical Capabilities: N/A

Employment Category: Full-Time

Minimum Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Posted Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Position Available Date: 09/25/2026

Grant Funded Position: Yes

If Yes, Provide Grant Expiration Date: 08/31/2027

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley topromote and ensure equal employment opportunities for allindividuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex,age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity orexpression, genetic information or protected veteran status. Inaccordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil RightsAct of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americanswith Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University iscommitted to comply with all government requirements and ensuresnon-discrimination in its education programs and activities,including employment. We encourage women, minorities anddifferently abled persons to apply for employment positions ofinterest.

Additional Information

UTRGV is a distributed location institution and working location issubject to change based on need.

All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal backgroundcheck (CBC). Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Substitutions to the above requirements must have prior approvalfrom the VP of Human Resources.